By Woo Jae-yeon
Global K-pop sensation BTS will perform their new studio album, “Arirang,” live from the iconic Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul this Saturday. This marks their first album release in nearly four years. Hundreds of thousands of fans and visitors are expected to attend, with the performance also being streamed live worldwide.
“We aim to transform this event into a global communal viewing experience – the world’s largest watch party,” stated Brandon Riegg, Netflix’s vice president of unscripted and documentary series, at a press conference in Seoul on Friday.
“Social media will amplify this experience, allowing fans to share their excitement in real-time and create a unified global event,” he added.
This event is Netflix’s inaugural live broadcast from South Korea and its first-ever music livestream.
Riegg described the partnership between Netflix and Hybe, the parent company of BTS’ agency BigHit Music, as “an exceptional opportunity.” He highlighted their shared strategy of combining strengths to create a special experience for BTS Army and viewers globally.
The event’s objective, he explained, is “to reinforce the idea that Netflix is the home for major pop culture moments and to demonstrate the value Netflix brings to partners like BTS and Hybe.”
To achieve this, Netflix focused on “delivering a seamless and reliable streaming experience” while also “creating unforgettable moments that bring people together,” he said.
“In today’s entertainment landscape, events that generate urgency are rare, and this is potentially Netflix’s largest live event to date,” he added.
Garrett English, executive producer at Done+Dusted, the company overseeing the live performance, shared that his team concentrated on connecting modern elements with historical context to create a stage that felt both contemporary and aligned with BTS’s vision. They also aimed to ensure the design was “respectful of and in harmony with the location.”
He emphasized the enormous scale of the production, noting that it was “massive both creatively and operationally, with the stage extending all the way to Seoul City Hall and City Hall Plaza.”
“Coordinating with the city and all its agencies was a significant undertaking,” he said. “The key broadcast challenge was capturing the grandeur of the event while also conveying intimate, meaningful moments for the artists and the audience.”
Riegg also underscored Netflix’s broader commitment to South Korea.
“Netflix is actively developing infrastructure in Korea to expand its capabilities, and investment in the Korean entertainment sector will continue to grow,” he stated.
He built anticipation for Saturday’s event by hinting at “a few surprises,” without revealing specifics.
“This represents the largest live musical performance Netflix has ever produced globally. We’ve invested maximum resources, effort, and time into it,” he said.
“Our hope is that it feels like a truly unique moment that only BTS and Netflix could create together and that it raises the standard for future musical performances on the platform.”
