SEOUL – South Korean K-pop megastars BTS will kick off their world tour on April 9, riding the momentum of a chart-topping comeback album and a landmark performance in the heart of Seoul.

The seven-member group – widely regarded as the world’s biggest boy band – took to the stage together for the first time in March following a years-long hiatus prompted by mandatory military service, after releasing their latest studio album ARIRANG.

The performance, staged on the doorstep of the historic Gyeongbokgung Palace, drew more than 100,000 fans to central Seoul, the group’s label said, while its Netflix live stream attracted an estimated 18.4 million viewers worldwide, according to the streaming giant.

Spanning 85 shows in 34 cities worldwide, the highly anticipated tour, kicking off in BTS leader RM’s hometown Goyang in South Korea, is set to be a major money-spinner for BTS, potentially outdoing Taylor Swift’s recent Eras Tour, according to analysts.

Their latest album ARIRANG is billed as reflecting the maturing boy band’s Korean identity. It is named after the traditional Korean folk song about longing and separation, often dubbed South Korea’s unofficial national anthem.

Ahead of the tour, the group has moved beyond themes of adolescent pain and internal conflict, entering “a realm of looking more deeply” into themselves, Mr Kim Jeong...