BTS announce new album on last day of Las Vegas concert; 200,000 fans attend Permission To Dance stadium shows

By Monica Yadav -

April 18, 2022 - 9:30 AM IST

Pop titans BTS wrapped up the four nights of ‘BTS PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE - LAS VEGAS’. After the last stage of the final show, BTS revealed a new video content with a surprise announcement. Showing through the band’s past and present, the video ended with “WE ARE BULLETPROOF” and the date “2022. 06. 10,” indicating a new album release date.

BTS announce new album on last day of Las Vegas concert; 200,000 fans attend Permission To Dance stadium shows

The in-person concerts over four days were attended by a total of approximately 200,000 people. The number of online viewers via live stream reached approximately 402,000 from 182 countries/regions on the final day, April 16. The four-day in-person live broadcast event ‘LIVE PLAY in LAS VEGAS’ held at MGM Grand Garden Arena garnered approximately 22,000 viewers total. Since the stadium has opened, BTS are the only artists to have sold-out approximately 200,000 tickets over four nights.

Since its first show held last October as an online concert, BTS’ tour series ‘BTS PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE’ has hosted 12 shows worldwide including Seoul, LA, and Las Vegas. ‘BTS PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE’ amassed over 4 million attendees/viewers total, across all formats including in-person concerts, virtual live stream, LIVE VIEWING, and LIVE PLAY.

On the last show on April 16, BTS performed 20 songs including “ON,” “Burning Up (FIRE),” “DOPE,” “DNA,” “Blue & Grey,” “Black Swan,” “Blood Sweat & Tears,” “FAKE LOVE,” “Life Goes On,” “Boy With Luv,” “Dynamite,” “Butter,” “Telepathy” and “IDOL.” For the encore of the last day, the members chose “Anpanman” and “Go Go” for the grand finale of the four-day concerts.

In line with the previous series of the tour, ‘BTS PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE - LAS VEGAS’ also focused on the ‘encounter’ between BTS and fans. The overall stage production was designed to emphasize the band including the setlist composed of all-seven-member songs and props and effects minimized to highlight the performance itself.

‘LIVE PLAY in LAS VEGAS’ at MGM Grand Garden Arena was accompanied by experiential spaces such as BTS PHOTOCARD RANDOM BOX and BTS PHOTO STUDIO for fans to enjoy along with the concert. BTS PHOTO STUDIO, which allowed fans to take an AR photo with BTS and instantly print it as photo cards, was especially well-received by fans. During the show, the actual special effects used on stage delivered fans a more vivid live concert experience.

Closing up the last day of the tour, BTS said, “What we remember most from this show is your cheers. For the past nine years, you are the reason we have been happy.” The septet added, “We won’t forget our show in Las Vegas.” The show closed with the last song, “Permission to Dance.”

What made ‘BTS PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE - LAS VEGAS’ even more special was ‘THE CITY’ project. Before and after the concerts from April 5 to April 17, ‘THE CITY’ project transformed Las Vegas into “BTS CITY” with various programs ranging entertainment, hospitality and shopping for the fans to enjoy.

With its concept, “urban concert playpark”, ‘THE CITY’ provided various entertainment activations and events throughout the entire city to resemble a theme park, offering fans a more extensive and immersive experience utilizing performance and artists’ IP beyond the concerts.

‘THE CITY’ included: BTS POP-UP: PERMISSION TO DANCE in LAS VEGAS, an experiential pop-up store selling official merch including city exclusive items; BEHIND THE STAGE: PERMISSION TO DANCE, a photo exhibition of the behind-the-scenes of ‘BTS PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE’ concerts and backstage; Bellagio Fountain Show, a spectacular fountain show featuring BTS’ “Dynamite” and “Butter”; CAFÉ IN THE CITY, a dining experience serving BTS’ favorite Korean dishes; BTS Themed Rooms at MGM Resorts’ hotels across the Las Vegas Strip; and more.

During the four days of the concert, Korea Tourism Organization operated a special booth to promote Korean culture. Visited by approximately 13,000 people over four days, the booth offered the audience to experience Hanbok (Korean traditional clothing), experience scents that match each city in Korea, and more. Samyang Foods also opened ‘Buldak Ramen Booth’ with special events, which received around 10,000 participants per day.