BTS played their first ever concert in Spain on Friday night, filling Madrid’s Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium with more than 70,000 fans. The show was part of the group’s Arirang world tour, their return to stadium stages after all seven members completed their compulsory military service in South Korea.
A long wait
For Spanish fans, known like all BTS followers as ARMY, the concert ended years of waiting. From midday, the streets around the stadium were full of fans in purple swapping photocards, bracelets and gifts, undeterred by the Madrid heat.
The show
The lights went down at 8.20pm, and RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook appeared on a 360-degree stage in the middle of the stadium, surrounded by dancers. The circular stage allowed the members to move around and get close to every section of the crowd.
The setlist combined new material with the group’s best-known songs, including “Mic Drop”, “Idol”, “Butter” and “Dynamite”. Fans sang along in Korean, copied the choreography and waved their lightsticks in time with the music. The members spoke to the crowd in Spanish, prompting huge cheers.
The purple tide
During one of the final songs, thousands of fans raised purple fans at the same moment, creating a wave of colour across the stadium. The gesture, organised by the fans themselves, symbolised the bond between the group and its followers — purple has long been the colour associated with BTS and ARMY.
“We will come again”
From the stage, Jimin said it was the group’s first visit to Madrid, wondered aloud why they had not come before and promised that they would return. The concert ended at around 10.35pm, after more than two hours of music.
More than music
Many fans spoke of how the group’s songs about mental health, self-esteem and vulnerability had helped them, giving them comfort and a sense of belonging. For many, the night felt like a shared experience as much as a concert.
A second concert was held the following day at the same stadium, confirming Madrid as one of the major stops on the tour and K-pop’s growing pull in Spain.
