BTS is officially back on the road in North America, and Tampa just got the first major look.
After opening the Arirang World Tour with concerts in Seoul and Tokyo, the group brought the tour to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on Saturday for the first of three sold-out nights. For fans, this was more than another stadium show. It marked the North American start of BTS’ first tour since completing mandatory military service.
The set list mostly stayed close to the group’s earlier stops, but the encore gave Tampa something special. BTS added the tour debut of their 2021 hit single ‘Permission to Dance,’ giving the crowd one of the night’s biggest singalong moments.
Tampa Gets Three Sold-Out BTS Shows
BTS will perform again in Tampa on Tuesday before moving the tour to El Paso, Texas, for shows on May 2 and 3.
From there, the Arirang World Tour heads to Mexico City for three nights, then moves to Santa Clara, California, where the group will play three shows at Stanford Stadium in May. After that, BTS will set up at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
The schedule does not slow down there. The group is expected to begin a European leg in June and July before returning to the United States on August 1 for two shows at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. As currently planned, the Arirang World Tour keeps BTS on the road until March 2027.
Jin Says The Group Wanted A Bigger Tour
Jin recently spoke about returning to touring with BTS and said he expects the group to find its rhythm again. “I think we’ll probably get back into touring harmony without much trouble,” Jin said. “All of the members have been wanting to tour so bad; they’ve been going at it with gritted teeth. It’s been tough for me to keep up, but I’ll do my best.”
He also said the original tour plan was much shorter than what fans are getting now. “My biggest dream has been to go on tour with BTS and meet as many fans as I can, from all over the world,” Jin said.
According to him, the first version of the tour only had a limited number of stops and would have lasted around three to four months. That did not feel big enough. “I said, ‘Now that we’re back, we promised so many people that we would come and meet them, and I feel like this is breaking our promise,’” Jin recalled. “I’d like to restructure this tour so that we can touch on more cities than this.”
The Arirang Tour Is Built For A Long Run
That push helped turn a four-month plan into a tour lasting more than a year.
For BTS fans, the message is clear. The group did not return with a small restart. They came back with a stadium schedule that reaches deep into 2027 and stretches across continents.
Tampa got the first North American chapter, plus a surprise encore with ‘Permission to Dance.’ Now the question is simple: what else will BTS add as the tour rolls on?
