BTS, Blackpink concerts to rock Busan, Seoul this weekend

Posted on : 2022-10-14 17:19 KST Modified on : 2022-10-14 17:24 KST
Both acts are promising concerts like you’ve never seen before
K-pop group BTS (courtesy of Big Hit Music)
K-pop group BTS (courtesy of Big Hit Music)

Fans are getting pumped for concerts by K-pop groups BTS and Blackpink set to take place this weekend.

BTS will be holding its “BTS Yet to Come in Busan” concert on Saturday in the Busan Asiad Main Stadium to promote Busan’s bid to host the World Expo 2030.

The K-pop juggernaut’s label, Big Hit Music, said, “With the concert being held free of charge, we expect that it will serve as a venue for a global festival with people from all over the world. We also hope that the concert will widely promote Busan and Korea’s culture, contributing to Busan’s success in becoming the host of the World Expo.”

In addition to the in-person performance, large screens set up in the outdoor parking lot of the Busan Port International Passenger Terminal and a special stage at Haeundae Beach will enable audiences elsewhere in the southeastern city to watch the concert as if they were in the stadium themselves.

Promotional poster for the upcoming BTS concert in Busan (courtesy of Big Hit Music)
Promotional poster for the upcoming BTS concert in Busan (courtesy of Big Hit Music)

BTS’ concert comes only months after the release of their anthology album “Proof,” which outlines the group’s history. The concert will feature the legendary performances and music videos that made BTS what it is today, and most of the set list will be hit songs to encourage everyone, not just fans, to sing along and enjoy.

The show is also expected to feature symbols of Busan, in line with the event’s aim of promoting Busan as a potential host of the World Expo.

The performance will be streamed on television on JTBC and Japan’s TBS Channel 1. It will also be streamed online on several platforms, including Weverse, Zepeto, and Naver Now.

Weverse will feature subtitles in eight languages, including Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Indonesian, Vietnamese and Thai. Its live-chat function further enhances the convenience for global viewers.

Promotional poster for the upcoming BTS
Promotional poster for the upcoming BTS "The City" project in Busan (courtesy of Big Hit Music)

The addition of “The City” project is taking things to another level in Busan.

“The City” refers to a project to turn the port city into an “urban concert play park” featuring various events throughout the area before and after the BTS concert.

BTS first hosted a similar project in April for a concert in Las Vegas, which promoted itself at the time by coloring the entire city with purple, the group’s signature color, and changing the name of the official Twitter account of the Las Vegas Tourism Board to “Borahaegas,” a combination of BTS’ slogan “Borahae” — “I purple you” — and Las Vegas.

The project, which kicked off on Oct. 5, is transforming the entirety of Busan into a huge festival venue.

Various themed programs, including the “2022 BTS Exhibition: Proof” illustrating BTS’ nine-year history, official item sales stores selling Busan-themed “city signature” products, a theme package created in collaboration with five hotels in Busan, and a multimedia show with BTS’ music as the soundtrack.

Detailed information can be found on the BTS Weverse page and official social media accounts.

K-pop group Blackpink (courtesy of YG Entertainment)
K-pop group Blackpink (courtesy of YG Entertainment)

Meanwhile, Blackpink will hold “Blackpink World Tour: Born Pink - Seoul” performances on Saturday and Sunday at the KSPO Dome in Seoul’s Olympic Park. The event is receiving more attention than ever, as this is Blackpink’s first time performing in person for domestic fans in four years.

Amid the approach of the Seoul performance, which marks the beginning of a colossal world tour, YG Entertainment is upping anticipation with its announcement that the concert will be top-of-the-line.

“We have aimed to make the perfect concert by optimizing the sound, as well as working hard to perfect the set list,” commented YG.

The likes behind concerts of world-class pop stars, such as Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Dua Lipa, and Childish Gambino, have stepped up to orchestrate Blackpink’s concert. Stage design, set production, and video production are all underway to prepare a concert-going experience of overwhelming scale.

All eyes are on how they will be able to create a spectacular performance that matches the preeminence of Blackpink, which has established itself as one of the world’s top musical acts.

The girl group will be joined on stage by blacking musicians intended to maximize the effects of Blackpink’s live performance. The rearrangement of the group’s hit songs into intense live music is expected to boost the heart rates of audiences in the crowd through its unique charm and explosive energy.

“Despite its busy schedule, Blackpink is practicing again and again with the session band to create the best concert possible,” said YG.

Starting with the performance in Seoul, Blackpink will embark on a world tour around North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania, performing for an audience of 1.5 million people across the world, the largest in K-pop girl group history.

By Jung Hyuk-june, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]

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