The biggest band in K-pop are back as BTS announced their comeback for 2026, which would be their first full tour since 2019.
BTS had to go on hiatus in 2022 to allow the band members to complete their mandatory South Korean military service.
Everyone — even international popstars — must complete 18 months, leaving fans patiently waiting for the group to return.
Now, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook have all finished their service and it’s been reported they will be heading on tour to celebrate.
Bloomberg revealed BTS is set to perform at more than 65 dates while on an international tour next year, with ‘more than 30 held in North America.’
However, the band’s management company Hybe have denied that any details have been confirmed in a statement.
The parent company, Big Hit Music, responded: ‘Details regarding the dates and scale of BTS’ new world tour remain unconfirmed. The dates you mentioned are not the latest number we are discussing.’
It’s expected that whatever the scale of their tour, it is likely to be a big one as the band’s popularity is still huge with almost 25,000,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
They last released an album in 2020 but touring was made difficult as Covid restrictions were still in place.
After cancelling their 2020 tour, BTS ran a concert series called Permission to Dance on Stage, which began as a streaming-only gig filmed in a real venue.
They performed a handful of shows in South Korea before extending to shows in North America, eventually bringing an audience back in when restrictions allowed.
Jimin confirmed in July that they were working on new music for release next spring, writing on social media: ‘Hey guys, we are back.
‘We’re also planning a world tour alongside the album. We’ll be visiting fans all around the world, so we hope you’re as excited as we are.’
The band told fans on Weverse at the time: ‘Starting in July, all seven of us will begin working closely together on new music.
‘Since it will be a group album, it will reflect each member’s thoughts and ideas. We’re approaching the album with the same mindset we had when we first started.’
K-pop groups like BTS, Blackpink, and Seventeen have found huge international success in the past few years.
Seventeen even became the first Korean group to play Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage while Blackpink headlined BST Hyde Park in 2023.
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