The indescribable atmosphere of a BTS showpublished at 10:30 BST
10:30 BST
Mark Savage
Music correspondent
Image source, Getty Images
I last saw BTS when they performed at London’s Wembley Stadium in 2019, where they made history as the first K-pop group to headline a UK stadium show.
“Wembley holds huge significance,” Suga told reporters at a press conference shortly before that show. “Since I was young, when I watched Queen at Live Aid, I have dreamed of performing here. I couldn’t sleep last night.”
If he was tired, it didn’t show. For two-and-a-half hours, the band gave us a breakneck run through hits like Boy With Luv, Fire, Dope, Mic Drop and Mikrokosmos, with pin-sharp choreography augmented by pyrotechnics, fireworks, confetti cannons, water jets giant animatronics, and even bouncy castles.
Jungkook flew into the crowd on a zip wire during Euphoria, and elicited whoops of approval as he tried out his British accent: “Easy-peasy lemon squeezy”.
But what really makes a BTS concert special is the Army, who turn every night into a celebration. In London, some fans even clubbed together to buy BTS’s official lightsticks for less well-off concertgoers.
And the noise they made was louder than a jet engine during take-off. To adults attending this tour, I recommend earplugs!