Gwanghwamun Square to host packed comeback as BTS free show sells out immediately
A free comeback concert by BTS at gwanghwamun square next month sold out almost immediately, and officials say as many as 260, 000 people may visit the area around the plaza for the event.
Booking rush crashed systems as 13, 000 tickets vanished
When ticket sales opened at 8 p. m., more than 100, 000 people flooded the booking website, causing screens to crash and booking systems to freeze. The organizer said the 13, 000 tickets available for the concert were reserved shortly after going on sale, and fans turned to PC cafes and multiple devices in attempts to secure seats.
Gwanghwamun Square treated as a virtual stadium
Police plan to treat the site as a virtual stadium, control crowd flow through 29 designated entry points and warned of likely disruption to nearby metro stations and roads. Authorities also issued fraud warnings after scam posts began circulating before the sale; the police chief, Park Jeong-bo, requested deletion of 34 posts offering proxy ticket purchases for fees ranging from 10, 000 to 300, 000 won and posts claiming resale prices between 100, 000 and 1. 2m won.
One-hour performance to launch Arirang and precede world tour
Hybe said the performance time has been set at around one hour for safety and operational reasons, noting the show is in a unique outdoor public setting rather than a conventional concert hall. The set will include new songs from BTS’s upcoming full-length album, Arirang, alongside other popular tracks.
Organizers are reviewing measures such as installing large screens near City Hall to accommodate the crowds. Seoul city will also host separate fan events nearby for about 30, 000 people, and the Sejong arts centre adjacent to the plaza has cancelled performances for the day while the national history museum will close.
The one-hour concert will launch the new album and precede the group’s 82-date world tour; it will be broadcast live on Netflix to 190 countries. Accommodation prices in central Seoul have already surged, with some hotels charging up to five times normal rates, prompting condemnation from the president and stricter anti-scalping penalties enacted in January that allow fines up to 50 times the original ticket price.
Organizers and police say they are preparing for the influx at gwanghwamun square and nearby streets, and the event remains scheduled for 21 March, when the group will perform the short, safety-limited set that kicks off their global return.
