‘Possibility’ of BTS concert in UAE: Fans hope to see boy band after military return

Across the globe, Korean culture is booming — from K-pop and K-dramas to K-food and skincare. In the UAE, too, the Hallyu wave is gaining momentum, with an increasingly passionate community embracing all things Korean.

At the forefront of this global phenomenon is BTS — the group many credit with “paving the way” for K-pop’s mainstream success. With record-breaking albums, sold-out tours, and a fiercely devoted fanbase known as ARMY, BTS has become one of the most influential boy bands in the world. They even performed in the UAE back in 2016, marking one of their early global stops.

Whether you love them or don’t quite get the hype, BTS is impossible to ignore.

In the UAE, the BTS ARMY is a vibrant and growing community. Fans regularly come together to celebrate the band, organise events, and share their love for the music and message BTS stands for.

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Inside UAE’s ARMY community

One of the largest local fan clubs, Bangtan UAE, is run by Yan Hinolan, a long-time BTS fan originally from the Philippines. The group started in 2015, and before the pandemic, had “at least a thousand” UAE-based fans registered in its database. Today, their Facebook page has over 58,000 followers, and their Instagram over 10,000.

In May, the group organised a block screening of j-hope’s solo concert, livestreamed by Vox Cinemas.

Before the screening began, Yan hosted games, handed out freebies, and brought the crowd together with warmth and humour. The atmosphere was electric with camaraderie — fans hugged, laughed, and exchanged small gifts they’d prepared for fellow ARMY.

One of the attendees was Amar Dass, an Indian expat and one of the few men in the theatre. He first discovered BTS after Jungkook’s performance at the Fifa World Cup in Qatar and says he “found family in BTS ARMY.”

Deema Abu Naser, a UAE-based Asian entertainment content creator, is popularly known as ‘deemalovesdrama’ on social media and has close to a million followers across platforms. She recalls how the local fandom has grown over the years. “The UAE ARMY community is huge now compared to when I was in high school.”

“In 2016, we had KCON Abu Dhabi where BTS came and performed, and even back then, the ARMY community here was pretty significant, I would say, but nothing like it is now.”

Speaking more about the community’s spirit, she says, “I want people outside [the community] to see that as fans, we’re passionate, positive, connected, and always down to have a great time. I worked for years to build such an incredible community, and I feel so privileged to be able to say that I have the biggest online community for Asian entertainment fans.”

Another fan, Athina Doutis, a Greek expat who’s lived in the UAE most of her life, echoed that sentiment. “ARMY really feels like family, even though I’ve known them for a very short time,” she said.

Even though the band is “selling out enormous arenas even as solo artists,” she still holds out hope that BTS will return to perform in the UAE.

Concert in UAE?

She isn’t the only fan with such optimism, 15-year-old Mehreen Arfaz “hopes that their comeback means that they would have a concert in the UAE”. The teen says she’ll have all their songs memorised if the band does make it here.

Doutis says she would book her ticket with “zero hesitation” if a concert was announced here. “I don’t care about the cost, date, or location, there would be no barriers or obstacles.”

Another fan who is a brand marketing executive in Dubai, Amrithashree Kumrouth, said, a concert in the UAE would “mean everything” to her. “My prayers would be answered,” she said.

Shaziya Ashraf, an influencer who goes by the alias ‘thatanimemom’ on social media, said she wouldn’t be surprised if “tickets sell out in seconds” if BTS announce a tour stop in the UAE.

But is it even possible?

Speaking to Khaleej Times in a personal capacity, Yu Ri Park, Deputy Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Dubai, said that there is a “possibility that BTS will perform in the UAE in the future”.

She elaborated that the “UAE is rapidly emerging as a regional hub for Hallyu” and continued to say that the nation “is well positioned to host such a popular and attractive event as it has a world-class logistics and transportation infrastructure”.

Return from military

With the final five members returning from military service this month, fans across the globe are counting down the days, making plans, and preparing emotionally — and financially — for what’s to come. This year’s BTS Festa, held annually in June to mark the band’s debut anniversary, feels particularly meaningful as it coincides with their reunion.

“I would probably be crying happy tears,” said influencer Ashraf, who was introduced to the band through a K-drama featuring BTS member V. “Funnily enough, I found them when I was going through a very hard time in my life, and in a way, they saved me with their songs. I think that’s one thing that will also make me an ARMY for life. I owe them so much.”

She added: “I also feel like, being away for almost two years in the military, each of them would’ve evolved — and I’d want them to showcase that individually, for sure.”

“Missing” their former style of music, Deema on the other hand, is “hoping for a new album that would embody their old songs”.

“I adore how each member has their own style and love their individual comebacks, but I want a little taste of BTS’ old discography that I fell in love with,” she says.

“Also, more concerts worldwide — I will be flying out wherever, unless they have it here.”

With the last of BTS’s military enlistments wrapping up, fans in the UAE — like ARMY everywhere — are holding their breath. Whether it’s through new music, global tours, or even a long-awaited concert in the UAE, one thing is certain: BTS’s next chapter is about to begin, and ARMY will be there for every beat of it.

Meher Dhanjal

Meher Dhanjal is a Digital Journalist who breaks news first and breathes second. She loves chasing p…More