BTS played to about 151,500 people across three sold-out concerts at Estadio San Marcos in Lima on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, according to their agency Big Hit Music. The shows, part of the Arirang world tour, were the group’s first in Peru, and a third night was added after demand outstripped the two concerts originally scheduled.
Local estimates put the wider economic impact well beyond ticket sales. Before the concerts, Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism expected more than 50,000 visitors to travel to the capital and projected about $18.7 million in tourism-related activity. The Lima Chamber of Commerce gave a broader estimate of up to 200 million soles ($58.4 million), counting spending on accommodation, food and drink, transport, tourism and merchandise.
On stage, the members spoke to the crowd in Spanish and said the energy in the stadium made them wonder why they had not come to Peru sooner. Fans also marked Jimin’s birthday on 13 October early, with digital billboards, street banners, LED-screen trucks and a drone show that lit up the sky with his name. There was no official birthday segment, but the audience at Saturday’s final show sang Happy Birthday and chanted his name during his closing remarks. Jimin said he was “deeply moved” by the welcome and would remember the support sent from the other side of the world.
The visit also prompted a debate about fan behaviour. On Thursday, RM posted on Weverse asking fans not to gather outside the group’s hotel, and some objected that the message mentioned Latin America when similar intrusions happen elsewhere. On Friday he said the post was not aimed at Peru or any single country, noting that such incidents had happened in Europe and the US for a long time and could happen in Asia. He said some conduct had crossed a line, including drones flown over the members’ hotel rooms and lasers pointed at them, but that respectful fans “far outnumber” those who intrude.
RM also rejected any attempt to frame the problem by nationality or region, saying everyone involved belongs to the same fan community. The Lima shows followed the opening of the tour’s South American leg in Colombia. The tour now moves to Santiago, Chile, for concerts from Thursday to Saturday, with Buenos Aires in Argentina and Sao Paulo to follow.
