Fans from across the U.S. and around the globe flocked to Tampa this weekend for South Korean boy band BTS' first concert of the North American leg of their world tour.
For many local fans, the kickoff marked a major moment. It's the first time the K-pop phenomenon performed in Florida and as a group since going on hiatus almost four years ago.
About 180,000 people are expected to attend three sold-out shows at Raymond James Stadium on Saturday, Sunday and the finale on Tuesday.
Known by their stage names RM, Jin, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook, the seven members completed their South Korean mandatory military service in June 2025 and have been working on their newest album "Arirang" ever since.
"Arirang" refers to a South Korean centuries-old folk song and is often considered the country's unofficial national anthem. The song carries a deep cultural significance as BTS makes a comeback.
On Saturday, fans – also known as the BTS Army – dressed in black and red in reference to the album's key colors.
Anna Pappas, a Korean American from Tampa, wore a black and red Hanbok, a ceremonial outfit characterized by a long-sleeved top and floor-length skirt. Pappas said she's been following BTS since the group formed in 2013.
"It was really nice to see a K-pop group that was able to break out of the K-pop standards in the industry and actually address cultural issues, that is contrary to what most K-pop artists did, and just to see them thrive," said Pappas.
The group has become known for addressing social issues in their music, such as the societal pressures youth face in Korea. And Pappas isn't the only one drawn to BTS for those reasons.
Chelsea Powell, who flew in from Utah, said she was hooked after watching a documentary about BTS, in which members discussed their 2017 song "Spring Day."
Many fans have connected the song's lyrics of loss and longing to the 2014 Sewol ferry tragedy, which killed 314 passengers, a majority of whom were high school students.
"I just deep dove into all of their music, and I tell everyone, 'you have to listen to this album, like, this is the message,' " said Powell. "It's so much fun."
Athena Gana, who is from New York, met up with family from the Philippines for the Tampa concert. Gana said BTS' songs helped her through feelings of loneliness during the COVID pandemic.
"The lyrics really helped me when I was very sad and going through it, so I owe a lot to them," said Gana, adding, "But also they make bangers."
For Tampa resident Astacia Soto, BTS became a source of comfort when she lost her sister nearly six years ago.
"One day I started watching YouTube, and I saw BTS. And since then, it's just been BTS," she laughed.
Soto said the group's energy and camaraderie is what drew her to them.
"It made me feel like [they're] people I would hang out with, and that kind of comforted me," said Soto. "From there, I dived a little deeper into learning who's who, the music that they make, and I fell in love with it."
Cameron Terry and Rachael Jackson from Atlanta said they waited six years to watch BTS perform. The two planned to attend BTS' Map of the Soul World Tour in 2020, which was postponed and eventually canceled due to the pandemic.
"It was such a long time between the last time they saw their fans, and now. They were really worried about whether people would show up like they used to," said Jackson. "If you look at the turnout here today, I mean sold-out show. This is just proof to them that we stayed, we didn't stray, and we still care just as much as they care about us."
