K-pop supergroup BTS is returning to the global stage with a major world tour starting in April 2026. This will be their first world tour in four years. The announcement comes ahead of the release of their first album in over three years, scheduled for March.
The tour is being organized by their agency, HYBE. It will cover 34 cities with 79 performances. HYBE says it is the largest single tour by a K-pop group in terms of total shows and regional reach. The tour will begin in Goyang, South Korea, on April 9. Two additional concerts are planned in Goyang before the group moves to Japan. From there, BTS will tour the United States, Europe, and Southeast Asia, finishing in Manila in March 2027. Additional stops in Japan and the Middle East are expected to be announced.
BTS, also called the Bulletproof Boy Scouts, has been a global phenomenon for years. They are the most-streamed group on Spotify. They are also the first K-pop act to top both the Billboard 200 and Billboard Artist 100 charts in the United States. The group has not toured or released new music since 2022 due to mandatory military service for all South Korean men under 30.
Before their hiatus, BTS generated enormous revenue for South Korea. Their activities contributed over 5.5 trillion won ($3.7 billion) annually, equal to about 0.2 percent of the nation’s GDP. Their return is expected to boost South Korea’s economy once again.
Fans, known as ARMY, reacted with overwhelming excitement to the tour announcement. Many joked about selling organs to buy tickets. Others compared the ticket rush to the intense “hunger games” in popular novels. Analysts expect around 4.5 million fans to attend the tour worldwide.
HYBE’s stock responded positively to the news, rising about three percent at market open. Investment experts have projected that the company’s operating profits could increase tenfold this year compared to 2025.
