After a nearly four year long hiatus, BTS, also known as Bangtan Sonyeondan, is officially back with a brand new album and a world tour set to kick off in spring 2026. Fans worldwide have been counting down to this very moment ever since the group announced their comeback following an indefinite hiatus announced in June 2022. 

BTS is one of the most influential music groups of the 21st century, amassing an astounding 27,572,138 monthly listeners on Spotify, making their comeback a monumental moment for music and K-pop culture globally. 

In 2022, BTS released a video to their worldwide fanbase explaining their desire to take a break from their careers and pursue their own individual music careers. All seven members also had to complete South Korea’s mandated military service, which requires men 18 and older to serve between 18 and 21 months in the South Korean military. As such, all seven members began their enlistment in 2022-2023, with the oldest of the group, Jin, completing his service in 2024. 

Post service, Jin began experimenting with his own music career, releasing his debut album, “Happy,” in November 2024, which, alongside his later album, “Echo,” saw incredible success. Following, other members such as J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook released their own successful debut albums. 

With the staggered release schedule, each member was allowed to grow an individual audience and draw more traction to the group as a whole when they reunited.

BTS officially announced their full-group comeback during a livestream in July 2025, with members saying, “Since it will be a group album, it will reflect each member’s thoughts and ideas. We’re approaching the album with the same mindset we had when we first started.” 

The statement was very well received by fans worldwide, as many missed the group’s chemistry.

The group’s announcement of their new album “Arirang,” as well as its coinciding world tour, was especially welcomed with over a million tickets being sold within the first day and many stadiums reporting to have sold out within the first hour. 

The album’s title references a traditional Korean folk song, illustrating the group’s desire to reconnect with their roots and reinstate the passion they once had when the group debuted in 2013. 

“Arirang” will be released globally on March 20, with the world tour following shortly after on April 9, in Goyang, South Korea. The tour is set to end on March 14, 2027 in Manila, and will span 82 shows internationally. 

The Arirang Tour will be the group’s biggest ever and is their first major collective global tour since their four-year hiatus, finally giving fans a chance to see BTS perform live after such a long wait. 

The public’s reaction to the announcement of the anticipated Arirang Tour demonstrates that even after four years apart, the group maintains their undying relevance within music and K-pop communities worldwide. 

The future of BTS is full of potential, and fans cannot wait to see what all seven members have next to come.