BTS finally made a comeback with a new album on March 20, 2026, releasing ARIRANG globally. With a music video for the title track, SWIM, the seven boys earned tens of millions of views and streams in one day of its release.
The following day, a massive free concert was held at the historical Gwanghwamun Square, where the singers debuted the performances of some of their new songs, as well as brought out some of their fan favorites for the return of a lifetime.
BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE ARIRANG: A call to ARIRANG fans
A throng of purple colored fans visited Seoul in recent days and are expected to continue to be around the country's top tourist attractions in the coming days as BTS promotes their 5th regular album and begins their biggest world tour. As for the 1-hour live session, aptly being called the Return of the Kings, Netflix broadcast to the group's millions of BTS ARMY around the globe, who are expected to have tuned in for the group's comeback to the music scene after almost four years.
Still in disbelief, the group expressed their gratitude not just to their fandom but to every person who has worked hard to make the event possible
A brave introduction to the group's 2.0 version, BTS performed Body to Body, Hooligan, 2.0, Butter, MIC Drop, Aliens, FYA, SWIM, Like Animals, Normal, Dynamite, and Mikrokosmos. Their setlist was an amalgamation of the members' new musical challenge and their best from the past.
Interestingly, a group of singers and musicians wearing hanboks stepped onto the stage during the first song, Body to Body, which samples Arirang, the traditional Korean folk song, and sang it live, eliciting goosebumps from anyone witnessing this royal return.
Held at the Gwanghwamun (the royal South gate of the Gyeongbokgung palace), it is known that Korean designer Songzio dressed the members in custom fits for the event. Dressed in black and white fits, RM, Jin, SUGA, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook looked their best selves in outfits inspired by Korean traditional looks and Joseon Dynasty-inspired armor, an appropriate ode to Bangtan Sonyeondan (Bulletproof Boy Scouts).