The BTS concert in El Paso, USA, experienced a delay in its start time due to a massive influx of fans in a short period.
According to the Texas-based media outlet MySA, the first night of the BTS 'ARIRANG' World Tour, held at the Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas, on May 2 (local time), was delayed by approximately 45 minutes due to long queues forming during the entry process.
Approximately 30,000 fans flocked to the concert, causing a bottleneck in the entry flow. Some attendees reported having to wait in line for over an hour, with one fan stating, "I waited for about an hour and 45 minutes before getting in." Another attendee described the situation as "near chaos," pointing out that the lines were not properly managed.
The Sun Bowl Stadium management cited technical issues and congestion caused by the large volume of attendees as the reasons for the delay. Specifically, they explained that ticket scanning speeds were slow on some devices, and the concentration of fans at specific gates contributed to the entry delays. Additionally, traffic congestion and limited parking space were identified as factors that exacerbated the situation.
Previously, the same media outlet reported that there was high anticipation throughout the city leading up to the BTS El Paso concert. In fact, El Paso County designated the concert period as "BTS Weekend," with the local government fostering a welcoming atmosphere and anticipating an economic impact of approximately $75 million.
Meanwhile, BTS held two days of performances in El Paso as part of this world tour, with the May 3 concert scheduled for 8:00 PM.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)