[Madrid] BTS Kicks Off Europe Run in Madrid: "Why Didn't We Come Sooner?"

MADRID — BTS opened the European leg of its world tour in Madrid on Friday, finally meeting Spanish fans for the first time in the group's 13-year career. The heat inside the stadium matched the summer weather outside.

BTS (RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook) performed "BTS WORLD TOUR 'ARIRANG' IN MADRID" at Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Friday. The show served as the launch point for a European run that will continue over the coming weeks.

The Madrid date marked the group's first solo concert in Spain. A planned stop on the "BTS MAP OF THE SOUL TOUR" in August 2021 was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, stretching the wait for Spanish fans even longer. That long buildup poured out as a wall of sound the moment the show began.

Fan singalongs defined the night. The crowd jumped on the "mianhae eomma" line in "MIC Drop" as if they had been waiting for it, then carried the Korean folk song "Arirang" together with the group, adding extra meaning to the show's title. The singalongs did not stop for the closer "Into the Sun." Voices from inside the venue carried clearly to the streets outside. During the high-energy run of songs near the end, the floor of the stadium shook from fans jumping in unison.

BTS is rotating a "random stage" slot at every city and date on this tour. The picks for Madrid were "Airplane pt.2" and "Outro: Wings." "Airplane pt.2" was an especially fitting choice to open the European leg, with the lyric "We goin' from Mexico City, London to Paris / Wherever we go, party." Following the group's earlier Busan shows, the city-tailored setlist landed again. Fans sang every word back, helping shape the first night of the European tour.

The members were visibly stunned by the energy from Spanish ARMY. "Watching how you partied tonight was no joke," Jimin said. "It's my first time in Madrid, and I kept thinking, 'Why haven't we come sooner?' I got so much energy from you. I have to come back. It was my first time here, but you made it incredibly moving and so happy."

Throughout the show, the members named Spain and Madrid directly, thanking local fans with clear affection. "You partied like you were out of your minds," RM said. "I really wanted to come to Madrid, and if possible, I want to visit Barcelona too. But tonight, one of those wishes finally came true."

Jungkook checked in on the crowd during the hot weather. "Hello Madrid ARMY. It was really hot today. The sun was beating down from the start of the show, so I wanted to know if you still enjoyed it," he said. He added, "I was so happy today. I'm supposed to focus and look cool on stage, but your singing and laughter were so loud that I kept smiling."

Suga shared his own connection to the country. "Spain is one of the countries I've wanted to visit the most. Thanks to an audience that enjoys the show like this, I get to carry tonight's memory with me for the rest of my life. Watching all of you jumping around tonight reminded me of concerts before the pandemic. Because of you, I think I can give everything again tomorrow."

J-Hope echoed the same feeling. "I can't believe what I'm seeing. I kept thinking, 'Why are we only coming to Spain now?' That thought stayed with me the whole show. I want Spain on the next tour, too." V delivered his entire message in Spanish.

The night was not without rough edges on the production side. The concert had been scheduled to start at 8 p.m., but began about 19 minutes late. Chants of "BTS" from waiting fans grew quieter as time passed. With the Goyang shows also starting behind schedule, on-time starts remain something the tour will need to address.

BTS plays a second Madrid show on Saturday before continuing through Europe. The "ARIRANG" tour will visit five major cities, Madrid, Brussels, London, Munich and Paris, for 10 dates in total.

K-POPIT reporters will vividly cover the BTS World Tour events held in London, Paris, and major US cities, and report related news with the fastest and most accurate speed.