On April 8 through 16th of this year Las Vegas saw one of its biggest events yet. BTS held their Permission to Dance: On Stage concert at Allegiant Stadium. The stadium was nearly sold out for each show, and the Las Vegas Strip was lit up the color purple throughout the days. 

When the citizens of Las Vegas heard about this concert, they rushed to get seats. Many students from Shadow Ridge were among those rushing to get tickets. The concert also drew ARMYs (BTS’ fandom name) from all over the world. According to Billboard, “the in-person portion of the four-show stand was attended by around 200,000 people, while the number of online viewers who dialed in to the livestream reached around 402,000 in 182 countries/regions on the concluding day on Saturday.”

Las Vegas was BTS’ final show on their tour.  

Shadow Ridge’s very own, junior Harmony Krider, went to the BTS concert. She says that the lines went faster than she thought they would, however the merch line was long. “Halfway through we found out that they only take card and we only had cash on us,” says Krider, “so we made friends with a nice lady and she bought us the merch and we just paid her back in cash.” This is truly a showcase of ARMY hospitality. “She basically treated us like her kids the rest of the concert,” says Krider.

At the concert the screen broke before the start. Krider and her friend’s had lots of energy at that moment because it seemed like the concert was about to start. “Our hearts were beating so fast it wasn’t even funny.” They weren’t bored but they were nervous when the screen broke. “Doing the cute little ARMY bomb wave did help us calm down,” Krider remembers. When the concert started Krider was excited and screamed for every member.

During the concert, BTS performed a total of 22 songs. They opened with ON and closed with Permission to Dance. 

While the first show was delayed due to technical difficulties, the second night ran smoothly. On the second night, media attended. According to Consequence, the concert running so smoothly is “no small feat, considering the show’s generous use of fireworks, pyrotechnics, elaborate video screens and big setpieces, such as a moving platform and balloon-filled trollies.” 

The concerts were a magnificent event for BTS fans and Las Vegas. Truly a moment that can only be described as epic.