As a BTS ARMY for a few years now, it's always been my dream to watch their concert. Unfortunately, I entered the fandom just before they went on hiatus for their mandatory military service. So, at this point, seeing even just one member perform live felt like a dream come true.
A few months ago, J-Hope announced his solo world tour, shortly after being discharged. Naturally, I was excited. I had tried multiple times to win a chance to attend one of Jin's offline events but was always unlucky. When the first leg of the tour was announced for Seoul, I knew I had to try for a ticket.
While Manila was also one of the stops on the Asia leg, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to secure a ticket there either. Ticketing is basically an online battlefield where you’re armed with fast internet and sheer luck. But during the first day of pre-selling for Seoul, the ticketing gods were on my side!
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| my ARMY Bomb dressed up for the occasion |
Despite some hiccups—getting kicked out of the site once and dealing with a failed payment—I finally secured my ticket for Day 1. That meant I would be among the first to experience everything: the setlist, the production, and the atmosphere. My seat was higher up, which I didn’t mind at all. At 4'11", I knew being in the standing pit with all the tall Koreans wasn’t ideal anyway.
Concert Day: February 28, 2025
I woke up early, had a nice brunch near my hotel in Dongdaemun, and then headed to Jamsil Stadium in Gangnam. The excitement was already in the air the moment I arrived. I got there around noon to claim my wristband, only to find out I didn’t need one because I had FacePass registered—just a quick face scan and I was in. So hi-tech! Then, I bought some merch and picked up my freebies at the ARMY Zone, which was exclusive to concert ticket holders with ARMY membership. Everything went smoothly. Since I had time to kill, my friend and I went to a nearby mall for lunch before heading back to the venue an hour before entry.
After entering the stadium and while trying to find my seat, I could feel myself holding back happy tears. I was finally going to see BTS—well, at least J-Hope—and that was more than enough for me.
The concert. I have no words to fully describe it. The energy, the crowd, and of course, J-Hope—everything lived up to the hype. He’s always been known as one of the best performers in the industry, and seeing his stage presence in person was unreal.
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| the extended stage for the Hangsang performance |
The setlist was incredible, featuring a mix of his solo songs and some BTS tracks. I still can’t believe I got to see him perform Just Dance, my absolute favorite J-Hope song. When he did Mic Drop, the entire stadium erupted as we all joined in on the fan chant. Finally, I got to experience the legendary fan chant at a BTS concert.
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| our beautiful purple ocean ♡ |
It was truly an unforgettable night. Seeing J-Hope perform live, feeling the energy of the ARMY crowd, and just being in that moment—it was everything I had hoped for and more.
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