BTS is celebrating New Year with first show since COVID-19 lockdown

South Korean boyband BTS will be celebrating the New Year with their first live concert since they were forced to cancel a world tour due to the novel coronavirus, their management company Big Hit Entertainment announced.

Titled 2021 New Year’s Eve Live, it will be held on December 31, just outside the South Korean capital of Seoul and will feature other groups on the Big Hit label including NU’EST, GFriend and ENHYPEN.

Seating is limited, adhering to the government coronavirus safety guidelines although Big Hit did not mention numbers. The show will also be streamed online.

“It will be the first concert to feature Big Hit artists in one grand event, capped with the countdown to welcome in the New Year,” Big Hit said.

The septet BTS had to cancel their tour of nearly 40 concerts in Asia, Europe and the US which had been due to start in April as the coronavirus spread around the world. Last month BTS held a virtual concert, drawing more than 990,000 viewers from 191 countries and fetching some 50 billion won (SGD60 million) in ticket sales.

Since their 2013 debut, the band has ridden a global K-Pop wave with catchy, upbeat music along with lyrics and social campaigns aimed at empowering young people.

Their latest hit was Dynamite, their first song entirely in English, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in September.

BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a seven-member South Korean boy band that began formation in 2010 and debuted in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. The septet—composed of RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—co-writes and co-produces much of their own output.

Originally a hip hop group, their musical style has evolved to include a wide range of genres. Their lyrics, often focus on personal and social commentary, touch on the theme of mental health, troubles of school-age youth, loss, the journey towards loving oneself, and individualism.

Their work features references to literature and psychological concepts and includes an alternative universe storyline. The group has released several albums and performed on several world tours.