K-Pop superstars BTS are officially coming back next year, marking the end of a hiatus that started in 2022.
The HYBE-signed group revealed during a live stream on superfan platform Weverse today (July 1) that they will release a new album and embark on a world tour in the spring of 2026.
The confirmation confirms reports published last month about a March 2026 return for the group.
All seven members of BTS appeared live together during the Weverse livestream, their first joint livestream since completing their mandatory military service.
During the livestream, the group revealed that starting this month, all members will head to the United States to begin working on new music.
“We’re approaching the album with the same mindset we had when we first started.”
BTS
The members said: “We’ll be releasing a new BTS album in the spring of next year. Starting in July, all seven of us will begin working closely together on new music.
“Since it will be a group album, it will reflect each member’s thoughts and ideas. We’re approaching the album with the same mindset we had when we first started.”
Alongside the release of their new album in 2026, BTS are also set to embark on what they call a “massive” world tour.
They added: “We’re also planning a world tour alongside the new album. We’ll be visiting fans all around the world, so we hope you’re as excited as we are.”
This will be BTS’s first world tour in approximately four years since the conclusion of ‘BTS PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE’ in 2022.
The tour drew over 4 million attendees/viewers across in-person concerts, online live streaming, live viewing, and live play.
Additionally, BTS shared updates on their upcoming activities for the second half of 2025.
The members reflected on the Korean leg of Jin’s solo tour, ‘#RUNSEOKJIN_EP.TOUR,’ which took place in Goyang, Korea on June 28–29.
Following the ‘j-hope Tour ‘HOPE ON THE STAGE,’’ j-hope is slated to headline Lollapalooza Berlin on July 13.
Today’s livestream marked BTS’s first live broadcast since September 2022. It lasted approximately 30 minutes and garnered over 7.3 million real-time total views.
BTS are RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook. They debuted in 2013. The group has scored six No.1 Billboard Hot 100 singles since 2020, and performed multiple sold-out stadium shows across the world.
They were also named TIME’s Entertainer of the Year 2020. BTS are 5-time Grammy nominees (63rd to 65th GRAMMY Awards) and have been recognized with numerous awards like the Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards (Artist of the Year 2021) and MTV Video Music Awards.
BTS were historically HYBE’s biggest earners. News of their break as a group in 2022 rattled investors, with the company’s shares falling by around 25% that day, wiping around $1.5 billion from HYBE’s market cap value in the process.
With the group’s absence, HYBE’s operating profit dropped 37.5% YoY to KRW 184.82 billion ($135.55 million) in FY 2024, which the company attributed to, among other factors, “BTS‘ temporary break.”
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