SEOUL, April 13 — The K-pop idols recently took to social media to announce the much-anticipated return of “Bang Bang Con.” A virtual event will take place on April 17 on the band’s official YouTube channel. Mark your calendars!
“BTS concert in your room #BANGBANGCON21 coming soon!” the Big-Hit-Music group wrote on their social media. Additional details of the virtual event will be announced in the coming days.
The inaugural instalment of “Bang Bang Con”, which took place in April 2020, was organised in response to the cancellation of the band’s worldwide “Map of the Soul” tour due to the coronavirus outbreak.
#방방콘21 의 라인업을 공개합니다! #방에서즐기는방탄소년단콘서트 #BANGBANGCON21 #비긴즈🦋 #부직샵🚪 #SY상파울루💜 #BTS #방탄소년단 pic.twitter.com/446IxnLIlw
— BTS_official (@bts_bighit) April 11, 2021
Fans of the K-pop group, collectively known as the BTS ARMY, enjoyed footage of a series of live performances dating back to 2015, including “BTS LIVE: The Most Beautiful Moment in Life On Stage.”
The free two-day online event was followed in June by “Bang Bang Con The Live”, a 100-minute pay-per-view concert, which took fans inside the K-pop superstars’ world as they were quarantining together in Seoul, South Korea.
Band members RM, Jin, J-Hope, Suga, Jimin, V and Jungkook performed hits like Boys With Luv, Black Swan and DOPE in various spaces, composed of five rooms and two stages, while fans were able to switch between six different viewing angles.
US$20 million in ticket sales
According to Big Hit metrics, “Band Bang Con The Live” reached a peak of 756,000 concurrent viewers in 107 countries and territories. Attendance was the equivalent of 15 shows at a 50,000 seat stadium.
At the time, the event also set a new record for ticket sales for an online concert with close to US$20 million (RM in receipts, according to various media sources.
In the past twelve months, paid livestreams have become a lucrative alternative to concert tours cancelled by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Established and upcoming acts alike have embraced what amounts to a new way of connecting with their fans, although few have achieved the level of worldwide success enjoyed by BTS.
According to a survey conducted in August 2020 by Bandsintown, 70 per cent of artists are considering streaming more frequently, and those that do will be able to count on support from their fans.
According to the survey, 60 per cent of fans said they plan to continue watching livestreamed concerts, even after venues reopen. — ETX Studio
