BTS draws record 184,000 fans at Paris concerts during ‘ARIRANG’ tour
BTS achieved a monumental milestone during the European leg of their ‘ARIRANG’ world tour, performing to a record-breaking crowd of 184,000 fans across two sold-out concerts in Paris. The group played at Stade de France on July 17 and 18, with around 92,000 attendees at each show, marking the largest single-venue attendance in BTS’s history.
During the performance, V lightheartedly mentioned his struggles with French pronunciation, eliciting a loud cheer from the audience. Fans, known as ARMY, came from across Europe, Africa, and North America, joining together to sing along to the setlist.
Suga reminisced about the group’s past visit, stating,
“We performed at this same stadium seven years ago before the pandemic, but I think we had only about half as many people back then. This was our biggest audience and the hottest city. Thank you so much for staying with us all this time.”
BTS performed tracks from their ‘ARIRANG’ tour, including fan favorites like ‘IDOL’, ‘Butter’, and ‘Dynamite’. The concerts featured special performances of ‘Boy With Luv’ and ‘JUMP’ aimed at their French fans.
Throughout the concerts, giant screens displayed fans holding messages in Korean, thanking the group and sharing how BTS’s music has helped them through tough times.
Also in attendance were French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron, who were seen with official BTS light sticks, also known as ARMY Bombs. Macron later posted concert moments on Instagram, captioning it,
“Welcome to Paris.”
Jin reflected on his experience participating in the Paris Olympic torch relay after completing his military service in 2024, sharing,
“It was wonderful to be surrounded by such beautiful scenery and beautiful people back then. I’m so happy to be here with all of you again today.”
Ahead of the concerts, the French newspaper Le Monde featured BTS, noting that while their military hiatus might have weakened their momentum, the members returned “more united, stronger and more confident in their identity than ever.”
Following this European tour, BTS will perform at the halftime show of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on July 19.
