BTS held their 'BTS WORLD TOUR "ARIRANG" IN STANFORD' concerts at Stanford Stadium in the United States on May 16, 17, and 19 (local time), drawing approximately 152,000 attendees. BTS became only the second artist after Coldplay to headline concerts at the historic stadium, which originally opened in 1921. After wrapping up their three-night run in Stanford, the group immediately traveled to the desert city of Las Vegas for their next four-night concert series at Allegiant Stadium.
Originally, the Las Vegas stop consisted of only three shows scheduled for May 23, 24, and 27, 2026. However, following the fan presale, overwhelming demand prompted BTS to add a fourth show on May 28. The situation reminded many fans of the group’s Permission To Dance On Stage concerts four years ago, when BTS also sold out four consecutive nights at Allegiant Stadium. Now, after a three-year hiatus due to mandatory military service, the group’s popularity has not diminished in the slightest — if anything, it has exploded even further.
In particular, BigHit Music partnered with the Las Vegas tourism board to launch the “Arirang Red Illumination” project, transforming the entire city into a mαѕѕive BTS-themed festival. Days before the concerts even began, fans spotted ARIRANG logos, slogans, and imagery covering streets, subway stations, and outdoor advertisements throughout the city. Along the Strip, the “BTS Welcome OOH (out-of-home advertising) Takeover” campaign lit up the city with welcome messages dedicated to the global superstars.
Meanwhile, Sphere — the world’s largest spherical entertainment venue and one of Las Vegas’ newest landmarks — unveiled a breathtaking visual showcase inspired by BTS’ fifth studio album ARIRANG throughout the duration of the project. In addition, iconic locations such as High Roller, Paris Las Vegas, Luxor Las Vegas, and Mandalay Bay were illuminated in red during the concert dates, creating a stunning scene fans described as “the red version of Borahaegas.”
However, just hours before the first concert, social media was suddenly flooded with videos capturing a concerning and υиєχρє¢тє∂ incident behind BTS’ merchandise area at Allegiant Stadium. In clips recorded directly by fans on-site, dark plumes of smoke could be seen rising unusually from behind the merch booths. Although the smoke did not appear overly thick and no visible signs of spreading flames could be clearly seen — suggesting the situation may already have been under control and not severe — it still left many fans feeling uneasy.
Some fans observing the scene from afar wondered: “Whats happening here ?? Lmao i just saw this from my hotel room”, "Ummm what’s going on behind the merch booth?", "I was wondering the same thing lol we went to same merch stand",...
Meanwhile, once the footage spread across social media platforms, it quickly sparked widespread speculation online!
Some fans suggested that the phenomenon may have been related to Las Vegas’ harsh desert weather conditions. The city is located in the middle of the Mojave Desert, a region known for its dry climate, intense heat, and extremely low humidity levels. According to reports from the first concert day, outdoor temperatures reached as high as 35 degrees Celsius at certain points. With thousands of people gathering around the merchandise area under extreme heat, combined with continuously operating electronic equipment and systems, some believed the conditions may have contributed to an υиєχρє¢тє∂ incident.
Still, the situation appeared to have been quickly brought under control and reportedly did not affect the crowd or the stadium area in any serious way. Other fans even left some hilarous comments: "“Vegas you are on fiiiireeee” in Jin’s voice", "No new pope", "lol bts cooking soмєтнing big", "just me lighting up with bts dw about it", "It's just jimin is hot",...
What drew even more attention was the fact that despite the scorching and dry weather, fans continued lining up in mαѕѕive numbers. According to concertgoers on-site, by around 8:45 a.m. on the first concert day, the merch line had already stretched from the I-15 freeway area, across the Hacienda Bridge, all the way to the entrance of Allegiant Stadium. Many ARMYs stood under the blazing sun for hours ahead of the show simply to purchase limited-edition tour merchandise, once again demonstrating the overwhelming pαѕѕion Las Vegas fans have for BTS.
Witnessing the scene unfold, many fans became even more excited ahead of the concert and reacted with amazement, saying:
- The excitement is real! So jealous of everyone there right now. Enjoy every second of the show!
- The boys will raise the temperature even more tonight. Have fun everyone
- Get all the merch, besties! See you at the show
- Oh! Army, it’s hot out there. Hydrate! It was 90 at 6:30 last night
- The energy in Vegas right now is absolutely unreal. Enjoy guys!
- Seeing the merch line stretch all the way from the freeway is insane… ARMY really came prepared for BTS in Vegas!
- Las Vegas has officially turned into Borahaegas again. The city is glowing red for BTS and I’m getting emotional already
- After waiting years to see them again, standing in this heat honestly feels worth it. The atmosphere is unforgettable
- The concert hasn’t even started yet and the crowd is already loud. BTS’ comeback energy is on another level
