With still a week to go before BTS’s 13th-anniversary special concert in Busan — set to be broadcast live globally— PVR INOX theatres in Kolkata are already almost housefull, which once again brings focus on the soaring popularity of K-pop worldwide.
On June 13, the band is set to celebrate their 13th debut anniversary, also called BTS FESTA. To mark the occasion, their agency BigHit Music announced a special concert would be held at Busan’s Asiad Main Stadium, where the singers will perform some of their chartbusters, including latest releases from the Arirang album.
This will mark their first Festa celebrating together after a four-year hiatus.
In Kolkata, the concert will be screened at select PVR INOX theatres, with tickets going live on BTS’s official website and ticketing platforms BookMyShow and District by Zomato on Friday evening.
Priced between Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,400, the live screening will be held at theatres in Mani Square Mall, South City Mall, Quest Mall, Diamond Plaza and Avani.
However, when My Kolkata checked on Saturday morning, almost all the seats had already been booked. The INOX theatre at South City Mall was completely sold out. Only a handful of seats remained in Mani Square and Quest Mall.
Sudip Pati, duty officer at PVR Mani Square Mall, told My Kolkata that screenings of BTS’s previous concerts have always received an “overwhelming response” from fans.
“Be it Kolkata or anywhere else, BTS clicks. The younger generation, in particular, is hugely enthusiastic about the band and the broader K-pop wave, so this kind of response is hardly surprising,” he said.
A marketing official of INOX Quest Mall, who requested anonymity, said that, “Whenever we have screened BTS shows earlier, we have received great responses. From various fan clubs to individuals, we are offering audiences a chance to witness the unmatched magic and stage presence of their favourite group on the big screen.”
Sritama Mukherjee, an ardent BTS fan, has booked a Rs 2,400 ticket at South City Mall a week before the show, saying that since India is not getting a concert by the band, attending the live screening is the next best thing.
“It's heartbreaking that BTS is not coming to India to perform as part of their Arirang tour. I have been a fan of the band for nearly a decade, so how can I miss this opportunity to watch their show? Though it’s on a screen, it’s totally worth the money,” she told My Kolkata.
Earlier, PVR INOX hosted live screenings and curated re-broadcasts of BTS’s World Tour Arirang concert across more than 20 cities, tapping into what it described as a growing and highly engaged fan base.
In fact, the enthusiasm for revisiting BTS’s old concerts has been steadily growing in India fan clubs, and Kolkata is no exception.
Every year, the city’s fan club, BTS Bengal Army Community, hosts Borahae Bash, a special gathering where fans come together to watch the band’s past concerts and celebrate their shared love for BTS through music, goodies, dance and food.
This year as well, the community is all set to bring back the event on June 21 at Gyan Mancha.
