For many BTS fans, getting to El Paso meant crossing borders, flying across the country, or spending long hours on the road all for a chance to see the K-pop group live.
On Friday, fans lined up again in merchandise lines that wrapped around the venue, with some saying they traveled thousands of miles to be there.
Among them were people who said they came from Torreón, Coahuila, in Mexico, Vermont, Salt Lake City, Utah, and Puerto Rico.
Fans made long drives to reach El Paso.
One fan said, “It was about 21 hours if you’re going the speed limit.”
Another said, “I came in from Omaha. So it was two hours to Dallas.”
Some fans said they chose El Paso because tickets were easier to get than in larger cities.
One fan said, “So for me, I tried getting tickets in Chicago. I couldn’t get into the queue. I tried getting LA, Las Vegas. Couldn’t lose any luck. El Paso, I thought about it, and I was like, I don’t think a lot of people are aiming for El Paso. So I’m going to go all in on El Paso right now. And it was a gamble, and I definitely won.”
The trip also became more expensive thanks to the merchandise.
Referring to his credit card receipt, one fan with his hands full said, “I didn’t see the receipt– my wife signed it.”
Destiny Venecia reports on BTS fans from all over the world flocking to El Paso for the K-pop group
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Some fans said they were still searching for last-minute hotel rooms.
One group said they had lodging for only part of the weekend and might have to sleep in their car.
“We’re gonna check some other things out around the area, but we came this morning for here, and then we’re gonna go back to Alamogordo. We only have tomorrow night. Saturday night, we don’t have any room. So we might be car camping. Yeah, along with everybody else’s car camping. There are a lot of people doing it,” the fan said.
Despite the expense and the logistics, fans said the experience was worth it.
“If it’s worth it, it’s worth it, man. So yeah, and this will be worth it,” one fan said.
Beyond the music, some fans said BTS has played a meaningful role in their lives.
One fan said, “Oh my gosh, BTS. To me, they’re like home. They bring so much comfort to me. I listen to them in my dark times, and they uplift you so much, and they’re such a positive energy that I love.”
Another fan said, “There are no words to explain what they mean to us, but they’re basically what brought us our smile back, and yeah, it’s a dream come true.”
With two nights of shows ahead, fans said the travel, the wait, and the cost were all worth it.
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