BTS Achieves Career-Best Tour With Arirang World Tour Kick-Off

To no one’s surprise, BTS ’s first world tour in seven years is already a smashing success. The Korean septet rules Billboard ’s April Boxscore report with the first batch of shows from the Arirang World Tour.

According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, BTS grossed $76.2 million and sold 417,000 tickets in its eight April shows. Including additional reported dates from the beginning of May, the tour is off to a nine-figure start, up to $124 million and 660,000 tickets as of its May 10 concert at Mexico City’s Estadio GNP Seguros.

BTS’ 2026 comeback continues, following the release of the Arirang World Tour’s namesake album. ARIRANG spent its first three weeks atop the Billboard 200 after a career-best opening of 641,000 equivalent album units in its debut frame. The set’s “Swim” topped the Billboard Hot 100 , spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 , and remains atop the Billboard Global Excl U.S. tally for its sixth non-consecutive week on the May 23-dated chart.

Despite limited touring since the monthly Boxscore charts launched in 2019, this is BTS’ third month at No. 1 on Top Tours of eight total appearances, all of which have been in the top six. It’s the group’s fifth time at No. 1 on Top Boxscores.

The Arirang World Tour started at home with three shows at Goyang Stadium in South Korea on April 9, 11, and 12 before two nights at Tokyo Dome (April 17-18). Those stops grossed $16.9 million and $18.6 million, respectively, lining up at Nos. 3-4 on Top Boxscores. Strong as those figures are, BTS’ next shows proved the power of the American market.

Three shows at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium brought in $40.7 million from 194,000 tickets sold. That easily puts BTS at No. 1 on the Top Boxscores ranking as the highest-grossing and best-selling single-venue engagement of April. The Florida stop earned more than Goyang and Tokyo combined.

At $124 million including May dates in El Paso, Texas and Mexico City, Arirang World Tour is racing towards BTS’ previous best. The Love Yourself World Tour grossed a reported $213.9 million from 1.7 million tickets sold in 2018-19, including its Speak Yourself extension. In between, a brief set of shows packaged as Permission to Dance on Stage grossed $75.5 million and sold 458,000 tickets, already surpassed by the group’s current trek.

Region by region, Arirang World Tour is far outpacing any past BTS concerts. The Asian dates averaged $7.1 million and 44,500 tickets, far surpassing the 2019 leg of Love Yourself World Tour ($3.8 million). In the U.S., the shows in Tampa and Texas averaged $12.1 million and 58,400 tickets, up 64% and 40% from its last two trips to the U.S.

Not only is BTS outdoing itself on a nightly basis, the Arirang World Tour is its most expansive trek yet. It’s currently scheduled for 85 shows compared to 62 on the Love Yourself Tour. Plus, that tour included arenas across North America and Europe, whereas the Arirang dates are exclusively in stadiums. And the international breadth of the 2026-27 run is unprecedented for the group: already in Asia, the U.S., and Mexico before mid-May, the tour continues with more American dates, a trip back to Busan, a leg in Europe, another stint in North America, a visit to South America, back to Asia, shows in Australia, and a finale in Hong Kong and Manila, Philippines.

All told, the Arirang World Tour is speeding toward half a billion dollars in ticket revenue with more than three million fans set to see the show. It will be responsible for more than half of BTS’ career touring revenue and ticket sales.

BTS grossed more than double its closest competitor on the April Top Tours chart. A small handful of acts follow between $30-37 million, led by Luke Combs at No. 2. The North Carolina-born singer hit a different U.S. stadium every Saturday of the month, traveling from Charlottesville, Va. to Ames, Iowa, and then to South Bend, Ind. and Columbus, Ohio. Altogether, he grossed $36.5 million and sold 303,000 tickets.

Speaking of heartland tours, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band ’s Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour follows at No. 3 with $35.4 million and 145,000 tickets. The Boss toured eight arenas for nine shows, including a double-header at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. (Los Angeles area) on April 7 and 9.

Ye , the artist formerly known as Kanye West, is next at No. 4. He played just two shows at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, earning $32.6 million. As individual engagements go, those dates score the runner-up spot on Top Boxscores, sandwiched between BTS shows from either side of the world. They were the highest-grossing concerts of Ye’s career, and the biggest hip-hop concerts of 2026 so far.

Sphere is, again, No. 1 on Top Venues (15,001+) with double the gross of London’s O2 Arena at No. 2. Sphere often tops the chart on the strength of one residency act but in April, it diversifies. Eagles , Illenium , and Phish all played there, each placing among the top half of Top Boxscores with weekend stints.

Among venues of all shapes and sizes, Mexico City’s Estadio GNP Seguros rules the month with more than $50 million from six shows. Stadiums in Tampa, Inglewood, Tokyo, and Goyang follow, powered by lone stops by BTS or Ye.

_Originally reported by [Billboard](https://www.billboard.com/pro/bts-monthly-touring-report-comeback-shows/)._