How to stream BTS’ free concert Bang Bang Con 21
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Though BTS came to mainstream global attention with recent hits such as “Dynamite” and “Boy With Luv” feat. Halsey, the K-pop group had already been releasing music for years after their official debut in 2013. Now a special event will see BTS stream some of their older concerts for free, helping new and cash-strapped fans catch up with the Bangtan Boys’ extensive backlog.
This week BTS announced the return of Bang Bang Con: a free streaming event that will release a selection of their past concerts and fanmeets. This follows the first Bang Bang Con last year, which lasted 24 hours and saw over 50 million views, as well as a high of 2.24 million concurrent viewers. It was a sizable audience, to say the least.
When does Bang Bang Con 21 start, and where do I stream?
Bang Bang Con 21 is scheduled to kick off on Saturday, April 17 at 3:00 p.m. KST. This means it’ll be an early start for the U.S. at 2:00 a.m. EDT, or Friday night at 11:00 p.m PT. Fortunately the stream will run for over five hours, so there’s a decent window during which you can tune in.
The event will be streamed on the BANGTAN TV YouTube channel, free for anyone curious about digging deeper into BTS’ discography. Big Hit Entertainment declined to clarify to Mashable whether the stream will be subtitled in English, but you’ll definitely get to enjoy some bops either way.
What BTS concerts will be streaming?
Bang Bang Con 21 will be a look at BTS through the ages, kicking off with “BTS Live Trilogy Episode I: BTS Begins.” Filmed in Seoul, this March 2015 concert took place while BTS were using a rebellious teenager concept, and features earlier songs such as “Boy In Luv” — not to be confused with “Boy With Luv.”
At 5:40 p.m. KST / 4:40 a.m. EDT / 1:40 a.m. PT, the stream will move on to BTS’ June 2019 fanmeet “BTS 5th Muster [Magic Shop]” held in Busan. Essentially a concert and fan meeting combined, BTS calls these events “musters” because their fans are called Army. So they’re assembling, or mustering, their troops.
Finally, Bang Bang Con 21 will close with a recording of BTS World Tour “Love Yourself: Speak Yourself,” streaming from 7:40 p.m KST / 6:40 a.m. EDT / 3:40 a.m. PT. An extension of their “Love Yourself” tour, this concert filmed May 2019 in São Paulo, Brazil, will see BTS perform some of their more recent songs such as “Dionysus,” “Fire,” “Idol,” and yes, “Boy With Luv.”
Fans previously had to pay to see any of this content, so it’s a bit of a Bangtan Christmas for some. You’ll want to get up early to make sure you don’t miss it though, as replays are unlikely to be enabled.