BTS’s cinema screenings of two South American concerts from the Arirang world tour took an estimated $2.8 million in US theaters over the weekend of October 30 to November 1, finishing sixth on the domestic chart from 1,010 theaters, according to The Numbers. With international openings added, the same page lists a worldwide total of about $5.58 million.
What was screened
BigHit Music announced in September that the band’s October 24 concert in Buenos Aires and October 30 concert in São Paulo would be shown in cinemas, as reported by the Korea Times. That report says about 3,800 theaters in more than 80 countries and regions were set to take part, some live and some delayed by a day or two because of time zones. The Numbers lists the US release as a special engagement on October 30, distributed by Trafalgar Releasing.
The screenings come from a run of 14 concerts in five South American cities, which the Korea Times says travelled from Bogotá to Lima, Santiago, Buenos Aires and São Paulo. The Buenos Aires shows were on October 21, 23 and 24 at Estadio Único de La Plata, and the São Paulo shows on October 28, 30 and 31 at Estádio do MorumBIS. Goyang, Busan and Tokyo had earlier live viewings.
Related Reading
The box office numbers
The Numbers lists the US weekend gross as a round $2.8 million, which suggests an estimate rather than a final figure. Its daily breakdown shows $2.0 million on Friday, October 30, and $0.8 million on Saturday, down 60%. Roger Moore’s weekend preview on Movie Nation had projected about $3 million and said the screenings might sell roughly 240,000 tickets nationwide, so the result landed close to that outlook.
The international picture, from The Numbers: Mexico opened to about $1.99 million, the United Kingdom to $317,034 from 221 screens, Italy to $290,116, and Australia to $85,851 from 63 screens. The page’s data is dated November 3, so those totals may still change.
The São Paulo shows
The São Paulo run was BTS’s first in Brazil in seven years, since the 2019 “Love Yourself: Speak Yourself†tour, according to a StarNews Korea report. That report, which says it was translated by AI, says all three shows sold out, with about 252,000 tickets sold as reported by O Tempo (a single-source number). It describes an opening night with “Hooligan,†a 23-song set of about two hours and 20 minutes, and surprise songs that changed each night, including “Black Swan†and “Fly to the Sky.†During “Body to Body,†the report says, the crowd sang part of “Arirang†and the members set down their microphones to listen.
It also notes setbacks: a planned walk through the floor seating during “Idol†was cancelled for safety reasons, and some fans complained about sightlines because South American stadiums have fewer video screens.
What happens next
The Numbers records the US run as a one-week special engagement, with New Zealand listed as opening on October 31. The sources checked for this article do not say whether further shows will be screened or released for streaming, and none gives a date for the next leg of the tour, so those questions remain open.
What is not confirmed
The $2.8 million figure is likely an estimate, final weekend figures were not available in the sources checked, and the attendance and setlist details come from a single regional report.
