Before the 2010s, K-pop primarily operated within South кσяєα and Asia, with a relatively limited global au∂ιєnce. However, from the early 2010s, as the Hallyu wave gained strength, K-pop groups now had a large enough fanbase to hold concerts in multiple countries — giving rise to the concept of the “world tour.” K-pop artists from around 2012–2015 began planning international concert tours more regularly.

Currently, Forbes кσяєα αѕѕesses: “For K-pop idols, world tours are no longer optional but inevitable. World tours are no longer just events; they have become symbolic, elevating the status of idols.”

“So, what has changed in recent world tour trends?” this leading magazine explains: “K-pop world tours have gone beyond overseas activities and have become a core competitive force in the global music market. Industry analysts highlight three prominent trends: scale expansion, regional expansion, and enhanced content strategy.”

Concert tours are expanding in scale, focusing on arenas with capacities of 10,000 to 20,000 seats. Tour venues have diversified, reflecting K-pop’s development into a mainstream genre in major global concert markets, and K-pop fandoms have grown beyond specific cities to encompαѕѕ a “global distribution.

Fan-centered performance structures are also a new trend. From simple setlist performances, world tour now has become “interactive experiential spaces.” In addition, tour documentaries and special videos have emerged. Forbes cites the example of “j-hope Tour HOPE ON THE STAGE THE MOVIE,” which has reached over 524,000 people since its release in global cinemas on November 12. IVE also decided to livestream their “IVE Scout” concert in April, while BTS Jin’s “Run Seokjin” is scheduled for release on December 31.

The mαѕѕive appeal of world tours prompted Forbes кσяєα, together with the global K-pop content platform Mnet Plus, to conduct a fan survey to select the most impressive K-pop world tour of 2025. The “World Tour” category of Forbes кσяєα was open from November 1 to 15.

The poll recorded a total of 7,435,766 votes. The top position went to j-hope, winning nearly half of the votes — 3,693,047 votes (49.7%).

Forbes described the 2025 fan-favorite tour: “His first solo tour, Hope on the Stage, was described by domestic and international media as a ‘180-minute sprint,’ an overwhelmingly powerful performance. With elaborate production, strong fan interaction, and live performances, he demonstrated a flawless level that surpαѕѕed existing K-pop stages, maximizing both satisfaction and impact of the tour.”

The magazine also noted: “Industry insiders attribute his consistent success to the ‘synergy of expanding a solo brand built on BTS’s mαѕѕive fanbase, global expansion strategies through headlining major U.S. festivals, and fandom growth via regional diversification.’”

Interestingly, immediately following j-hope in votes was another BTS member — Jin, who rapidly launched his “Run Seokjin” EP tour from June to August, meeting ARMYs worldwide. The tour earned second place with 3,239,383 votes (43.6%), reinforcing BTS’s unparalleled global fandom power.

According to Billboard’s Top Tours chart in July 2025, Jin is the Asian Soloist with the highest gross and attendance in the history, and becomes the 1st Asian Soloist ever to surpass $30M gross and 200K in attendance on the Billboard monthly chart.

The Billboard tour chart has long been dominated by global acts such as Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, The Weeknd, and Taylor Swift — artists with mαѕѕive stadium tours lasting dozens of nights, each show attracting 40,000–80,000 fans, generating hundreds of millions of dollars per month over the years. Despite solo K-pop artists generally lagging behind US-UK acts in filling similar stadiums, Jin’s 12 sold-out shows ranked 9th, attracting 217,000 fans and grossing $32.5 million.

The solo tours of these two BTS members far outpaced others in voting numbers, highlighting fans’ strong support. Meanwhile, subsequent world tours were mostly by groups such as Seventeen, Boynextdoor, Zerobaseone, RISE, LE SSERAFIM, reflecting BTS’s unrivaled K-pop superstar status. Even as solo acts, they remain the leaders, with only BTS members capable of competing for the top spot — and even then, the vote margins were extremely narrow.

In the coming year, BTS is again predicted to lead this ranking with their largest-scale tour ever. According to multiple sources, BTS plans to release an album in March 2026 and start their official tour at the end of April. Specific dates are traditionally announced in January 2026.

Media outlets project that the full BTS world tour will include approximately 65 shows across three major regions (North αмєяι¢α, Europe, and Asia), spanning eight months from May to December, with an average of 60,000 attendees per show, potentially selling up to 3.9 million tickets. Total ticket revenue is estimated at $664.1 million, surpαѕѕing Coldplay’s 2024 highest-grossing tour ($401 million from 3 million tickets).