Analysts optimistic BTS’s upcoming world tour could rival Taylor Swift’s record-breaking earnings

According to Korea JoongAng Dailytickets for the K-pop group’s “Arirang” world tour reportedly sold out across more than 41 locations after going on sale in January, fueling expectations that the tour could become one of the highest-grossing concert runs in history.

Kim Yu Hyuk, an analyst at South Korea’s IBK Investment & Securities, estimates the tour could generate at least 2.7 trillion won (US$1.87 billion) in revenue and 487 billion won in operating profit. His forecast, based on what he described as “highly conservative margins” for concerts and merchandise sales, assumes an average of 64,000 attendees per show and total attendance of around 6 million.

If realized, this would rival the revenue generated by Swift’s “The Eras Tour,” which ran from March 2023 to December 2024 and grossed nearly $2.1 billion while selling more than 10.1 million tickets, according to Billboard.

The figure would also outpace other global acts such as Coldplay, Elton John, and Ed Sheeran.

Hwang Ji Won of IM Securities projected ticket sales for “Arirang” alone could reach 1.5 trillion won, with an additional 500 billion won from merchandise. He added that the group could stage up to 100 performances when factoring in yet-to-be-announced dates in 2027.

Song Ji Won, an analyst at Heungkuk Securities, said 2026 could be a defining year for BTS’s parent company HYBE, predicting at least 88 performances drawing more than 5.12 million concertgoers.

“Arirang” tour will open with a three-night run at Goyang Sports Complex Main Stadium in Gyeonggi Province on April 9, 11 and 12, kicking off a planned 70-show schedule for 2026.

Major stops include four nights at SoFi Stadium, two nights at Tokyo Dome, as well as concerts at MetLife Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The tour will also mark BTS’s first performances in South America, with multi-night stops planned in Colombia, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Brazil.

The concerts will adopt an “in the round” format, featuring a 360-degree central stage designed to maximize seating capacity and eliminate restricted-view sections.

The scale of the tour has prompted analysts to raise their financial forecasts for HYBE. Kim of IBK said he has increased his projection for HYBE’s 2026 operating profit to 580.1 billion won, more than ten times higher year-on-year and nearly 68% above his previous estimate, citing stronger assumptions tied to BTS’s tour performance.

The expected windfall could help offset a challenging 2025 for the company. According to ForbesHYBE’s annual operating profit fell to 49.9 billion won in 2025, down nearly 73% from the previous year. Fourth-quarter profit alone dropped 93% year-on-year, reflecting heavy investments in its Latin boy band Santos Bravos, marketing costs for its mobile game Architect, and restructuring expenses in North America.

“BTS’s world tour is expected to reflect [on HYBE’s earnings] until the second quarter of 2027, at least, so we shouldn’t worry about the company’s earnings for a while,” said Lee Ki Hoon, an analyst at Hana Securities.

Formed in 2010 and debuting in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment, now part of HYBE, BTS began as a hip-hop group before expanding into a wide range of musical styles.

The group broke into the global market in 2017, becoming the first Korean act to receive a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America for the single “Mic Drop.” In 2018, BTS became the first South Korean act to top the Billboard 200 with the album “Love Yourself: Tear.”