Toronto temporarily renamed a section of Young Street to “BTS Boulevard” not only to mark the band’s concerts in the city but also to promote local Korean Canadian businesses.
BTS performs during a concert for its “Arirang” world tour.
BIGHIT MUSIC
The 6ix is welcoming the seven members of BTS – even naming a boulevard after them.
Toronto rolled out a series of celebratory events as part of its “BTS Weekend” on Friday to celebrate the band’s “Arirang” world tour concerts over the weekend, according to the group’s agency BigHit Music on Monday.
The iconic Toronto Sign — a sign that reads “Toronto” in Nathan Phillips Square directly in front of Toronto City Hall — was lit up in BTS’s signature purple over the weekend.
The section of Young Street from North York Boulevard to Finch Avenue has been temporarily renamed “BTS Boulevard.” The new name will be in place until Sept. 23. The city also hung a street sign displaying the new name in red, the band’s main color scheme for its latest album “Arirang.”
The celebration is more than just fanfare, Toronto said; it’s a celebration of the local Korean Canadian community. The city hopes to use BTS Boulevard to promote its diverse Korean Canadian businesses.
Lily Cheng, the Toronto city councilor who proposed the initiative, hopes that the project will breathe life into the community and attract tourists, according to BigHit Music.
BTS’s “Arirang” world tour concert at Rogers Stadium in Toronto
BIGHIT MUSIC
The Toronto tourism industry also welcomed the project with open arms. Destination Toronto, the city’s official tourism marketing organization, released The Ultimate BTS Weekend Guide to Toronto to guide visiting fans through the city’s Koreatown and shopping and tourism attractions. The manual also offers transportation options to and from the concert venue.
The celebration drew attention from other Canadian news outlets as well.
City News reported on the crowd of fans who lined up early to buy concert merchandise on Friday, one day before the concert.
The band performed its sold-out back-to-back Toronto concerts on Saturday and Sunday as part of its “Arirang” world tour. The band will next perform in Chicago on Thursday and Friday.
BY LEE JI-WON [lee.jiwon10@joongang.co.kr]