BTS unveil 23-song setlist at Goyang tour opener amid heavy rain

K-⁠pop supergroup BTS kicked off their long-awaited world tour after a four-year hiatus with a rainy opening night at Goyang Stadium on Thursday (Apr 9), unveiling a 23-song setlist.

Spanning tracks from their latest album, Arirang, which was released on Mar 20, the setlist also contains some of the group’s greatest hits such as Dynamite, Butter and Idol. 

Held at one of South Korea’s largest live event venues, the open-air show was hit with heavy downpours that left both the septet and fans soaked. 

At one point, member V even lay down on the wet stage and pretended to swim as he playfully sang a snippet of the album's title track, Swim. 

Despite the weather, BTS powered through the setlist.

1. Hooligan
2. Aliens
3. Run BTS
4. They Don't Know Bout Us
5. Like Animals
6. Fake Love
7. Swim
8. Merry Go Round
9. 2.0
10. Normal
11. Not Today
12. Mic Drop
13. FYA
14. Fire
15. Body To Body
16. Idol
17. Come Over
18. Butter
19. Dynamite
20. Mikrokosmos
21. I Need U
22. Please
23. Into The Sun

During the nostalgic Mikrokosmos, Jin even headed to the audience and sang together with them, drawing loud cheers.

Nonetheless, weather conditions affected some production elements. “The smoke from the fireworks didn’t come out well, and there were parts that didn’t work as planned,” member Jimin shared in a post-show livestream. “Because of the weather, there was no wind, so normally it would have dispersed well when it appeared. That was a bit disappointing.”

Some fans also noted a reduced level of choreography compared to the group’s typically high-energy performances, likely due to safety concerns on the wet stage and rainy conditions.

Leader RM, who had injured his ankle and performed seated during BTS The Comeback Live Arirang on Netflix, was seen dancing during the show. In a fan interaction segment during Idol, he was carried on a palanquin while his members walked and danced around the stadium, suggesting his recovery is still ongoing.

According to on-screen figures during the concert reported by BBC, more than four million fans paid to watch the livestream of the opening night show.

Following the concert, members took to fan platform Weverse to thank fans. J-Hope wrote: “Thank you to ARMY for supporting us despite the bad weather today! I wanted to show you a better performance, but it's a shame that it rained a lot.”

Jin added: “I had so much fun at Arirang tour's first concert. I feel comfortable performing as a team and being in the same space with ARMY, so I feel like I'm back home.”

Fans, who had waited almost four years for BTS’ return to the stage, were filled with praise for the group. 

One wrote on X: “I had the best time and wouldn’t trade it for the world. It was raining so heavy and it was freezing, and yet [BTS] performed without any drop in energy or enthusiasm.”

Another fan on TikTok, who saw clips of the group’s performance of Body To Body, which contains a sample of the folk song Arirang that inspired the album, said: “The fact they’re performing in the rain makes this even more special. Oh, how I wished I could [have] been there!”

Another fan wrote that they “can proudly say there won’t be another BTS, not a single chance”.

Fans in Singapore can catch livestreams of the Goyang Stadium concert on Saturday (Apr 11) at Golden Village's Suntec City outlet, where limited tickets remain. Livestreams are also held at Shaw Theatre's Lido, Jem, Jewel Changi Airport, Paya Lebar Quarter and Nex outlets where tickets are now sold out.

Fans can also purchase livestream tickets on Weverse shop for the two remaining shows in Goyang on Apr 11 and 12 and the upcoming shows in Tokyo on Apr 17 and 18. The group will also perform in Singapore for four nights on Dec 17, 19, 20 and 22. More details, including ticket sales, are expected to be announced at a later date.