BTS thrills 150,000 fans over three sold-out shows in Mexico City

SEOUL, May 12 (Yonhap) -- K-pop juggernaut BTS drew around 150,000 fans to three sold-out concerts in Mexico City, the group's agency said Tuesday. The shows, held on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday (local time) as part of its "Arirang" world tour, were the band's first standalone concerts in Mexico since July 2015. Tickets for all three dates sold out immediately upon release. BTS incorporated elements of local culture into the performances, including dancers wearing traditional "lucha libre" masks during "Aliens," while member V picked up a "banderilla," a popular Mexican snack, during "Idol." The group also performed "Airplane pt. 2," which includes the line "We goin' from Mexico City" in its lyrics. This undated photo from BigHit Music shows K-pop supergroup BTS performing during a show at Estadio GNP Seguros in Mexico City as part of its "Arirang" world tour. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) Addressing fans, the members said, "You were truly the best. What more can we say? We will definitely come back to Mexico," and also spoke in Spanish, saying they would not forget the energy that spread from the Zocalo square. About 50,000 fans swarmed the square in front of the National Palace to see the band when it visited the palace to meet President Claudia Sheinbaum on Wednesday, according to estimates from BigHit. The group greeted fans from a balcony of the palace alongside the Mexican president after the talks. Local authorities estimated that about 35,000 people gathered outside the Estadio GNP Seguros, the venue of the concerts, on Saturday and Sunday, with crowds spilling onto nearby roads and prompting partial traffic controls. This undated photo from BigHit Music shows K-pop supergroup BTS performing during a show at Estadio GNP Seguros in Mexico City as part of its "Arirang" world tour. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) The Mexico City Chamber of Commerce projected the concerts would generate approximately US$107.5 million in economic impact, including spending on tickets, transport, accommodation and food. The seven-member group will continue its world tour in Stanford, California, on Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday, before heading to Las Vegas later in the month. The group is also set to perform in Busan on June 12-13, with the second show coinciding with its 13th debut anniversary. sshim@yna.co.kr(END)