It’s the most wonderful time of the year—BTS concert season!
The wait has been long, but finally, offline concerts are coming back. We are getting to see the guys perform in front of ecstatic in-person audiences again, appear on award shows, tv, and all sorts of fun events. Although BTS remained very active throughout the last couple of years, there’s a certain beauty to these hectic times, when something new happens every other day. This time around, the band has a busy schedule in November and December in Los Angeles, and one of the special events marked on ARMY’s calendar is iHeartRadio’s Jingle Ball.
For those who are unfamiliar with the event, here’s a very quick run-through of what it is. There are various events that share the same name, but this one is organized by iHeartMedia, a leading audio company in the United States. The original local show started 26 years ago, and it has since evolved into a full tour with stops in various cities of the United States during the holiday season. The event is known for having star-studded lineups, including some of the biggest names in current pop music, such as Halsey, Bruno Mars, Ariana Grande, and, of course, BTS.
BTS at Jingle Ball 2019: What was it like?
As we all know, BTS was already quite popular back in 2019. They were making appearances at all sorts of events, so when the announcement about Jingle Ball happened, it wasn’t that much of a surprise. There’s a good reason why ARMYs are known to be great detectives after all. Even the event organizers acknowledged the rumors when the appearance was officially announced, playfully stating that they couldn’t hide anything from us.
What was BTS’ first Jingle Ball appearance like?
As usual, all the members looked stylish and kept a cohesive color scheme, they all wore white and black suits that were the perfect fit for the festive atmosphere of the event. It was a busy night for them and ARMY. Aside from their performance, which included “MIC Drop,” “Make It Right,” and “Boy with Luv” featuring Halsey, BTS gave interviews and attended a short meet-and-greet backstage with a few lucky fans.
Every time BTS makes an appearance at any event, there are countless little stories that don’t make the news, coming both from the people attending and from those following it on Twitter. Let’s take a quick look back at a few memorable moments from that day that will make you smile.
Let’s start with a sweet one—ARMY’s surprise for Halsey’s appearance. As most fans know, each song has a specific fan chant, so when the performance for “Boy With Luv” came up, ARMY added Halsey’s name to it, as a token of appreciation and to make them feel included.
Next, we have a funny one from Twitter. Official pictures of the event were being posted by Shutterstock, with their corresponding watermark. However, there was one particular photo that some ARMYs wanted without the watermark. What did they do? They bought it through a crowdfunded pool, of course. Funnily enough, that same photo was later included in BTS’ 2019 Memories.
Finally, to no one’s surprise, except maybe to the event organizers, ARMY showed up en masse, practically turning the event into a BTS concert, with its corresponding purple ocean.
BTS at Jingle Ball 2021: What’s coming?
Fast forward to 2021. After months of restrictions and a virtual Jingle Ball in 2020, the event was held in person again. There were stops at Ft. Worth, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Chicago, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. BTS performed as part of the lineup for the Los Angeles show, along with other big names, such as Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Doja Cat, and Lil Nas X.
Are you curious about how excited ARMY were about seeing BTS after two years? Just to give you an idea of the demand, on November 13, Touring Data’s Twitter account shared the number of available tickets for each of the stops of the Jingle Ball, showing that Inglewood was already sold out. Needless to say, this is where BTS performed, and no doubt, this was one of the most, if not the most sought-after show this year.
This was just one of the stops on BTS’ triumphant return to the United States, which, so far, included appearances and performances at the American Music Awards, the Grammy Nomination Livestream, the Late Late Show, and the concerts. What might be coming next? While nothing official was announced, J-Hope did blink three times - a sure sign of things to come.
iHeartRadio’s Jingle Ball came right after 4 intense nights at SoFi Stadium of their “Permission to Dance on Stage” concerts. The event in Los Angeles took place on Friday, Dec. 3, at 7:30 PM (PST). Considering how long BTS has waited for a live audience, and how excited they have been about seeing ARMY, it was definitely a performance to remember!
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Written By: Rebecca
Edit By: Aury
Checked By: Vera