BTS to hold Gwanghwamun comeback show in March

Hybe says discussions are ongoing, with date and venue to be finalized soon

BTS (Big Hit Music)

BTS is preparing to stage a large-scale comeback performance in March, possibly in Seoul’s symbolic Gwanghwamun Square, South Korean media reported Monday.

It would mark the group’s first full-member appearance in more than three years, and follows their completion of mandatory military service.

Shortly afterward, the group will kick off its world tour “Arirang,” in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, in April.

The company has applied for usage permits covering multiple heritage sites in central Seoul, including Gwanghwamun Square, Gyeongbokgung and Sungnyemun, and is coordinating with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, police authorities and the Cultural Heritage Administration.

But Hybe has identified Gwanghwamun Square as its No. 1 candidate venue to present the group’s return in a culturally and historically significant setting.

Applications have also been submitted to the Cultural Heritage Administration seeking approval for use and filming in areas surrounding Gyeongbokgung and Sungnyemun. The proposal is scheduled for review at a Cultural Heritage Committee meeting at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

In the application, the event is described as a “K-heritage and K-pop convergence performance,” with proposed locations including Gyeongbokgung, the Gwanghwamun area and its Woldae ceremonial platform, as well as Sungnyemun.

The steps of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul are decorated to promote BTS' return on March 20. (Big Hit Music)

Permission has also been requested for the use of Gwanghwamun Square itself. While the final audience size has not been determined, the plan calls for selecting between 15,000 and 20,000 attendees through advance registration. The plans are for the performance to be free-of-charge.

The group hopes to stage the performance around the third weekend in March. One possibility is a show to coincide with BTS' official comeback on March 20, but March 21 and 22 are also under consideration.

Hybe said discussions were ongoing and that official details will be announced once the venue and schedule are finalized.

Gwanghwamun Square occupies a central place in Korea’s modern civic identity, having hosted major public gatherings, demonstrations and national celebrations, including street cheering for the World Cup and the Olympics.

The location has already been linked to BTS’ return, as the group recently installed a sculpture on the outdoor staircase of the nearby Sejong Center for the Performing Arts as part of its promotional rollout.