Hello ARMY! OT7 has returned for a worldwide tour, and I had the chance to see them at the second of three shows at Stanford. The members, RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, had been on hiatus to fulfill their military duties starting in 2022. Since completing their service in 2025, they have reunited and released a new album, Arirang, which gave the tour its name and was heavily featured among the songs performed.

The concert was held at Stanford Stadium, which many questioned as a strange choice for a venue. Compared to other stadiums in the Bay Area, Stanford Stadium is on the smaller side. With such a huge act like BTS, many fans felt that a larger venue would make more sense. Apparently, however, the larger stadiums in the area are currently unavailable, with Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara preparing for the World Cup this summer, and Oracle Park in SF preoccupied with baseball games.

When I arrived at Stanford Stadium, I checked out the merch tents first in hopes of getting a lightstick. I was worried about the stock since I had heard that many fans had been lining up since 5 a.m. It seems those fans were after the limited edition jerseys, though, because I was able to get my hands on a lightstick easily. The lightsticks available for this tour are the ARMY Bomb Version 4. Instead of the opaque dome of previous versions, this one has a clear dome featuring the BTS logo inside.

After much anticipation from the crowd, BTS finally began their show, starting with “Hooligan” and “Aliens” from their new album, followed by an oldie but goodie, “Run BTS.” It was an incredibly high energy start, complete with fireworks, smoke guns, and plenty of background dancers doing synchronized choreography. Then the members took a moment to greet and hype up the crowd, who responded with deafening cheers. While the intro was exhilarating, the early 7 p.m. start time meant that the sun was still shining brightly. This made for a bit of an odd vibe, which even the members commented on. It also made it a bit harder to see the fireworks and the sea of lightsticks for the first part of the show.

The next few songs were a medley from Arirang, including “SWIM,” “2.0,” and “NORMAL,” mixed with older fan favorites like “FAKE LOVE” and “MIC Drop.” They performed “FYA” from the new album and “Burning Up (Fire)” back-to-back, which felt like the perfect pairing. I was surprised to hear so many fans singing along to the new tracks since the album was only released a couple of months ago, but that just goes to show the immense love and support that ARMY has for BTS.

BTS then performed “Body to Body,” which samples the Korean folk song “Arirang,” the inspiration behind the name of their album. The song “Arirang” is a deeply meaningful reflection of Korea’s history, culture, and heritage. While BTS performed, dancers walked towards the stage waving flags before everyone finally came together in the center.

During the next song, “IDOL,” BTS switched it up by taking the show off the main stage and making a lap around the entire stadium. They, along with their background dancers, waved flags and glowsticks while singing and interacting with the crowd. I really appreciated this because some sections of the stadium were farther away from the stage with a restricted view. This gave the entire audience a chance to get a closer glimpse of the members, while a camera led the way for close-ups on the big screens.

Next up were the hits “Butter” and “Dynamite.” Since these are two of BTS’s most mainstream tracks, the crowd’s energy spiked, with everyone dancing and singing along. The sky was finally dark by this point, making it much easier to see the sea of lightsticks bobbing along to the music. BTS also seemed to loosen up and have more fun during these songs, which is always a joy to see.

Then it was time for the popular “DJ Spin” segment, where the DJ spins random tracks for BTS to perform. The two songs we got during our show were “Dope” and “Blood Sweat & Tears.” This was my absolute favorite part of the concert. Not only do I love these songs, but BTS completely let loose and showed off their playful sides. We were treated to the members goofing around, doing handstands, and trying to out-sexy dance each other. The audience couldn’t get enough.

The night ended with the members thanking the crowd and winding down with “Please” and “Into the Sun.” BTS waved goodbye and left the stage while a shower of confetti rained down. I was a bit disappointed that there was no grand fireworks finale. The show in Tampa, one of their earlier stops on the tour, ended with a massive pyrotechnics display. However, Stanford has a strict 10 p.m. curfew and local neighborhood noise constraints, so our show had to end more quietly. The members even brought up the decibel limit themselves, so I feel like if they had it their way, they would have ended the night with a bang.

Watching BTS walk off the stage felt bittersweet; I was overjoyed that I finally got to see them perform, but sad that the night was over. I had never gotten the chance to see them in concert before, so when the tour was announced with Stanford as a stop, I jumped at the opportunity. They put on an amazing show and truly gave it their all. It’s clear how much they love being on stage and how much they love ARMY. This is definitely a concert I will remember for years to come. I’m so glad that BTS has returned in full force, and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us next!

_{Photos courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC}