BTS are Seoul’s pride and joy, and the capital is showing its appreciation as the group celebrates 10 years together. Coinciding with their special anniversary festival, which will be held on June 17, the city is taking the signature BTS purple and splashing it across bridges, landmarks, skyscrapers, and more. And this isn’t just a one-and-done celebration — the festivities will continue throughout the next two weeks.
The purple mark of BTS and their ARMY will shine on Seoul’s City Hall, multiple Han River bridges, the 123-story Lotte World Tower, and the cultural hub Dongdaemun Design Plaza. They’ll also infiltrate the postal service beginning on Tuesday when authorities will start issuing stamps marking the anniversary. By Saturday, fireworks will explode over a Han River park following a live talk from BTS’ RM.
If it wasn’t obvious before, Seoul is BTS’ world, and everyone else is simply living in it. Digital displays throughout the city will share congratulatory messages for RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook. There’s also a map, shared by Seoul officials, that lays out key BTS-specific locations, including over a dozen places where they’ve performed or filmed music videos.
When BTS first announced the BTS Festa festival, they shared the news with a short video titled “BTS Presents Everywhere.” According to a press release, the phrase doubles in meaning: “BTS’ presents are everywhere” and “BTS are present everywhere.” When ARMY begins flocking to the highlighted locations, boosting the city’s tourism even more, both will become true in a more literal sense.
But the group’s celebrations aren’t just in Seoul. Last week, BTS celebrated the decade since their debut with the new single “Take Two.” An ode to their fans, with production from SUGA and songwriting from RM and J-Hope, the record embraces the moments they’ve spent with one another and their fans while time flies by.