Light sticks swaying in the air, people singing and dancing with all their heart, fan chants and lots of cheering—maybe even some happy crying are just some of the things you can expect in a BTS concert. ARMYs are some of the most excitable fan bases and their energetic presence just hypes up any concert experience.
Now that the band is slated to perform on concert stages again, fans are taking out their Army Bombs for the first time in two years. New COVID restrictions, however, are making BTS concerts tamer than usual.
Instead of the original 70,000 fans anticipated to attend the popular boy band’s homecoming show, South Korea’s Ministry Of Culture, Sports, And Tourism has limited each show at 15,000 attendees.
What’s more, Big Hit Music, BTS’ management company, released a statement prohibiting the usual concert activities. It read: “Cheering loudly, yelling, chanting, and standing up during ‘BTS Permission To Dance On Stage — Seoul’ is strictly prohibited according to government guidelines.”
But despite the harsh COVID guidelines, there’s just no stopping BTS fans.
For the Jamsil Olympic Stadium performance on Thursday, Big Hit gifted fans a creative loophole that allowed fans to show their love for the Korean heartthrobs.
Light up clappers were handed out before the performance. There were also on-screen graphics to guide fans on when they should use their clappers—little hearts floated on top of song lyrics to indicate it’s time for some good old energetic clapping.
Noooo, the clapper event is so cute here!!! They are all synchronized 😭💜 ARMYs are really the best fandom! @BTS_twt #PTD_ON_STAGE_SEOUL #방탄소년단 pic.twitter.com/doOmR8lBw0
— 💟 (@jjkntrdnstl_) March 10, 2022
The clappers did not disappoint. While fans weren’t able to sing their hearts out, they appear to have come to terms with the clappers and embraced them as a new tradition. Members of the boyband even got cheeky with the fans, teasing them for the sound they make with their clappers.
bts really meant it when they said spending time with armys is like spending time with an old friend because the way they were mercilessly teasing karmys throughout the concert for everything like the wave and the clappers pic.twitter.com/RALO8Go9mE
— tiny⁷ (@tinysmeraldo) March 11, 2022
BTS is also slated to perform in the US in a four-night run at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on April 8, 9, 15 and 16. And while American fans can jump, shout, dance and cheer as loud as they’d like, it seems the clappers were so endearing, other fans wanted to keep it going for other shows.
ARMYs are torn over this idea, however. They say that fan chants are a special part of the BTS concert tradition and if Vegas concertgoers are lucky enough to be allowed to sing to their hearts’ content and make beautiful memories with BTS, they should take the opportunity.