[Edaily Starin KIM HYUNSIK Reporter] Cities across South America are busy preparing to welcome BTS ahead of the group’s “ARIRANG” world tour.

BTS will kick off the South American leg of their “ARIRANG” tour in Bogotá, Colombia, on the 2nd of next month (all times local). The South American leg will consist of a total of 14 performances across five cities. After wrapping up their concert in Bogotá, the group will travel to Lima, Peru; Santiago, Chile; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and São Paulo, Brazil, in that order.
This marks the first time BTS will perform as a full group in Colombia, Peru, and Argentina.
“Visit Bogotá,” the official tourism website operated by the Bogotá Tourism Board, introduced BTS as “the group representing 21st-century global pop” and emphasized that, with these concerts, Bogotá has become one of the world’s major music stages.
The city of Lima, Peru, hosted a K-pop cultural event ahead of BTS’s visit. Held on the 12th and 13th at the Lima Fountain Park—one of the city’s premier nighttime tourist attractions—the event featured dance covers, video screenings, and cultural programs.
In La Plata, Argentina, the city government, the provincial government, and the concert production company joined forces to prepare for a large audience.
Based on estimates recently released by the city of La Plata, the local media outlet El Día predicted that more than 150,000 people would visit the city. It also forecast a large influx of visitors from abroad, including the United States, Colombia, Chile, and Uruguay.
Mayor Julio Allak stated, “We are preparing to welcome visitors in the best possible way so they can enjoy this world-class event.”
The La Plata City Council also unanimously passed a resolution at its regular meeting last July to designate BTS as “Honorary Guests.” According to La Plata municipal ordinances, the title of “Honorary Guest” is the highest level of official honor bestowed upon distinguished visitors or world-renowned figures in the arts and culture.
Their agency, Big Hit Music, explained, “The La Plata City Council cited the seven members’ cultural influence, their promotion of youth rights, and their participation in international cultural activities as the reasons for the selection.”
Chile featured BTS’s Santiago concert as a major event in the “Festivals & Events—Culture & Heritage” category on its official tourism promotion website, Chile Travel. Chile Travel stated, “The global K-pop craze is coming to Chile. With BTS’s return, Santiago will transform into a global hub for K-pop.”
BTS has been on a world tour since last April. The group has drawn 1.92 million attendees for the North American leg of the tour alone, which consisted of 31 shows across 12 cities.