KB News Desk
BTS’ upcoming concerts in Chile have been thrown into uncertainty after the country’s National Sports Institute declined to authorize the use of Estadio Nacional in Santiago for the group’s scheduled October shows.
The concerts, organized by promoter DG Medios, are scheduled for Oct. 14, 16 and 17 as part of BTS’ “Arirang” world tour. Tickets for all three shows reportedly sold out after going on sale in April, with each concert expected to draw more than 48,000 fans.
According to Chilean media reports, the National Sports Institute, also known as Instituto Nacional de Deportes, decided not to approve the use of the stadium’s central field after a technical and operational review raised concerns over the impact of BTS’ planned 360-degree stage setup.
As with other BTS concerts, the stage would be placed at the center of the field, requiring extensive installation and dismantling work on the pitch.
In a statement to Chilean media, the institute said the decision was based “exclusively on technical and continuity criteria” related to the condition of the hybrid natural grass pitch. It said the proposed 360-degree stage would require prolonged coverage of the field, leaving insufficient recovery time before previously scheduled events, including a Chile men’s national soccer team match in November.
According to the Chilean Interior Minister Claudio Alvarado on Thursday, the institute had offered the production team of BTS’ concerts alternative locations “within the same radius of the stadium complex to explore options that would allow the concerts to proceed without affecting the central field.
Sports Minister Natalia Duco said the decision does not mean the concerts will be canceled, stressing that the venue had never been formally confirmed.
“The National Sports Institute never confirmed the dates with the official decrees that are usually issued in these cases,” said Duco on the Chilean news program “24 Horas” on Thursday.
“The production company was aware and knew that we hadn’t confirmed the decree, but the tickets were sold anyway.”
Duco added that the concerts “could still proceed if the stage design were modified” to avoid disrupting the stadium’s sporting schedule.
The situation has stirred concern among fans, with less than four months remaining until the scheduled concerts in Chile. BTS’ upcoming concerts in the South American country were expected to be the group’s first since the “Wings” tour in March 2017.
As of press time, DG Medios had not announced whether the concerts would be relocated, reformatted or rescheduled, nor had it issued detailed guidance regarding tickets already sold. Hybe told The Korea Herald it was looking into the matter and would respond at a later time.
