BTS Arirang World Tour
Toronto, Canada — Rogers Stadium
22082026

A snow day in February led directly to 3+ hours of standing in a heavy rainfall in August.

Snow days are like winning lottery tickets to teachers. AND on this one snow day, I was home on a personal wifi network instead of a wifi that blocks ticket sales. For this reason, I could watch a presale event for the BTS (K-Pop group) Arirang Tour morph from a 30,000+ queue to a screen that was suddenly scrolling quickly through available seats where I could frantically click a selection and enter credit card information.

For context, I had let myself believe that not being able to get tickets to the Arirang Tour would have been okay. This was directly a result of processing the poignant reaction to attending The Permission to Dance on Stage—BTS’s long awaited return to the public after COVID in 2021. That show had been burdened by impossible expectations.

Crucially, a line in my tour reflections, in addition to the auspicious snow day, spurred me to return to that BTS “merry-go-round” — their 2026 Arirang Tour.

My secret (fully unrealistic) expectations for the live performance:
performance of아리 랑(arirang) (first item in a 5 point list)
— caveat emptor: buyer take stock

NOTE: Arirang is a Korean folk song that had captured my heart since the moment I heard it on return to my homeland. It embodies han, the Korean ethos of enduring heartbreak. An unmistakable memento for someone separated from their original family.

This line was written days after the concert in 2021. So 5 years later, when BTS teased and then unveiled the name of their most recent album, Arirang, I was stunned. I was convinced that BTS had responded directly to my distraught review. It was the niche algorithm video about diagnosing ailing houseplants that just “gets you.” And . . . your bedtime is pushed back 3 hours.

With a ticket, a hotel room, plane fare, a passport and realistic expectations, I headed to Toronto last Saturday to once again, meet BTS on stage. Then the thunder clouds rolled in. Lightning strikes flashed. A 30 minute delay.

But the show (BTS) . . . must go on! The danger passed. Showers do not stop the show.

Intro_Screen — 내빈의 위로의 노래
A Song of Comfort

A pre-show message in hangul welcomes the concert goers.

My return to the carnival of BTS live events precipitated by the inscrutable text in the form of an album title, did not disappoint. The spirit of Arirang was front and center. From the graphics before the show to the stage production (echoes of the design of the Korean flag) to the romanized lyrics being handed out to the crowd by fans. Arirang is embedded weirdly, but also thoughtfully into their stadium anthem, Body to Body. The process of how BTS painstakingly decided as a group to elevate their country’s iconic folk song was captured in the Netflix documentary, BTS The Return.

Fan created lyric sheet

Fan give-aways lovingly crafted that were offered before the show.

BTS has been including “surprise songs” (vintage and crowd favorites) into each stop on their tour. I had hoped for Rain, an early song that charmed me because of how much water falling both gently and deliberately from the sky can embody a nourishing presence. What to others may be a nuisance or a darkness, to me is charm. Although Toronto did not get this song, the entire show was drenched in a downpour. The wacky wish fulfillment continued.

BTS and Army cavorted, splashed and soaked in the torrential showers!

At least 2 members of the group seemed especially jolly. The youngest expressed his anticipation and delight for performing in the rain. It’s not lost on me, that he and I share a hometown (Busan) as well as a penchant for 비.

A full body-length poncho I had received as a fan gift at a BTS member’s concert, Run Seokjin Ep.Tour, miraculously prevented soggy socks. At the same time, Toronto had apparently sold out of ponchos and those on the floor waded through inches of water. The shared hardship — an indelible reminder of BTS X Army’s mutual finger hearts.

Brilliantly designed poncho

A gift from 김석진 at his *Run Seokjin* event in 2025. It features his picture on the back which means a BTS concert is the most fitting event for it. 😉

This experience ended with thousands of fans walking politely toward the TTC (train station), where Toronto offered free service. The concert was moving for the shared history both as a Korean and a long-time member of the BTS Army.

This fan video of the concert (better than my phone inside a soggy ziplock) captures the vibe.

But The Show(ers). . .

becoming fifty-five