Illinois declared BTS Day for the group’s Chicago concerts, praising their social impact, global fandom, and cultural influence.

BTS (BTS, or Bangtan Sonyeondan) received an enthusiastic welcome at the governor level ahead of their concert in Chicago, U.S. According to BIGHIT MUSIC, BTS’s agency, on August 24, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker designated the concert dates, August 27–28 (local time), for BTS’s world tour “ARIRANG IN Chicago,” to be held at Soldier Field in Chicago, as “BTS Day in Illinois.” The official proclamation stated that BTS has contributed to the spread of social value through raising awareness of mental health, the idea of “Self-Love,” which is about accepting and valuing oneself as one is, and charitable activities. It also praised their core message as aligning with the civic values of the state of Illinois and inspiring millions of fans around the world to participate in service to their communities and in donations. Residents were called on to celebrate together the value of harmony that music, culture, and community possess. Illinois predicted that during the performance period, thousands of visitors would come to Chicago and that a historic cultural exchange would take place. It expressed expectations that this would not only revitalize the local economy, but also serve as an opportunity to promote the state as a center of culture, art, and entertainment. Prior to this, BTS, as the first K-pop artist, signed an official partnership with UNICEF Korea Committee in 2017 and launched the “LOVE MYSELF” campaign, and has devoted itself to preventing violence and providing psychological support for children and adolescents in 155 countries and regions. In 2020, they continued various social contribution activities and support for the live entertainment industry, such as donating 1 million dollars to Live Nation’s “Crew Nation” campaign. It is not the first time that a local government has planned an official welcome event for BTS. Toronto, Canada, designated August 22 to 23 as “BTS Weekend” in line with their visit and temporarily named part of a road “BTS Boulevard.” Maryland Governor Wes Moore released a welcome video with Korean subtitles ahead of their Baltimore concert. El Paso County, Texas, declared the concert period “El Paso BTS Weekend” and awarded them the “Estimado Amigo” award. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum met BTS directly and presented them with a commemorative plaque in the name of the government. French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife watched their concert at Stade de France in Paris in person. On the 22nd, BTS successfully finished a solo concert at Rogers Stadium in Toronto, Canada, as part of their North American tour. On the 27th and 28th, they will continue the tour at Soldier Field in Chicago. It has been about 7 years and 3 months since BTS stood on Soldier Field, since “BTS WORLD TOUR ‘LOVE YOURSELF: SPEAK YOURSELF’” in May 2019. At that time, they held a solo performance there as the first Korean singer to do so. With their 5th full album “ARIRANG,” they achieved No. 1 on Billboard’s main album chart, the Billboard 200, for three consecutive weeks (debuting at No. 1 on the chart dated April 4). According to the latest chart announced by Billboard on August 18 (dated August 22), the album ranked No. 21 and also achieved 21 consecutive weeks on the chart. The title track “SWIM” was nominated in the “Song of the Year” category, which is equivalent to the top prize, at the U.S. awards show “2026 MTV Video Music Awards” (hereinafter “2026 MTV VMA”). BTS had previously been nominated in that category as Korean artists for the first time with “Dynamite” at the “2021 MTV VMA.” The “2026 MTV VMA” will be held on September 27. • BTS reveals behind-the-scenes moments on stage! Jungkook’s bare upper body and tattoos become a hot topic • Nominees announced for the “2026 MTV VMA,” from BTS to BLACKPINK and CORTIS!