The Arirang era is shaping up to be more than an album release; it is a full-scale cultural moment that turns Seoul itself into a living stage.
BTS are set to transform Seoul into a city-wide Arirang spectacle as part of their long-awaited comeback, with historic landmarks, public spaces and urban districts becoming immersive stages for music, media art and fan experiences beginning March 20.
The large-scale activation launches under the banner “BTS The City Arirang Seoul,” a city-wide experience program running from March 20 through April 12. Designed to extend the Arirang era beyond albums and concerts, the initiative aims to immerse both residents and visitors in a multimedia celebration that blends BTS’s music with Seoul’s cultural and architectural identity.
On album release day, March 20, some of the capital’s most recognisable landmarks will light up with expansive media facades. Sungnyemun, one of Korea’s most significant national treasures, and N Seoul Tower, a modern icon overlooking the city skyline, will be illuminated with large-scale projection and lighting art inspired by the themes and emotional core of BTS’s fifth studio album, Arirang. The installations symbolically link Korea’s heritage with the group’s global cultural influence.
Beyond landmark facades, The City Arirang Seoul is structured as an immersive, festival-style program where music, media and urban space intersect. Interactive installations will appear across central Seoul, including lounge-style gathering areas at Yeouido Hangang Park, where fans can relax, listen to BTS’s music and experience themed visuals. Additional urban sites — from stone walls and stairways to tree-lined streets — will be transformed into open-air exhibition spaces using light, video and projection-based media art.
Throughout the city, BTS lyrics and visual motifs from the Arirang era will be woven into the installations, creating the sense that Seoul itself has become an extension of the album’s universe rather than a backdrop to it.
According to BigHit Music, the project was developed in collaboration with the Seoul Metropolitan Government as a way to celebrate BTS’s return while introducing Korean culture and contemporary media art to a global audience. The program also includes partnerships across food, beverage and mobility sectors, expanding the experience well beyond traditional concert venues and encouraging city-wide participation.
The city activation coincides with a tightly coordinated comeback schedule. Arirang will be released on March 20, followed by BTS’s first full-group live performance in nearly four years on March 21 at Gwanghwamun Square, a free event that will be streamed globally. Together with the city installations, the concert positions Seoul as both host and participant in BTS’s return.
With historic gates, modern towers and public parks reimagined through light and media art, the Arirang era is shaping up to be more than an album release. It is a full-scale cultural moment that turns Seoul itself into a living stage — one where music, heritage and fan experience merge into a single, city-wide celebration.