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BTS Paris concert draws 190,000 fans, Macron couple cheers on
🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

BTS Paris concert draws 190,000 fans, Macron couple cheers on

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • BTS held two concerts at the Stade de France in Paris, drawing a total of 194,000 fans.
  • The concerts set a new record for the largest audience for a single BTS performance, surpassing a previous show at the same venue seven years ago.
  • French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife attended the concert, with Macron sharing a video of the event on Instagram.

The South Korean group BTS concluded their European tour with a massive two-day concert at the Stade de France in Paris, attracting a total of 194,000 fans. The performances on October 17 and 18 saw approximately 92,000 attendees each day, setting a new record for the largest audience at a single BTS concert. This surpassed their previous show at the same venue seven years prior, which had half the attendance.

I'm going to give it my all with my energy.

— VA BTS member, V, said this after mentioning he had prepared greetings in French but worried his pronunciation might not be good enough.

Fans from across Europe, Africa, and the Americas gathered for the event. The atmosphere was electric, with fans erupting in cheers and singing along loudly to BTS's hits, including "IDOL," "Butter," and "Dynamite." The group also performed special songs for their French fans, such as "Boy With Luv" and "JUMP." During the concert, large screens displayed images of the fans, creating emotional moments with messages like "Paris is romance, BTS is emotion" and "Thank you for being by my side for 20s, I'm happy thanks to you."

It was the city with the most people and the hottest. Thank you for having taken good care of us during that time.

— SugaSuga reflected on performing at the same venue seven years ago with about half the current audience, noting Paris was the 'hottest' city of the tour.

Adding to the star-studded event, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife were seen in the audience, holding "ARMY bombs" – the official light sticks for BTS fans. Macron shared a video of the concert on his Instagram, welcoming the group to Paris. The band members expressed their gratitude to their fans throughout the show. Jin, the oldest member, recalled participating in the Paris Olympics torch relay in July 2024, expressing his joy at being with the "beautiful people" of Paris again.

Paris is romance, BTS is emotion. Thank you sincerely for being by my side for 20s. I'm happy thanks to you. My bank account is not happy, but I still love you. Your lyrics healed me.

— Fan signsMessages displayed on large screens during the concert from fans.

Le Monde, a French newspaper, published a special article detailing BTS's journey since their debut. The publication analyzed that while the members' military service could have destabilized the group, they have instead emerged stronger and more unified, with a reinforced sense of identity. Following their European tour, BTS is scheduled to perform at the halftime show of the 2026 North and Central American World Cup final.

Welcome to Paris.

— Emmanuel MacronThe French President posted this on his Instagram along with a video he filmed of the concert.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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