Celebrating BTS’ comeback: Singapore fans win raffle to Seoul concert, host watch parties

SINGAPORE – Whether in-person or via live stream, Singapore fans of BTS were thrilled to catch the BTS The Comeback Live: Arirang concert on the evening of March 21.

The free hour-long show celebrated the March 20 release of the K-pop boy band’s latest studio album Arirang, and featured all seven members – RM, Suga, J-Hope, Jin, Jungkook, V and Jimin – for the first time since 2022, after which they enlisted for their mandatory military service.

It took place at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul and was streamed live on Netflix, and reportedly attracted a crowd of 260,000. The septet performed eight of Arirang’s 14 tracks, such as Hooligan and Aliens, as well as four older numbers like Butter (2021) and Dynamite (2020).

Singaporean Cindee Yeo, who is in her 50s, was among 2,000 lucky fans worldwide who won a raffle to attend the concert in-person. She flew to the city on March 20.

The self-employed mother of three pre-purchased a few copies of Arirang in early February through Weverse, a global fandom platform, and joined the raffle through it. In late February, she logged on and discovered she had won a ticket.

“It was very unexpected,” she told The Straits Times from Seoul. “In my five years in Army (BTS’ fandom name), I have never won anything.”

Initially, she considered giving the opportunity a miss. “Logistically, it was quite scary,” she recalled. “I had to book flight tickets on short notice, and navigate massive crowds. Part of me just wanted to watch the concert in the comfort of my home on Netflix. But since I won, I have to go, right?”

On March 21, Ms Yeo left her hotel in Myeongdong at 12.30pm and took a train to reach Gwanghwamun Square at 1pm. There, she registered, got her identity verified, received her wristband and entered the venue at 4pm for the 8pm concert.

She watched the concert by herself in standing section A-3, directly in front of the B-stage. She said: “I knew there were other Singaporeans in other sections as I had met some the day before at other BTS-related activities, but I was the only one in my section.”

She first discovered BTS during the Covid-19 pandemic. While she has watched their previous concert films in cinemas, this was her first time seeing her idols perform live.

She said: “⁠They are so comfortable with one another, and their chemistry has not wavered. They belong onstage together.”

Her top highlight was the opening number Body To Body, the first track on Arirang. “It has been a while since we saw BTS dance as a group and this song is such a vibe. The choreography was also fast-paced and energetic.”

From the zone she was at, she felt everything was managed well. “The process of security, verification, waiting area and being led to our zone was seamless and there were multilingual signs placed everywhere.”

Ms Yeo attended J-Hope and Jin’s solo concerts in South Korea in June and October 2025 respectively, as well as Suga’s solo show in Singapore in 2023. She has also bought tickets to the first stop of BTS’ Arirang World Tour in Goyang, South Korea, in early April.

She said: “For me, tonight’s show is just a teaser.”

Also flying solo at BTS The Comeback Live: Arirang was Singapore permanent resident Rowena Hanafiah, who travelled to Seoul on March 19.

On March 21, the 38-year-old Malaysian walked to the concert venue from her hotel in Anguk-dong, which is 10 minutes by foot. After reaching at 3pm, she sat in a waiting area until 5pm, when she was allowed to enter her section – standing section A-4 – on the right side of the stage.

The senior human resources associate, who has been a fan since 2020, said: “Thankfully, I knew some Singaporeans and Malaysians in my section from previous BTS events. So although I went by myself, I did have some friends there.”

It was also Ms Rowena’s first time watching all seven members perform together, having previously attended only the members’ solo shows.

She has caught Suga three times (in Singapore and Seoul, in 2023), J-Hope seven times (in Seoul, Singapore and Goyang, in 2025) and Jin five times (in Goyang, London and Incheon, in 2025).

She said: “While this was a very short concert, they still put on an amazing show and a fantastic performance for everyone.

“My favourite part was seeing them perform the closing number Mikrokosmos (2019), a song I have been wanting to see live forever. Their new lead single Swim was also a high for me because it is about ‘swimming’ through challenges and uncertainties in an unpredictable world.

“Although RM was injured, he put on an incredible performance with his fire raps,” she continued, referencing how the BTS leader injured his ankle during concert rehearsals on March 19.

“They all looked dashing in their outfits, and I loved it when J-Hope mentioned that BTS 2.0 was just getting started. I am so excited to see more from them.”

On the logistics of getting around, Ms Rowena found it “a little hard” to navigate the venue due to some road closures, but qualified there were always staff on hand to assist.

“The event was safely managed and the crowd control was really good as well. Everything went smoothly as much as possible.”

Back in Singapore, Army organised watch parties around television and projector screens on March 21 to catch the action live and share the joy.

One such session was hosted by Ms Wee Li Shyen at a semi-detached house in the Bukit Timah area. Eight other fans, whom she met through previous BTS events, came over and the place was decked out in BTS-themed decor.

There was a photo wall with balloons spelling out “BTS is back”, a heart-shaped cake featuring the faces of the seven members, as well as banners, pictures and figurines of the boys.

Plates, cutlery and cups in purple – the supergroup’s signature colour – were used. At 7pm, everyone rushed towards the television screen and the screams commenced.

Ms Wee, a 26-year-old film-maker who caught Suga’s solo show in Singapore in 2023, said: “I love holding such get-togethers, and they get bigger every time. It was really nice to see all seven members back together, and I like that they are still as close as ever.

“They also seem to have a reborn sense of energy, and Suga, in particular, looked so young.”

For film-maker Mickey Hiah, 29, BTS’ reunion is especially meaningful because their music previously helped him through tough times. He said: “I used to be very shy and introverted, and BTS have helped me be much happier and more sociable.”

Ms Joy Arellano, a 31-year-old freelance photographer, added: “I love their new tracks Normal and Aliens. It feels like a modern evolution of (the 2018 song) Answer: Love Myself – moving from the discovery of self-love to the reality of living it and being kind to oneself.”

The Filipina and Singapore permanent resident, who attended BTS’ National Stadium show in 2019, said she aims to attend their Arirang World Tour shows in Singapore in December 2026. Ticketing details and the venue have not been announced.

“I wouldn’t miss my seven for the world,” she declared.