Six years of savings, a 30-hour bus ride across the border… BTS tour dubbed a “cultural pilgrimage” by foreign media [K-EYES]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

“South America tour is a ‘cultural pilgrimage’”… Fans from Ecuador and Bolivia, where no concerts were held, crossed borders to Peru

Carrying money saved bit by bit over six years, they transferred between multiple buses and traveled for 30 hours. It was all to meet BTS.

BTS (BTS: RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, Jungkook) concluded the South American leg of their world tour “Arirang” with a concert in São Paulo, Brazil, on the 31st of last month (local time). According to Big Hit Music, BTS sold out all 14 performances across five countries—Bogota in Colombia, Lima in Peru, Santiago in Chile, La Plata in Argentina, and São Paulo in Brazil—meeting a total audience of 853,000. Foreign media focused on the stories of the people who filled those numbers.

The U.S. outlet Latin Times described this South American tour as “one of the most notable cultural pilgrimages on the continent.” The outlet shared the story of fan Maria Cruz Mamani, introduced by the Spanish daily El Pais. She had saved money for six years and traveled for nearly 30 hours, switching between several buses, to reach the concert venue in Santiago. Latin Times noted that even the lowest-priced tickets for the Chilean show represented “several weeks’ wages for many workers in the Andes region,” highlighting the dedication of fans who had saved up in such a way.

Fans from countries where no concerts were held crossed national borders. According to data from Peru’s Ministry of Commerce and Tourism, Ecuador accounted for the largest share—27.9%—of foreign attendees at the Lima concert. Ecuador was not included in this tour’s schedule. Following Mexico (12.2%), Bolivia ranked third with 10.6%. Fans from Bolivia, a landlocked country without access to the sea and also without a scheduled concert, crossed the border to head to Lima. Latin Times stated that “such circumstances did not stop Bolivian ARMY at all,” reporting that fans who came with their parents viewed this journey not as hardship but as a “family memory.”

The Lima concerts far exceeded expectations. Over three days, 151,500 people attended, recording three times the 50,000 attendees estimated by the Peruvian government. The Lima Chamber of Commerce estimated an economic impact of up to 200 million soles (approximately 80 billion won). Local fans also gathered over 25,000 participation applications to hold a drone show for BTS at Costa Verde on the coast.

In Chile, the concert nearly fell through. In July last year, the Chilean National Sports Institute refused to grant permission to use the Santiago National Stadium. This was after nearly 200,000 tickets had already been sold. Fans marched to the presidential palace holding purple banners, and eventually, permission was granted again within three weeks. At that hard-won concert, RM called the Chilean audience who sang “Arirang” with him “the best.”

The heat of the scene was fully captured in foreign media concert reviews. The British music outlet Clash described the Argentine show as feeling “like a pre-football match atmosphere due to the passionate fandom,” noting that “the audience’s cheers were so loud that the production team had to raise the volume on microphones and speakers.” It continued, “53,000 people sang the Korean folk song ‘Arirang’ in unison in Korean,” calling it a “powerful moment showing how closely music brings cultures together.”

Latin Times summarized, “For BTS, Latin America is no longer a peripheral market.” Indeed, according to U.S. music data company Luminate, Latin America accounted for 27% of global streaming for the regular album “Arirang” in the eight weeks following its release, the highest share among all regions worldwide.

The members understood that sentiment as well. J-Hope said at the final São Paulo concert, “Because we don’t get to meet often, South America was one of the schedules we looked forward to the most.” Jimin promised in a post-concert Weverse live stream, “I will carry these memories, prepare well, and come back again next time.”

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.View Original