Los Angeles declares ‘BTS Week’ as world tour lands

Los Angeles has officially designated Sept. 1-8 as “BTS Week” as the group returns to the city for four sold-out concerts as part of its “Arirang” world tour.

The boy group is set to perform at SoFi Stadium on Tuesday and Wednesday and again on Saturday and Sunday, marking the group’s first concerts at the venue in nearly five years.

To welcome the group and fans traveling to the city for the shows, Los Angeles will also illuminate its city hall in red on Tuesday, reflecting the key color associated with BTS’ fifth LP, “Arirang.”

An official proclamation ceremony was held at Los Angeles City Hall on Monday, attended by representatives from the City Council, the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board and Big Hit Music.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the designation recognizes both BTS’ cultural impact and the role of arts and culture in bringing communities together.

“The proclamation of ‘BTS Week’ reflects our belief in the power of arts and culture to foster mutual understanding and connect communities,” Bass said. “We are proud to honor the remarkable achievements of BTS, who have made significant contributions to global culture, and to celebrate their special connection with Los Angeles with people around the world.”

Los Angeles City Council member John Lee said the proclamation also recognizes the city’s longstanding ties with Korea and its Korean American community.

“This proclamation honors at the city level the extraordinary mark BTS has left on global culture,” Lee said. “At the same time, it celebrates with pride the longstanding ties and cultural exchanges between Los Angeles, Korea and the Korean American community.”

In its resolution, the Los Angeles City Council described BTS as “one of the most influential artists representing this generation” since its debut in 2013, highlighting the group’s role in expanding opportunities for Korean and Asian artists in the global music industry.

The resolution also cited BTS’ efforts to connect audiences across languages, cultures and generations through messages of love and hope, as well as its “Love Myself” campaign with UNICEF and appearances at the United Nations.

The Los Angeles concerts will close the North American leg of BTS’ ongoing world tour.

The concerts will also mark the septet’s return to SoFi Stadium in around four years and nine months after their “Permission to Dance on Stage” tour in late 2021. All four of the upcoming shows have sold out.