Sawt Falasteen - K-pop heartthrobs BTS to begin world tour from April

South Korea's biggest musical act has been on self-described hiatus since 2022 as its members undertook national military service required of all men under the age of 30.

All seven members were discharged last year, and the group announced a comeback for the spring of 2026.

Spanning 34 cities with 79 performances, it will be the largest-ever single tour by a K-pop group in terms of total shows.

The world tour -- their first in four years -- will kick off in South Korea's Goyang on April 9, with two additional concerts in the band's home country before moving on to neighbouring Japan, their label said.

They will then head to the United States and Europe, with the tour ending in March 2027 in Manila.

The band's label said that more cities will be announced, including additional stops in Japan and the Middle East.

The announcement followed the band's agency, HYBE, announcing on New Year's Day that they would release an album on March 20 before heading on tour.

The album will be BTS's first since the anthology "Proof" which became South Korea's bestselling record of 2022.

HYBE's shares traded higher at Wednesday's market open, rising around three percent.

Before their military service, BTS generated more than 5.5 trillion won ($3.7 billion) in South Korea per year, according to the government-backed Korea Culture and Tourism Institute.

The figure is equivalent to roughly 0.2 percent of the country's total GDP.

BTS has expanded beyond their home nation to become a global musical phenomenon in recent years.

They hold the record as the most-streamed group on Spotify, and became the first K-pop act to top both the Billboard 200 and the Billboard Artist 100 charts in the United States.

A.Suleiman--SF-PST