BTS Draws 157,000 Fans to New Jersey Concert, Signs Supporting 'Grammy Boycott' Appeared

Group BTS's two-day World Tour 'Arirang' concerts held in New Jersey last weekend drew a total of 157,000 concertgoers, according to their agency BigHit Music.

Held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the concerts marked the start of the second North American leg of the BTS World Tour 'Arirang.' BTS returned to the same venue just two weeks after performing at the halftime show of the 2026 FIFA World Cup North America final on July 19.

This also marks about 7 years and 2 months since their BTS World Tour 'LOVE YOURSELF: SPEAK YOURSELF' held in May 2019.

Throughout the concerts, the audience sang along to the Korean lyrics and enjoyed the performances with the members.

In particular, the crowd showed an enthusiastic response to the song "Aliens," which has been surging back up global charts following the members' declaration of a Grammy boycott, and sang along loudly to the title track "SWIM."

During "ARMY Time," which features the audience on screen, several fans held up placards expressing support for BTS members' decision and opposing the Grammy Awards' creation of a separate Asian pop category.

U.S. music publication Billboard reported, "BTS proved why they deserve to stand on the world's biggest stages by taking the stage at the MetLife Stadium for the first FIFA World Cup final halftime show just two weeks ago."

"This time, they fully showcased their true value through the approximately two-and-a-half-hour World Tour 'Arirang,'" it added.

Billboard also spotlighted the concert by selecting 15 of its best moments.

Meanwhile, U.S. hip-hop legend Nas drew attention by attending the concert.

RM, a longtime fan of Nas, shared his thoughts on stage, saying, "It feels really amazing to perform in front of my childhood idol."

BTS's next concerts will be held on the 5th and 6th local time at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

(Photo: Provided by BigHit Music (HYBE), Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.