Purple grooves over Haeundae: Busan becomes one giant ARMY bomb at BTS Festa's 13th anniversary

'2026 BTS Festa' ran June 12–13

Purple grooves swept the entire city

A foreign fan picks up a souvenir at a promotional booth outside Busan's Asiad Main Stadium in Dongnae-gu, where the BTS World Tour Arirang in Busan concert was held June 12. [Yonhap]

"I've been driving in Busan for decades, but I've never seen this many foreigners. It's not even comparable to four years ago."

Busan had become one vast Arirang theme park. The entire city glowed like an ARMY bomb — BTS's official light stick — as voices in languages from around the world filled the streets. Kim Su-hyeong, 65, a self-employed taxi driver, made the remark as he watched foreign ARMY fans pack every corner of a city blazing in a summer heat wave.

On June 12 and 13, the two-day birthday celebration marking BTS's 13th debut anniversary, Busan felt less like a city and more like a mega music festival. Busan Station, the airport rail link, the subway and the streets were all saturated with BTS and ARMY.

From the moment the BTS Festa schedule and concerts were confirmed for Busan, the city threw itself into preparations. "Busan Welcomes BTS" banners and photos went up across town, and the faces of BTS members covered virtually every surface. Members Jimin and Jungkook — both Busan natives — were especially omnipresent; there was hardly a spot in the city where their faces could not be seen.

Chloe Bernard, 27, who traveled from Lyon, France, wore a purple ribbon to signal her ARMY identity. "I've finally made it to Jimin and Jungkook's hometown," she said, her voice bright with excitement. "Growing up by such a beautiful sea — I think that's why they can write songs that are lyrical and full of hope."

The BTS 'The City' project at Haeundae. [Provided by HYBE]

'Keep Swimming' fills the beach: purple solidarity rings out over Haeundae

From Busan Station to Haeundae, and all the way to the Shinsegae department store in Centum City — BTS's homecoming stretched organically across the city's landmark destinations.

Over the two days, "The City" project drew a total of more than 110,000 fans to Busan, including an estimated 50,000 foreign visitors according to the Ministry of Justice. Incheon and Gimhae airports and Busan Port had been packed with arrivals for days. The government deployed emergency immigration staffing increases of up to 88 percent above normal levels to manage the surge.

The festival's opening act was staged with precision at Busan Station's Eurasia Platform, the city's main gateway.

Fans arriving with luggage and filing into the welcome center were immediately immersed in both the coastal city's atmosphere and the BTS universe. More than 15,000 people passed through in just one week from June 5, with wait times stretching to a full hour.

Tanya, 30, from Russia, said the journey to Busan had been grueling but the fatigue melted away on arrival. "From small shops to department stores, the whole city felt like it was welcoming and looking out for ARMY — that really moved me," she said.

HYBE first launched "The City" project in 2022 when BTS performed in Las Vegas, combining accommodation, food and beverage, shopping and entertainment to turn an entire city into a theme park around a concert. Domestically, the project had previously been held in Seoul and Busan, but this edition expanded all the way to Haeundae Beach, achieving a seamless fusion of music and place.

Fans take photos in front of a sand sculpture of the new song "SWIM" as a blimp carrying a support message from BTS member Jungkook flies overhead at Haeundae Beach in Busan on June 12, when the BTS concert was held. [Yonhap]

On Haeundae's sandy shore, a massive sand sculpture spelling out "KEEP SWIMMING" — the message of "SWIM," the title track from BTS's fifth full-length album "Arirang" — greeted ARMY fans as a pilgrimage site and prime photo spot. The "Love Song Lounge," an outdoor listening space where the sound of summer waves mingled with BTS music, drew more than 3,000 visitors within just two hours of opening.

Camille, 28, from France, sat listening to music while gazing out at the sea. "Having the BTS narrative layered over the ocean makes the emotion so much stronger," she said. "The years Jimin and Jungkook spent growing up watching this sea overlap with the years I spent growing up listening to BTS music — it brings back so many memories."

The main events were the two nights of concerts, but many ARMY fans had been unable to secure tickets. Emily, 20, flew 28 hours from Chile to Incheon before making her way to Busan. She said she had no choice but to come to Korea for BTS Festa even without a concert ticket. "I'd always wanted to come, but my parents wouldn't let me," she said. "Now that I'm an adult, I could finally make it."

Tracing Jimin and Jungkook's footsteps: pilgrimage sites color the neighborhood streets

What makes Busan especially meaningful is that it is the hometown of two BTS members, Jimin and Jungkook. ARMY fans followed in the pair's footsteps on what amounted to a pilgrimage through the city.

One of the most sought-after stops was Magnate, a cafe in Daeyeon-dong, Nam-gu, widely known as a space run by Jimin's father. Fans from around the world lined up before opening time, and entry alone took well over an hour. Inside, they photographed Jimin's hats and personal items on display. Nationality meant nothing among the ARMY fans who gathered there — united by BTS, they crossed language barriers to share how the group had changed their lives, turning the cafe into a space of solidarity.

The BTS 'The City' project. [Provided by HYBE]

Hoedong Maru in Geumjeong-gu and Gamcheon Culture Village in Saha-gu also buzzed with energy. Hoedong Maru — an education and community space built on the site of Jimin's former elementary school — and a tour route connecting the Mandeok-dong area where Jungkook grew up are essential stops on every ARMY itinerary in Busan.

In front of a large mural of Jimin and Jungkook at the heart of Gamcheon Culture Village, the line of fans waiting to take photos stretched dozens of meters. Emily said the first places she had wanted to visit in Busan were Hoedong Maru and Gamcheon Culture Village. "I wanted to take lots of photos, but there were so many fans that just waiting in line took about an hour and a half," she said with a laugh.

'Just three minutes too late' — even endless spending felt like joy

"The City" project is at once a festival, a theme park and, in effect, a space of boundless consumption. Each time the project comes to a city, it draws strong tourist numbers and generates significant sales and economic impact. When the Las Vegas edition launched in 2022, more than 110,000 ARMY fans visited the pop-up store and photo exhibition, and 44,000 people passed through the food and beverage collaboration with MGM hotels. At the 2023 BTS Festa held at Yeouido Han River Park in Seoul — a collaboration with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to mark BTS's 10th debut anniversary — 400,000 people gathered on a single day, including 120,000 foreign visitors.

Busan was no different. The pop-up store at Shinsegae's Centum City branch was brought to a standstill by fans racing to grab key merchandise the moment doors opened, with long queues snaking through the floor. Baseball caps, card holders, vinyl spinners, T-shirts and plush keyrings — merchandise reflecting BTS's identity — sold out almost as fast as they were put on shelves. Yuki, 36, from Japan, stood in front of a sold-out notice and said with a sigh, "I was just three minutes late." Fans on the floor also traded and gave away merchandise to one another throughout the day.

Fans pack Busan's Asiad Main Stadium in Dongnae-gu ahead of the BTS World Tour Arirang in Busan concert. [Yonhap]

A media art installation called "What Is Your Arirang?" — where multilingual messages sent by fans via QR code appeared in real time on a large LED screen — delivered a sophisticated entertainment experience that fused technology with fandom storytelling.

Satomi, 52, who came from Tokyo, said there was so much for fans to do that there was no time to be bored. "I want to visit as many places as possible," she said with a smile.

Busan's nights burned just as bright. The "Big Roof" at the Busan Cinema Center transformed into a screen for a dazzling light show, while landmark bridges including Gwangalli Bridge and Busan Harbor Bridge lit up simultaneously in the deep red that serves as the new album's signature color. The highlight of the entire festival came Friday night, when 1,000 drones filled the skies above Gwangalli Beach. As the melody of "Mikrokosmos" played, a tall sailing ship, a mask and pixel-art portraits of all seven members materialized in the night sky — and among the tens of thousands gathered on the beach below, gasps and tears crossed every nationality.

BTS Festa was not a celebration only for BTS and ARMY. The most beautiful scene of the night came after the main concert began. Local residents from nearby neighborhoods drifted outside in casual clothes, one by one, and lined up along a large overpass intersection facing the stadium, holding up their phones to capture the fireworks.

Jeong Min-ju, 54, who said she lives in an apartment building right in front of Asiad Main Stadium, came out for a stroll to watch the fireworks during the concert. "It's strange and wonderful to see the area so packed," she said. "I knew BTS was huge, but I had no idea it was like this. This is the first time this many foreigners have ever come to this neighborhood. I'm really proud."

shee@heraldcorp.com