Celebrating BTS’ comeback: Singapore fans win raffle to Seoul concert, host watch parties

Singaporean K-pop fans celebrate BTS' comeback with the Arirang concert in Seoul and watch parties back home. Read more at straitstimes.com.

SINGAPORE – Whether in-person or via live stream, Singapore fans of BTS were thrilled to catch the BTS The Comeback Live: Arirang concert on the evening of March 21.

The free hour-long show celebrated the March 20 release of the K-pop boy band’s latest studio album Arirang, and featured all seven members – RM, Suga, J-Hope, Jin, Jungkook, V and Jimin – for the first time since 2022, after which they enlisted for their mandatory military service.

It took place at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul and was streamed live on Netflix, and reportedly attracted a crowd of 260,000. The septet performed eight of Arirang’s 14 tracks, such as Hooligan and Aliens, as well as four older numbers like Butter (2021) and Dynamite (2020).

Singaporean Cindee Yeo, who is in her 50s, was among 2,000 lucky fans worldwide who won a raffle to attend the concert in-person. She flew to the city on March 20.

The self-employed mother of three pre-purchased a few copies of Arirang in early February through Weverse, a global fandom platform, and joined the raffle through it. In late February, she logged on and discovered she had won a ticket.

“It was very unexpected,” she told The Straits Times from Seoul. “In my five years in Army (BTS’ fandom name), I have never won anything.”