Lima names a street after BTS ahead of group's first-ever Peru concerts

Lima has named a street after BTS to welcome the group to Peru for the first time since their debut.

According to Big Hit Music, the Peruvian capital renamed Sacramento Street — a central thoroughfare — "Avenida BTS" for one week from Monday through Sunday, with official road signs installed along the route.

Local authorities changing the name of a public road to mark a pop artist's visit is considered highly unusual in Peru's administrative history.

Landmarks and public spaces across the city have also been bathed in the group's signature purple. The Arco Morisco, a prominent Spanish-style structure in Surco's Friendship Park, has been lit up in purple each night since Monday, staging a nightly light show. At the Magic Water Circuit fountain park in central Lima, a week-long BTS-themed show combining water screens, lasers and music is drawing local fans and international visitors alike.

Every city on BTS's current tour has effectively turned into a festival. The group will perform at Estadio San Marcos — a venue with a capacity of about 70,000 — on Wednesday and again Friday through Saturday as part of their world tour "BTS WORLD TOUR 'ARIRANG' IN LIMA."

Peru's official tourism promotion website, Peru Travel, has described the tour as a major opportunity to draw international visitors not only to Lima's culinary scene but also to top destinations across the country, including Paracas and Machu Picchu.

The enthusiasm in Peru follows directly from the energy generated earlier in Colombia, where BTS opened the South American leg of their tour. The group drew 100,000 fans over two nights at Estadio El Campín in Bogotá on Friday and Saturday.

Bogotá's mayor issued a decree designating all BTS members "Huéspedes de Honor" (Guests of Honor) of the city. According to the Bogotá Tourism Board, 18.4 percent of all ticket buyers traveled from abroad — including from Ecuador and Mexico — while flight bookings surged 46.6 percent compared with the same period last year.

Rolling Stone en Español called the Bogotá concerts "the most anticipated concert of an entire generation" and named them one of the defining cultural events of the year in Colombia. "BTS met expectations and, in many moments, exceeded them," the outlet said.

shee@heraldcorp.com