BTS fans won't be allowed to cheer or clap at upcoming Seoul concerts

BTS fans won’t be allowed to clap, cheer or stand up at the K-pop group’s upcoming shows in South Korea due to government COVID guidelines.

The group’s management company Big Hit Music have issued an official statement ahead of BTS’ three scheduled concerts at the Jamsil Olympic Stadium in Seoul this week (March 10, 12, 13).

“Cheering loudly, yelling, chanting and standing up during ‘BTS Permission To Dance On Stage – Seoul’ is strictly prohibited according to government guidelines,” they wrote (via Variety).

Big Hit Music will instead provide audience members with clappers to emulate crowd noise.

South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has also limited each show to 15,000 attendees per night, despite the stadium’s 70,000 capacity.

“Seating for the in-person performance will comply with spacing guidelines mandated by local government performance venue Covid-19 control measures,” Big Hit Music explained.

“The event may be changed or cancelled depending on the social distancing level.”

The trio of Seoul gigs will mark BTS’ first live appearances in their native Korea since before the coronavirus pandemic. Tonight and Sunday’s shows will be streamed online, with Saturday’s being screened live in cinemas worldwide.

Following the three outings, BTS are set to embark on a Las Vegas residency next month. The group will take their ‘Permission To Dance On Stage’ concert to the nearly 65,000-capacity Allegiant Stadium in Sin City on April 8, 9, 15 and 16.

Last year, the septet marked their return to in-person performances in Los Angeles, California. BTS held a short residency at the SoFi Stadium on November 27 and 28, and December 1 and 2, 2021.

Their LA event went on to become the biggest single venue concert engagement by any act in almost a decade. According to Billboard, the Los Angeles leg of their ‘Permission To Dance On Stage’ concert series sold 214,000 tickets and grossed US$33.3million (£25million).

Meanwhile, Machine Gun Kelly has said that he wants BTS to perform at his wedding to Megan Fox.