Cover BTS returns with ‘Arirang’, their first group studio album since 2020, alongside a slate of comeback projects, including Netflix specials, a free concert and a two-night appearance at the ‘Tonight Show’ (Photo: @bts.bighitoftficial/Instagram)
BTS returns with ‘Arirang’, their first group studio album since 2020, alongside a slate of comeback projects, including Netflix specials, a free concert and a two-night appearance at the ‘Tonight Show’ (Photo: @bts.bighitoftficial/Instagram)
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After four years apart, BTS returns with ‘Arirang’—and the comeback is unlike anything they’ve ever done before. Here’s your date-by-date guide to the album, the Netflix specials, the free concert, Jimmy Fallon and an 82-date world tour
After nearly four years fulfilling South Korea’s mandatory military service, BTS is back—and they’re returning in the most spectacular fashion imaginable. On March 20, the seven-member group releases Arirang, their first studio album since Be in 2020. A 14-track record named after a beloved Korean folk song symbolising resilience and longing, Arirang signals the start of a comeback campaign of extraordinary scale: Netflix specials, a Spotify exclusive, a two-night Jimmy Fallon appearance and an 82-date world tour across 23 countries. This is your essential date-by-date guide.
In case you missed it: ‘Arirang’ by BTS: what the producers and songwriters reveal about its sound
March 20: the ‘Arirang’ album drop — how and where to get your copy
Arirang drops globally on March 20 on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music. For physical copies, head to Weverse Shop for the exclusive Modern Korea vinyl and the Weverse Albums version, which bundles digital playback with physical photocards. Shipping internationally, Weverse Shop is the most direct route for international fans.
If you are in the US, Target carries the covetable member-specific colour vinyls—RM: silver, Jin: pink, Suga: clear, J-hope: cream, Jimin: burgundy, V: velvet red and Jung Kook: orchid—plus deluxe black-and-white and colour variants. Standard CD editions are also available at Walmart and Barnes & Noble.
March 21: how to stream ‘BTS The Comeback Live | Arirang’ on Netflix
On March 21, BTS takes the stage at Seoul’s historic Gwanghwamun Square—the first K-pop act ever to perform at this cultural landmark—for a live, open-air concert streamed exclusively on Netflix. No extra charge—all subscribers can watch. Tune in at 8pm KST, 7am EDT, 4am PDT or 11am GMT.
March 23: Spotify x BTS Swimside — how to join the NYC event and in-app scavenger hunt
Only 1,000 of Spotify’s most devoted BTS listeners in New York will receive a personal invite to the exclusive Swimside event on March 23. Can’t make the cut? Open the Spotify app and search for “Decoding Arirang”—premium subscribers can unlock exclusive audio messages from all seven members and take part in interactive quizzes celebrating the group’s discography.
March 25 and 26: BTS on Jimmy Fallon — how to watch their two-night ‘Tonight Show’ takeover
Above BTS and Jimmy Fallon share a well-documented history, including a performance at the historic Grand Central Terminal in New York
If there’s one late-night host who truly gets BTS, it’s Jimmy Fallon. BTS and Jimmy Fallon share a well-documented history, from the Grand Central Terminal performance to multiple appearances that have since racked up hundreds of millions of views.
On March 25 and 26, BTS returns to The Tonight Show for a two-night takeover that feels less like a press obligation and more like a reunion. Night one brings a sit-down interview—expect the kind of candid, playful conversation Fallon draws out of BTS like no other host—plus the US television debut of a track from Arirang. Night two delivers a second live performance. International viewers can catch clips on YouTube via The Tonight Show’s official channel shortly after broadcast.
March 27: ‘BTS: The Return’ — how to stream the Netflix documentary
Directed by Bao Nguyen, BTS: The Return arrives on Netflix on March 27. The documentary charts each member’s journey from military discharge to their Los Angeles recording sessions for Arirang, offering an intimate look at how one of the world’s biggest groups found their way back to each other.
April 2026: the BTS world tour Arirang kicks off — Goyang and Tokyo are sold out
The BTS World Tour for Arirang opens at Goyang Stadium on April 9, 11 and 12, then moves to Tokyo Dome on April 17 and 18. Both runs are completely sold out. Can’t attend in person? Live cinema viewings of the Goyang and Tokyo shows will broadcast to global theatres, with select Goyang shows also available to stream via Weverse Concerts. The tour then rolls into North America from late April, through Europe in summer and Latin America in October.
North America, Europe and Latin America: what’s still available and where to look
All 41 shows across North America and Europe are sold out. The North America leg opens in Tampa (April 25, 26 and 28), with stops including Mexico City (May 7, 9 and 10), Las Vegas (May 23, 24, 27 and 28), Chicago (August 27 and 28) and four nights at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles (September 1, 2, 5 and 6).
The European leg kicks off in Madrid on June 26 and 27, followed by London, Munich, Paris and Brussels—London sold out in 30 minutes, Madrid in 37. Latin America dates in Bogotá, Lima, Santiago, Buenos Aires and São Paulo are set for October.
2027 Asia-Pacific dates: BTS heads to Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand and more
For Asian fans, the wait is worth it. The tour’s Asia-Pacific leg runs from late 2026 through March 2027, and the confirmed dates are extensive. In 2026, BTS returns to South Korea for a second time with shows in Busan on June 12 and 13, followed by Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on November 19, 21 and 22.
Southeast Asia then takes centre stage in December: Bangkok’s Rajamangala Stadium on December 3, 5 and 6; Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur on December 12 and 13; Singapore’s National Stadium on December 17, 19, 20 and 22; and Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on December 26 and 27.
Into 2027, Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on February 12 and 13 and Accor Stadium in Sydney on February 20 and 21 precede the final Asia stretch: Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong on March 4, 6 and 7 and the Philippine Arena in Manila on March 13 and 14. Visit BigHit Music’s official website for more tour information.
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After more than a decade in lifestyle media, Clifford has mastered the art of writing seriously about things that are fun—and writing fun things about people who take themselves very seriously. At Tatler Asia, he helped steer its flagship lists, Tatler’s Most Influential and Asia’s Most Stylish. And today, he leads T-Labs, Tatler Asia’s content innovation hub, where he continues the noble pursuit of lifestyle storytelling, spinning stories on wealth, entertainment, necessary style, Hallyu, Hollywood, beauty and more for audiences across Asia.
