Mexico's president joins ARMY fan base in BTS concert push

MEXICO CITY (AP) — BTS’s upcoming concerts in Mexico have escalated to a presidential level, with the demands of the ARMY fan base reaching Claudia Sheinbaum’s Monday news briefing and prompting a response from the president herself.

Following a lightning-fast sell-out last week, Mexico’s president used her briefing to advocate for more BTS concert dates in May, saying she sent a letter to South Korea's prime minister requesting more dates for the band.

“We have not yet received a response, but we hope it will be positive,” she said.

Sheinbaum also said she reached out to concert organizers to discuss the feasibility of adding dates; however, the promoter Ocesa has stated that it is currently not possible. BTS is scheduled to perform at Mexico City’s GNP Seguros Stadium on May 7, 9 and 10.

Sheinbaum had previously celebrated the confirmation of BTS’s visit, noting during her Jan. 19 news briefing that the group’s arrival fulfills a “historic request” from Mexican youth.

“It is a very famous Korean group that young people love,” she said, adding that their presence is a positive development for the country. These comments even gained international traction, appearing in several South Korean news outlets.

During the same briefing, Sheinbaum and officials from Mexico's consumer protection agency outlined efforts with Ocesa and Ticketmaster Mexico to ensure transparency in pricing and purchase conditions, while simultaneously implementing measures to curb ticket scalping.

Mexico has emerged as a premier destination for global tours; in 2025 alone, artists including Lady Gaga, Shakira, Oasis, and Bad Bunny delivered landmark performances across the country.

With a capacity of 65,000, the GNP Seguros Stadium was named the world’s top concert venue for 2025 by Pollstar magazine — a title it has now secured for two consecutive years.

After a nearly four-year musical hiatus, BTS, consisting of RM, Jin, Jimin, V, Suga, Jung Kook and j-hope, is back with a world tour and will release a new album on March 20 titled “ARIRANG.”

The tour will kick off in South Korea in April, spanning over 70 dates across Asia, North and South America, Australia, and Europe through March 2027. These are the group’s first performances since their 2021–22 Permission to Dance on Stage tour.

In the years between the tours, all BTS members had to fulfill their mandatory military service in South Korea.

AP journalists Maria Verza in Mexico City and Maria Sherman in New York contributed to this story.