On Oct. 10 and Oct. 11, BTS will put on a concert called “Map of the Soul ON:E”. The concert was originally supposed to have a limited number of in-person tickets with a simultaneous online livestream. However, due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Big Hit Entertainment canceled the offline portion of the concert. Going forward, the BTS concert will solely be held online.
The original plan for BTS’ concert
Big Hit Entertainment originally announced the concert back in August. According to a press release from Big Hit Entertainment the “Map of the Soul ON:E” concert “signifies a ONE and only ‘ONline Edition’ concert.”
A small number of fans were going to be able to purchase tickets to attend the event in Seoul, and the audience size was going to be limited to abide by government-mandated concert seat distancing measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. For those unable to attend the offline concert, fans were going to be able to purchase access to a livestream and attend the concert virtually.
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The offline portion of the BTS concert is canceled
Due to pressing concerns surrounding the pandemic, Big Hit Entertainment released a statement on the fan platform Weverse announcing that the offline portion of the concert would not proceed as planned, writing:
“Hello.
This is Big Hit Entertainment.
We would like to provide information regarding the ‘BTS MAP OF THE SOUL ON:E’ offline (in-person) concert.
We have been planning the in-person component of our concert in order to try to create an opportunity for our artists and fans to meet, despite the challenges created by COVID-19 and limited by the number of guests we can accommodate due to the current situation. We have been preparing an offline event that fully complies with guidelines provided by public health authorities to ensure the safest environment for our artists and fans.
However, with tightened social distancing regulations, restrictions continue to be placed on public gatherings and events. Under these circumstances and the lack of specific guidelines that apply to these events, it remains extremely difficult to hold an in-person performance at this time.”
‘Map of the Soul ON:E’ will still be held online
Fans of BTS do not need to worry, as Big Hit Entertainment reassured ARMY in the announcement that the online concert will proceed as planned. The company also apologized to fans who were looking forward to possibly attending the concert in person.
The ending of the statement reads:
“For these reasons, ‘BTS MAP OF THE SOUL ON:E’ will be held online without an offline (in-person) component. We would like to apologize to all fans who have been looking forward to an in-person concert. We beg for your generous understanding.
Please continue to show your interest for the upcoming online-streaming concert ‘BTS MAP OF THE SOUL ON:E’.
Thank you.”
For fans who wish to attend the virtual “Map of the Soul ON:E” concert, there are multiple purchasing options available on Weverse. While it is disappointing Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook still won’t be able to perform in front of fans because of the pandemic, it is clear the Korean band is doing everything they can to bring a positive concert experience to ARMY around the world.