BTS launches South American leg of ‘Arirang’ tour in Colombia

V, Jimin draw local attention in Bogota as group begins South American ‘Arirang’ tour

BTS kicked off the South American leg of its “Arirang” world tour in Bogota, Colombia over the weekend, with V and Jimin drawing particular attention for their interactions with local fans during the group’s first full-group concerts in the country.

The septet performed at Estadio El Campin on Oct. 2 and 3, opening a 14-show run across five South American cities, including Lima in Peru, Santiago in Chile, Buenos Aires in Argentina and Sao Paulo, through Oct. 31.

V became one of the most talked-about moments of the Bogota concerts after greeting fans in Spanish, a scene that was widely picked up by Colombian media and circulated across social media after the shows. The moment also gained traction online, with search interest in V reaching the maximum peak score of 100 on Google Trends following the concerts.

The crowd also sang "Happy Birthday" to Jimin, whose birthday falls on Oct. 13. Fans refered to him as “papacito” — a Spanish term commonly used to describe an attractive man — to which Jimin reacted with amusement, thanking fans after being told what it means.

The Bogota dates marked the beginning of BTS’ first South American tour as a full group in years. With stops in both Colombia and Argentina, the “Arirang” tour marks the group’s first performances with all the bandmates in those countries.

The scale of the tour has also drawn attention for its expected economic impact.

On Oct. 2, Bogota’s Economic Development Secretariat estimated that the two concerts could generate around 126.05 billion Colombian pesos ($37.9 million) in economic activity and create more than 5,200 direct and indirect jobs.

Ahead of the concerts, Bogota named BTS as guests of honor under a city decree issued Sept. 30, a designation local media reported had not been granted in about a decade. Mayor Carlos Fernando Galan said the group was “more than just a band,” citing its cultural influence and the attention its visit was expected to bring to the Colombian capital. The city also commemorated BTS’ concerts by lighting public buildings and landmarks in purple.

In Peru, meanwhile, more than 521,000 people waited in lines for tickets to Lima shows slated for Oct. 7, 9 and 10, according to the country’s export and tourism promotion agency, PromPeru. While exact ticket numbers for each night are not publicly known, the three concerts are expected to draw between 96,000 and 156,000 people in total. Fans are also organizing what has been billed as South America’s first BTS tribute drone show at Lima’s Costa Verde, a coastal strip known for its beaches and cliffs.

Demand has also been similarly strong in Brazil. According to Ticketmaster Brasil, more than 630,000 people joined the two-day fan club membership presale for the Sao Paulo concerts scheduled to be held from Oct. 28 to 31, with the venue capable of hosting approximately 67,000 to 72,000 people per show.

Meanwhile, the group’s fifth full-length album, “Arirang,” which released in March, remains on global streaming charts, ranking No. 3 on Spotify’s albums chart for the Sept. 25-Oct. 1 tracking period. Lead single “Swim” ranked No. 24 on the platform’s weekly songs chart.