Big Hit Entertainment Updates Fans on BTS’s Map of the Soul Tour
BTS’s Map of the Soul Tour is currently scheduled to kick off in Santa Clara, Calif. on April 25 and April 26 at Levi’s Stadium. Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, there is a chance the tour could be postponed or canceled. On March 24, Big Hit Entertainment posted an update about BTS’s upcoming tour.
Big Hit Entertainment canceled BTS’s concerts in Seoul
On Feb. 28, Big Hit Entertainment released an announcement for ARMY on Weverse explaining that the opening concerts in Seoul on April 11, April 12, April 18, and April 19 were cancelled.
“Hello. This is Big Hit Entertainment. We regret to announce that the BTS MAP OF THE SOUL TOUR – SEOUL Concert, originally scheduled to be held on April 11 (Sat), 12 (Sun), 18 (Sat) and 19 (Sun) at OLYMPIC STADIUM, has been cancelled,” read the announcement.
The announcement continued, “The Plans for ‘MAP OF THE SOUL TOUR – SEOUL’ included the involvement of a number of global production companies and a large group of expert international crew, with over 200,000 concertgoers expected to attend. However, the current global coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has made it impossible at this time to predict the scale of the outbreak during the dates of the concert in April, alongside increasing uncertainty about the cross-border movement of concert staff and equipment.”
For fans who already purchased tickets for the concerts in Seoul, refunds were made available.
The company is monitoring the situation for BTS’s tour
So far, none of the future concerts for BTS’s Map of the Soul Tour have been officially canceled or postponed. On March 12, Levi’s Stadium, where the Santa Clara concerts are scheduled to be held, closed until further notice. Live Nation also instructed national and international tours to prepare to be postponed. According to Billboard, Live Nation’s goal is for tours to resume in May or June.
In a Weverse announcement made on March 24, Big Hit Entertainment let fans know the company foresees having to make changes to the tour schedule due to coronavirus.
“We are closely monitoring the situations in the countries and cities that are part of our upcoming tour. With the global spread of COVID-19, in some countries and cities, the level of unpredictability is becoming higher to prepare for the shows. As a result of the current global circumstances, we anticipate having to make changes to the current tour schedule,” the announcement read.
The Seoul tour dates for BTS’s Map of the Soul Tour will be rescheduled
In the announcement, the company let fans know that any changes made will be in accordance with local and national governments’ regulations. In regions where it is possible, the label will try to continue with the planned concert dates.
“Any cancellations or rescheduling will be based on a policy of full cooperation with the guidance and directives of national and local governments and concert venues to ensure the health and safety of everyone. We are making every effort to proceed with the planned performances where possible, however, details on any changes will be provided separately for each region,” said Big Hit Entertainment.
Big Hit Entertainment also alerted fans that preparations for rescheduling the Seoul tour dates are currently underway.
“We are also developing plans to secure dates and venues to hold BTS MAP OF THE SOUL TOUR – SEOUL Concerts when the situation stabilizes. We ask for your understanding as we continue to strive to deliver a new and better-than-ever experience for the BTS MAP OF THE SOUL TOUR to all of our fans who have undoubtedly been disappointed by recent cancellations.”