After several years, K-Pop juggernaut BTS is returning to the stage for their Arirang world tour — and they’re stopping at the Stanford Stadium next week on May 16, 17 and 19.
BTS announced a break in 2022 for the band to pursue their solo projects as well as to fulfill their mandatory service in the Korean military.
Now the seven members (RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook) have reunited on the album Arirang, which came out in March, and for which their new tour is named.
Needless to say, BTS ARMY is thrilled. And since the Bay Area – and the West Coast in general – is home to a huge community of passionate K-Pop fans, there will be plenty of events leading up to the concert weekend to celebrate.
To mark BTS’s first touring show on our home turf since 2018, we’ve compiled ways fans can celebrate BTS and K-Pop in general in the Bay Area that weekend, including cup sleeve events, opportunities for freebie trading, parties and themed desserts – whether you got a ticket to the shows or not.
Just be sure to snag spots at ticketed events, because they may sell out quickly.
And if you’re BTS ARMY visiting the Bay just for the concert, welcome!
Our region has a comparatively robust public transportation system, including BART and Caltrain, that can help you get to some of these spots, and you can use a Clipper Card, a card or Apple/Google Pay to tap on and off these services.
We’ll also be publishing a guide to visiting Stanford Stadium itself for you in a few days, so check back.
Before the BTS concert weekend starts, you can still have a very full day of concert prep.
In the East Bay, you can start the day at K-Pop Nation in Oakland, a retail store dedicated solely to K-Pop music and merch.
Then, you can grab a bite to eat at Pyeong Chang Tofu House. Gangnam Jajang also has highly recommended Korean comfort food.
From 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday in Hayward, Max’s Cakes will have an array of BTS themed desserts, as well as first-come, first-served freebies made by fans, like a BTS World Tour Arirang tote.
Rather stay closer to San Francisco? Take a look at beloved merch store KPop Nara in the Sunset District, or Stonestown Galleria’s own Moonlly Fashion, with photocards, lightsticks and music for sale. Near Stonestown is Bay Pocha, a Korean pub.
SFMOMA will be collaborating with RM on an exhibit later this year. And while the art show isn’t yet on display, you could do some Namjooning by visiting the museum to prepare (and you might even be able to do so for free) or checking out the many best bookish spots in the Bay Area.
Or you could also grab a group of friends to recreate BTS’s own iconic photo opportunity in front of the Golden Gate Bridge.
At night, you can head over to the Mission District, where The Korner Store Bites is hosting a pre-concert party featuring BTS music, an anju buffet, raffle prizes and themed drinks. There is also a BTS-themed rave at Pure Nightclub in San Francisco.
If you’re looking for a more private way to party, K-Box in the city’s Japantown is a reliably good karaoke spot with rooms for rent. Other private karaoke room spots in the city include Pandora Karaoke, Aura Cinema, K-Time, and Taisho.
And this author would be remiss to not mention her favorite Korean barbecue spot in the city, Brothers in the Richmond district. For late-night chicken, Toyose is an excellent option as well.
For K-Pop fans in the South Bay, there is a pre-concert social at the Hyatt in Mountain View from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. You can follow that event up with an Armyang BTS Army Dance Party at The Hub RWC in Redwood City.
(But remember, if you’re attending one of the coming shows: Save your strength.)
On concert days, it’s probably best to stick to the South Bay and Peninsula area to make sure you get to the Stanford Stadium on time.
KQED has a thorough list of some of the best Korean restaurants in the South Bay, including Gooyi Gooyi and Jang Su Jang in Santa Clara.
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m, Ryokucha Cafe in Palo Alto will have a cupsleeve event with a themed BTS menu, giveaways and fan merch.
You can also head to Sunnyvale for its huge BTS ARMY meetup, featuring 90+ local vendors and dance performances. The event is from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
But even if the vibes are immaculate, be sure to head to Stanford early for the concert, which starts at 7 p.m.
The exact time gates open for the concert has not been published on the Stanford Stadium website yet. (For Coldplay’s tour engagement at this venue last year, gates opened at 5 p.m. for a 5:25 p.m. showtime.)
Start the day at Ryokucha Cafe in Palo Alto, which will have a BTS-themed vendor market and desserts from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Elsewhere in the city, Mr. Sun Tea is also celebrating with boba and freebie bundles, from 12 to 3:30 p.m.
A little farther away is Kloud K-Pop in San José, which is hosting a pre-game event featuring photocard decorating and a lightstick giveaway.
After the concert, for those who want the party to keep going, the BTS Rave Tour is throwing a Night 2 event at Pure Nightclub in San Francisco, starting at 10 p.m. But if you’re going to the concert, be realistic that with travel from Stanford to San Francisco after the show, you’ll probably be arriving at the club closer to midnight.
Fewer fan events are happening on the Tuesday show, but it is also a pretty good opportunity to check out the many stores dedicated to Korean pop culture in the area.
If you are closer to the East Bay, visit 12KST Shop in Concord or Confetti K-Pop in San Leandro. If you are closer to the South Bay, take a look at Kloud K-Pop in San Jose.
In Santa Clara, Korean Spring BBQ is one of the last places in the Bay Area where the meat is still grilled over wood charcoal, according to KQED’s Luke Tsai. Or head over to the city’s Ondam restaurant for spicy raw marinated crabs.
Again, be sure to leave with plenty of time to get to Stanford’s campus – especially on a weekday, where you will be competing with commuters and the workday rush.
KQED’s Suzie Racho and Luke Tsai contributed to this report.
To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy.