BTS Greeted By Tens Of Thousands In Mexico City During Visit To Presidential Palace

Official Announcement | Published: May 07, 2026 11:22 AM EDT

(fcc) BTS accepted an official invitation from the presidential office and met with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum at the Presidential Palace in central Mexico City ahead of their 'BTS WORLD TOUR 'ARIRANG'' in Mexico City.

President Sheinbaum announced during her morning press conference, known as "Mananera," that BTS would visit the presidential office and greet citizens from the presidential balcony. She praised the band's music, stating that BTS' music "delivers messages of friendship, peace, and love."

The members held a roughly 40-minute conversation with the President before joining President Sheinbaum on the balcony of the presidential palace to greet the public. An estimated crowd of more than 50,000 gathered in Zocalo Square with fans singing along to BTS songs and filling the historic plaza with deafening chants even before the members appeared on the balcony. As soon as BTS stepped out to greet the public, the square erupted into thunderous screams and nonstop cheers, reflecting the group's extraordinary cultural presence in Mexico.

In Spanish, RM expressed their gratitude, saying, "Thank you very much for inviting us. We are looking forward to the start of our concerts. We are deeply grateful. Thank you very much." President Sheinbaum responded, "I have already asked BTS to come again next year."

The overwhelming turnout further highlighted BTS' unmatched popularity and enduring influence in Mexico, where the group has long maintained one of the strongest fan bases in the global music market. Earlier this year, President Sheinbaum described BTS' Mexico City concerts as a historic moment, reflecting the immense anticipation surrounding the group's return.

BTS' presence in the city is also expected to generate significant economic impact. According to the Mexico City Chamber of Commerce, the concerts are projected to contribute approximately USD 115.3 million to the local economy.

According to Mexican daily newspaper El Universal, Mexico City is the city with the highest number of BTS streams on Spotify. It contributed to 606+ million Spotify streams for the band, underscoring the band's remarkable reach and cultural resonance within the market.

There has been overwhelming demand for BTS' three-night run in Mexico City on May 7, 9, and 10. More than one million fans reportedly queued on Ticketmaster for approximately 150,000 available tickets, with all shows selling out in just 37 minutes. Ticketmaster described it as one of the highest levels of live music demand seen in Mexico in recent years.

With the release of their recent album ARIRANG in March, BTS made history once again, with the lead single "SWIM" topping the Billboard Hot 100, while the album claimed the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 immediately upon release. Defining the sound of the era, ARIRANG marks the biggest debut of 2026 so far. Momentum continued with the announcement of the 2026 BTS WORLD TOUR 'ARIRANG' in January. Due to extraordinary global demand, the North American and European legs of the tour sold out rapidly, with tickets across both presale and general onsale disappearing within hours.

BTS is set to perform at Estadio GNP Seguros on May 7 and May 9-10 in Mexico for a total of three sold-out shows.