5 Days In Seoul For BTS’ Arirang World Tour Kickoff

Every member of the BTS ARMY remembers where they were in 2022 when the band announced a hiatus. For many pop groups, this kind of news is the beginning of the end — but RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook have always been different.

Though fans never doubted that BTS would reunite once they completed their military enlistment, it feels surreal to be here in 2026 with their new album Arirang, a Netflix livestream and documentary about their comeback, and a world tour on the horizon. As RM said when all seven stepped back onstage together for the comeback live, “We’re back.”

I’ve been a proper card-carrying member of the BTS ARMY since 2019, when the band’s Saturday Night Live performance tilted my world completely off its axis. So when I received an invite to the second night of the opening run of the Arirang World Tour in Goyang, South Korea, I knew I had to find a way to get there — and thankfully, Delta Airlines was down to help me make it happen. Below, find everything I did on my weeklong trip leading up to the concert.

Monday, April 6

4 a.m.: I arrive at Nashville International Airport and jump on my first flight to Minneapolis. Despite the early hour, I’m buzzing with the excitement that can only accompany the start of a trip. I make a quick stop to get some coffee and egg bites, then jump on my first flight of the day, which goes by in a flash.

10 a.m.: I pop into the Delta Lounge in Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport to grab another coffee, a snack, and mimosas to enjoy with my travel buddy, Andrea.

11 a.m.: I board and settle in for what I fear is the nicest flight I’ll ever take. I get set up in the first-class pod I’ll call home for the next 16 hours, sipping on the welcome champagne and getting cozy in the slippers provided. From here, time becomes an enigma, but I manage to score some great hours of sleep in the lie-flat bed. A few movies, two meals, and many cups of coffee and tea later, we’re touching down at Incheon Airport.

Tuesday, April 7

5 p.m.: Customs in South Korea is an absolute breeze, and we get through to baggage claim in minutes. As someone who can’t fluently read Hangul, the Korean alphabet, I consistently find myself amazed by how easy travel is here, thanks to the amount of signage in English. The kiosk we use to grab a bus into the city also has an English option, so it’s simple to figure out the public transit.

7 p.m.: We check into the Moxy Seoul Insadong, my preferred hotel in Seoul in the heart of the Jongno neighborhood. Fans of K-dramas would be deeply charmed by the streets in Jongno dotted with pochas, the tents and pop-ups selling mouthwatering street food that are especially popular in this neighborhood.

Wednesday, April 8

8 a.m.: After a refreshing night’s sleep, we’re ready to hit the ground running and head to Anguk. This neighborhood is home to the Bukchon Hanok Village, a landmark of preserved historical architecture (and a great spot for photos). We luck out and walk right into the beloved cafe Onion, which often boasts lines down the block. After loading up on breakfast treats like pistachio croissants and an especially delicious strawberry tart, we take our time wandering through Bukchon.

11 a.m.: We jump on the subway (which is always clean, quiet, and on time… a concept), and head to Seongsu, a trendy part of town known for shopping. We pop into a few stores, including buzzy eyewear brand Blue Elephant’s flagship, and then stop for lunch at a cozy spot called Grandma’s Recipe.

1 p.m.: We stroll over to Seoul Forest, where the cherry blossom path is at peak bloom. It’s so kind of the trees to coincide with BTS starting their tour.

2:30 p.m.: We realize we’ve walked 8 miles already and jump on the subway back to the Moxy, resisting the urge to crash with jet lag hitting hard.

5 p.m.: After a quick nap, we order from one of the abundant shops on Jongno’s pocha streets and call it an early night, falling asleep around 9 p.m.

Thursday, April 9

10 a.m.: It’s a rainy day, so we decide to go museum hopping after scoring some unbelievably delicious salt bread from Jayeondo Sogeumppang, a shop located in the heart of Insadong. We start at the Leeum Museum of Art in Hannam, grab a cozy lunch and warm up, then jump back on the subway and head to the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.

2 p.m.: The MMCA is buzzing, and there are some serious lines to see the collection of pieces from Damien Hirst, marking the first time his work has been hosted in a large-scale solo exhibition in Asia.

5:30 p.m.: We score one of the hottest reservations in town at Anguk’s On 6.5, a charming wine bar that offers elevated takes on traditional Korean dishes. This whole meal is a jaw-dropping experience, from the warm service to the beautiful decor and unbelievable food. I’ll be dreaming about the shrimp rolls topped with a kimchi-infused sour cream.

8 p.m.: It’s properly pouring rain now, but we don’t care because we’ve found another wine bar and the vibes are still immaculate.

10 p.m.: Right in Insadong, there’s an official afterparty as part of the ongoing BTS: The City Arirang celebration, a series of BTS-themed events and installations for fans to visit. We stop in and enjoy the atmosphere — which offers a DJ spinning BTS’ discography, a giant wheel for giveaways, and a postcard-making station — and chat with people who have traveled from countries like Greece and Italy just to be here for the tour kickoff.

Friday, April 10

10:30 a.m.: After grabbing some breakfast sandwiches from fast-casual chain Egg Drop, we continue our journey through BTS: The City Arirang, stopping at Dongdaemun Design Plaza to participate in the bracelet-making station. Other fans are decorating photocard holders, keychains, and phone cases, and Arirang is playing on a loop.

Noon: We make our way to Myeongdong, which gives me a bit of Times Square energy but is still fun for a quick visit (especially because this is where one of the biggest locations of K-beauty giant Olive Young sits). Here, BTS excitement is palpable, with banners reading “Welcome Back” hanging outside storefronts and their music streaming from most speakers.

4 p.m.: We stop by Yongsan Station, one of the destinations in BTS: The City Arirang, where the exterior of the busy transit hub has transformed into a celebration of the group’s single “Swim.”

6 p.m.: It’s still pouring rain, so we decide on ramyun for dinner and wind down early.

Saturday, April 11

8 a.m.: It’s concert day! The Arirang kickoff is being held in Goyang, a city about an hour from the heart of Seoul, but it’s still one easy, direct train ride away. We take Line 3 to the last station and join the stream of fans making their way over to Goyang Stadium.

If we thought Seoul was lit up for BTS, it’s taken to the next level as we get closer to Goyang. Every streetlamp has a banner featuring the members. There’s a cafe decorated entirely with photos of Jimin. A bus drives by us that says No Jin No Life, complete with his face on the side.

10 a.m.: We then experience a merch process that I hope catches on here in America. Once we arrive within 3 miles of the stadium, we can order merchandise on our phones and are assigned a pickup time verified by a QR code. Andrea loads up on merch for family and friends, and I score one of the Korea-exclusive tees. From there, it’s time to head back to our hotel to deposit our treasures, eat some food, and get ready for showtime.

3:30 p.m.: I slide into a black leather jacket featuring embroidered white and red flowers, a nod to the color palette of the Arirang album cover. I debate heavily between heeled black boots and my trustworthy tennis shoes, opting for the latter after considering how long BTS concerts can last.

4 p.m.: I’m back on the train to Goyang, and it’s time to locate the press booth. I pick up my ticket and badge, say hello to the folks on BTS’ global communications team, and am then walked to my seat. I note that there are zero concessions in Goyang — not even water! — and that as famous friends of BTS arrive near our section, like the members of Tomorrow X Together and actors Park Seo-joon and Choi Woo-shik, there’s a flurry of activity before people respectfully put their phones away.

7:10 p.m.: BTS arrives onstage. While the energy is absolutely focused on the seven men performing, a sea of colorful light sticks lighting up the night, everyone in the crowd stays seated (!!!).

7:30 p.m.: It’s the Arirang World Tour, and the set list reflects that, with the band working through almost every song on the album. Tragically, the one they choose to cut happens to be my favorite… still crossing my fingers for a live performance of “One More Night” someday!

8 p.m.: Finally, when BTS brings out the 2017 anthem “Not Today,” people start to get on their feet. I’m incredibly grateful for this, because once I see J-Hope get into the starting position for eternal banger “Mic Drop,” I don’t think anything could’ve kept me in my seat. There’s an incredible section in the middle of the show where BTS blends new cuts like “FYA” with old favorites, and I find myself thinking that if the energy is this high in South Korea, they’re going to blow the proverbial roof off every stadium in America once the tour touches down here.

I’m not surprised by the fact that the members of BTS seem happier than anyone to be back onstage all together. What does feel notable is the visible lightness. When V’s mic gets caught in his many necklaces, Jimin rushes to his side to help him get untangled, and the other members let them disappear happily into their own bubble. Later, V yells out “Yoongi!” during one of Suga’s verses, causing the older to dissolve into giggles midsong.

BTS is tossing out the playbook with this tour.

Similarly, while there might be a little less choreography than people are accustomed to for a BTS show, the moments of full-out dancing are more than enough. The group is clearly thinking long-term as they face more than 80 dates on the Arirang World Tour. Their stage presence remains otherworldly, and new cuts like “Hooligan” and “Body to Body” don’t require full choreography to feel engaging. The production, with the members on a 360-degree stage, makes every moment feel fresh. Having outgrown the K-pop system they came up in, BTS is tossing out the playbook with this tour.

8:23 p.m.: I shed my first tears of the night hearing a stadium of people sing the section of “Body to Body” that samples “Arirang,” a traditional Korean folk song about the significance of enduring and longing.

9 p.m.: We officially confirm that the set list will feature surprise songs each night — and they’re total mysteries to BTS, as well. We’re treated to the first-ever live performance of “Take Two,” followed by “DNA.” Jimin and V seem committed to delivering choreography for these surprise songs in tandem, all the more impressive considering how long it’s been since some of these tracks have been performed. Jin spends most of “DNA” standing in the corner of the extended stage right by our section, leading the flow of light sticks with an enormous grin.

Midnight: The show ends, and once I complete the train ride back to the heart of Seoul, I beeline for a 7-Eleven to grab a triangle kimbap, my convenience store snack of choice, feeling as though I’ve emerged from a dream.

Back in the coziness of the Moxy, I feel deeply excited for audiences around the world to see this tour, and this era of BTS — not just reunited, but creatively renewed, too. Despite early murmurs that Arirang might end up looking like a “farewell” tour, I felt nothing of the sort. Instead, the show plays like a confirmation of a second chapter that the members keep referencing. They’re still evolving, still growing, and maybe most importantly, they all still want to do this together.