EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Tens of thousands of fans descended upon the Sun Bowl as the highly anticipated BTS concert officially kicked off on Saturday, May 2.

While the vibes inside the stadium are what fans paid for, the excitement has been building all week long with epic pre-concert events taking over El Paso.

The dedication of the BTS “ARMY” was on full display in the days leading up to the show, with fans driving hours from cities like Dallas, Houston, and Austin to be part of the experience. Some fans didn’t just come for the music — they stepped up to organize massive pre-concert meetups, giving dozens of fans the perfect spot to celebrate before heading to the stadium.

Andrea Contreras, who drove in from Houston, organized a traditional BTS “cup sleeve” event at Weirdoughs Bakery and Cafe across from UTEP. The meet-up gave her fellow ARMY members a designated spot to hang out, trade freebies, buy merchandise, and hype each other up before the show — a staple tradition in K-Pop culture.

“Honestly, I think it is really important in the fandom and really brings us together, especially right before the concert,” Contreras said.

Naomi Ramirez, a fan who traveled from Dallas, echoed the sentiment of the community.

“The K-Pop culture is very like one big family. We really like to show up for each other,” Ramirez said. “And I think it’s kind of like you can meet people from all over the world and love them so much.”

At the meet-up, several mother-daughter duos were getting ready to experience the magic of BTS together for the very first time.

“I love Suga and my mom loves Jimin, and we both love J-Hope, and we’re hoping to hear a song called ‘Airplane Pt.2,’” said Bethany McCleland, a fan visiting from Arkansas.

For Audrey and Grace Murray from Houston, Saturday night was a long time coming.

“We were supposed to see BTS in 2020 and the concert got canceled because of COVID. So this is our redemption,” they shared.

Cousins Kristen Evans from Austin and Jenna Ramirez from Dallas — who were attending their second and fifth BTS concerts, respectively — shared what makes “The Boys” so special, and why the ARMY is such a passionate fandom.

“Every concert is so different, and it just really gives you an impact of positivity, good energy, and they really just bring happiness into your world,” they said. “For me personally, they came into my life at a time when I needed to be positive.”

While the massive crowds around the UTEP campus calmed down as fans settled inside the stadium to enjoy the show, the quiet won’t last long.

Both the concert at the Sun Bowl and the music festival in Downtown El Paso are expected to wrap up around 11 p.m. Saturday.

Mesa Street, stretching all the way to Downtown, will once again be packed with tens of thousands of people. Drivers are strongly advised to steer clear of the area later tonight to avoid heavy traffic delays.

KTSM 9 News will be back at the Sun Bowl tomorrow to cover Day 2 of the Arirang Tour in El Paso.

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