BTS Announces New Album and 2026-2027 World Tour

BTS, the Grammy-nominated K-pop group consisting of RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook, announced on January 13 its return with a new studio album and an extensive world tour spanning 2026 and 2027. The tour, comprising 79 performances across 34 markets on five continents, will launch on April 9 in Goyang, South Korea, and conclude in March 2027, marking the septet's first full-group outing since completing mandatory military service.

The album, the group's fifth full-length release and its first collection of entirely new material since 2020's Map of the Soul: 7, is scheduled for March 20. According to Big Hit Music, BTS's agency, the 14-track project draws from each member's personal reflections and collaborative input, aiming to convey "honest stories" to fans. In a July statement, the group said, "We're approaching the album with the same mindset we had when we first started." The tour supports this comeback, featuring multi-night stadium stands in every city to accommodate demand.

The itinerary begins with three shows at Goyang Stadium on April 9, 11 and 12, followed by two dates at Tokyo Dome on April 17 and 18. The North American leg, the tour's most extensive...