Thousands of K-pop fans will descend upon Tampa starting next weekend for three BTS concerts.
The city is welcoming the South Korean boy band and their Army with open arms — and purple lights.
In an Instagram video posted Wednesday, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor announced that the city’s bridges and Old City Hall will be lit with the band’s signature color from April 25 through April 29.
BTS will perform at Raymond James Stadium on April 25, 26 and 28. Saturday’s show kicks off the group’s first North America stop for their Arirang World Tour.
“It really is an incredible opportunity for the entire Tampa Bay region, and we’re excited about that,” Castor said Thursday. “We’ve seen several other acts that have sort of looked at Tampa as their Florida stop, and they’ve set up here … for an extended period of time, as opposed to tearing down and moving from city to city. We would certainly endorse other acts to do the same. That’s what Taylor Swift did.”
Castor’s cousin’s daughter, who lives in Korea, will travel to Tampa to see BTS next weekend. But the mayor herself regrettably won’t be at any of the local shows.
“I certainly wish I was,” she said. “But I am headed to Madrid, Spain. Actually, I was out of town, I think in London, for Taylor Swift.”
While Castor described herself as more of “a yacht rock girl,” she has enjoyed watching videos of BTS online and reading about their reunion after each member completed mandatory military service in South Korea.
“They’re phenomenal,” Castor said. “Just the choreography and the staging and the entire presentation is pretty amazing.”