92,000 people gather at Paris Stade de France, Macron
BTS successfully concluded their European tour 'Arirang' with 92,000 spectators at the Stade de France in Paris. President Macron and his wife also attended the venue, drawing significant attention.
France's Stade de France was filled with songs by BTS and the Korean folk song 'Arirang'. On the 18th (local time), BTS concluded their epic European tour by marking the finale of their world tour 'ARIRANG' at the Stade de France in Paris, France. This tour consisted of a total of 10 shows across five major European cities, including Madrid, Spain; Brussels, Belgium; London, UK; Munich, Germany; and finally Paris. During the tour, BTS met a total of 717,000 spectators, recording sold-out shows for every single performance.
92,000 cheers that also captivated President Macron and his wife
The Paris performance was overwhelming even in numbers. 92,000 spectators gathered per show, marking the highest single-show attendance for any concert BTS has held to date. In particular, the appearance of French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife drew significant attention. The President and his wife attended the performance on the 17th, and President Macron personally shared a video on his social media of BTS performing 'Dynamite'. The presidential couple was captured enjoying the show while holding 'ARMY Bombs', BTS's official lightstick. When their appearance was shown on the large screen during the performance, cheers erupted from the audience.
A reunion after 7 years, 'Arirang' and a wave of Taegukgi echoing in Paris
This performance holds a special meaning for BTS. It is their return to the same venue, Stade de France, 7 years and 1 month after they concluded the European leg of their world tour 'LOVE YOURSELF: SPEAK YOURSELF' in June 2019. Fans wearing Hanbok were noticeable throughout the venue, and the seats were covered in a wave of Taegukgi (Korean national flags). The Korean folk song 'Arirang' and Korean lyrics echoed through sing-alongs in all performance regions. Local media Le Parisien described the performance as an explosive and rich show, while Le Monde covered their journey, stating that BTS is the group that led K-pop to the top of the global music industry.
Members moved to tears, "Paris is a city that has everything we love"
On stage, the members could not hide their overwhelming emotions. The members of BTS said, “We were truly happy and felt grateful and happy knowing that so many people love us. We were so happy from the start of the European tour until Paris. We were so moved, wondering when we would ever get to perform in front of so many people again.” Jin shared his sincere feelings, recalling his time as a torchbearer for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, expressing his happiness to be with fans again in such a beautiful city. He also greeted them in French, saying, “A city of fashion, gastronomy, and romance. And a city with the best ARMY. Paris has everything we love. We will definitely come back.”
The next step toward the US World Cup halftime show
Having completed their European tour, BTS is now heading to the United States. They are scheduled to perform at the halftime show of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final to be held in North America. This 'ARIRANG' tour was a stage that demonstrated how BTS's fandom, 'ARMY', is continuing the lineage of massive fandoms established by pop legends like Taylor Swift and Michael Jackson. Their next move, having returned even stronger than seven years ago, will lead to the 2026 US World Cup stage.
