BTS Seoul Concert Demonstrates the Expanding Public Role of Large-Format DOOH
BTS will stage its comeback performance on March 21 at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, an event expected to draw around 200,000 people. The projected turnout is more than eleven times the square’s official capacity of approximately 18,000, underscoring both the group’s global influence and the logistical challenge facing the city.
To accommodate demand and ensure public safety, the concert will be broadcast live on several large-format digital out-of-home screens installed around the Gwanghwamun area. These screens will allow fans who cannot enter the square to watch the performance in real time, while helping to disperse crowds beyond the main venue. The strategy reflects a growing reliance on urban media infrastructure to manage mega-scale cultural events.
One of the key viewing points is the Dong-A Ilbo Luux (LUUX) screen. Measuring 50 meters wide and 60 meters high, the display covers 3,000 square meters—roughly the size of seven basketball courts. Its scale makes it one of the largest outdoor digital screens in central Seoul, capable of delivering live performance footage with high visibility across the surrounding district.
Another major screen is the K-Vision display mounted on the exterior of the Koreana Hotel. With dimensions of 20 meters in width and 60 meters in height, the vertically oriented screen faces directly toward Gwanghwamun Square and Sejong-daero. The format is well suited to close-up shots of performers and stage visuals, offering clear sightlines for both pedestrians and vehicles passing through the area.
The KT Gwanghwamun Building also plays a significant role through its K Media Wall installation. The site features two screens, each measuring 885 square meters, for a combined total of 1,770 square meters. Integrated into the building façade, the media wall is designed for stable transmission of high-resolution video content and sits along one of the district’s main business and tourism corridors.
Together, these screens illustrate how large-scale out-of-home media is evolving beyond its traditional commercial role. While primarily developed for advertising, premium urban displays are increasingly used as shared public platforms for broadcasting sports events, national occasions, and major cultural performances. In dense city centers, they offer a practical solution to spatial constraints while preserving a sense of collective viewing and participation.
The significance of the event is further amplified by its global reach. The Gwanghwamun concert will be live-streamed via Netflix to audiences in more than 190 countries—the first time a major event held in Korea is being broadcast live worldwide on Netflix. While the global stream connects BTS with international audiences, the city-wide OOH simulcast addresses the on-the-ground reality of crowd density, demonstrating how physical and digital distribution can work in parallel.
The concert precedes the release of BTS’s fifth full-length album, Arirang, scheduled for March 20. The album includes 14 new tracks and is described by the group as reflecting “the BTS of today.” On April 9, the group will launch the Arirang World Tour at the main stadium of Goyang Sports Complex in Gyeonggi Province. The tour will span 82 shows across 34 cities worldwide, making it the largest single tour ever staged by a K-pop act, with additional dates in Japan and the Middle East expected to be announced later.
As Seoul prepares for the event, attention is turning not only to the performance itself but also to the infrastructure supporting it. The use of massive digital screens around Gwanghwamun demonstrates how out-of-home media can serve cultural and public purposes, transforming the city into a distributed stage. In the era of global fandom, such infrastructure is becoming an essential tool for cities seeking to host large-scale cultural moments safely and inclusively.