"BTS might just be the biggest band in the world. The revered K-pop idols haven't performed in the United States since a string of shows in Las Vegas in 2022, taking several years off for their mandated Korean military service. But this spring, they've returned to the road for a world tour that's making stops in the Bay Area for three nights with performances at Stanford Stadium. And as one might suspect, members of the BTS Army - the name for the band's devoted fangroup - are already showing up in droves ahead of the first show on Saturday."
"Although there isn't a show Friday night, Stanford's stadium was already swarmed with fans as early as Thursday night, with social media posts showing fans camping out ahead of the 10 a.m. merch sale time. Some fans estimated there were over 1,000 people in line as of 7 a.m. Another post showed a diagram that revealed the line wrapping around the track field multiple times. One fan who spoke to NBC Bay Area (KNTV) spent $700 on merch, almost as much as her $800 VIP ticket."
"Roughly 150,000 people are expected for the three shows, with SFO even rolling out a welcome station in the group's signature purple color. The attendance figure exceeds the pair of Taylor Swift Eras Tour concerts at Levi's Stadium, which drew approximately 116,000 Swifties in 2023. However, last year's Dead & Company shows at Golden Gate Park actually drew higher attendance, with an estimated 180,000 fans over the course of three days."
BTS has returned to live performances after a gap since 2022, when shows in Las Vegas were followed by several years off for mandated Korean military service. The group is now on a world tour with three nights at Stanford Stadium in the Bay Area, starting Saturday. Fans began arriving as early as Thursday night, with social media posts showing camping ahead of a 10 a.m. merch sale and long lines wrapping around the stadium grounds. One fan reported spending $700 on merch in addition to an $800 VIP ticket. About 150,000 people are expected across the three shows, and SFO is preparing a purple welcome station. The expected attendance surpasses Taylor Swift’s 2023 Levi’s Stadium shows but is below Dead & Company’s estimated 180,000 over three days at Golden Gate Park.
Read at SFGATE
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