‘Blood, Sweat and Tears’: What it takes for Filipino Armys to see BTS live

Cheers erupted at the dim-lit corner of an internet cafe in Lipa, Batangas as Armys — this writer included— one after the other, survived the “ticketing war” and secured their passes for the March 2027 “Arirang” concert of K-pop supergroup BTS at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bulacan.

But before the highs, there were definitely a lot of nerves and whispered prayers as fans held tightly on their chance to see Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook in person — and in the Philippines at that—after the septet’s years-long hiatus as a group. 

The Army Membership Presale, which was held on Tuesday, June 9, at 11 a.m., saw hundred thousand fans waiting for their turn to purchase while in the virtual queue. It was overwhelming to witness fellow individuals all aiming for the globally coveted but limited tickets. Everyone was as devoted as the other, hence, in many ways, everyone deserved a spot in that stadium.

Prior to the presale, many Armys shared tips and guides on how to secure tickets—particularly those who succeeded in purchasing passes for BTS’ “Arirang” shows abroad.

“Join the queue 30 minutes before the presale starts,” “Do not refresh the site,” “Disable the browser’s pop-up blocker,” “Disconnect other devices from your internet source” —I ’d bet every fan had these tips written down somewhere, just as I did.

But luck, indeed, played a big part in the process. While faith and preparations kept fans steady during the ticket selling, it was arguably luck that provided them the low, favorable placements in the queue.  As for me, I did all the necessary steps and even rented two desktops, but still ended up more than 80,000th in the queue.

It was nerve wracking, especially after seeing my seatmates, who had lower placements in the queue, struggle in securing their preferred seats because most of them were already unavailable.

When I was about to accept defeat, my partner — who had been assisting me throughout the process — pointed out that the queue was moving faster. There we were, locked in, eyes glued on the screen, ready for the moment our turn came.

Fast forward, we got in and immediately chose the seat I was aiming for. It was selling out fast. I panicked so I had my companion take over the keyboard and make the purchase. We further encountered disheartening moments as my purchase wouldn’t proceed to the payment page despite several attempts. But lo and behold, after over 40 minutes of waiting and changing seats, we were able to secure a ticket. 

Ticketing war victors

Fellow Armys at the internet cafe — where connection service is more superb than at home — huddled together as we recalled the ticket selling challenges we respectively overcame, while already looking forward to seeing BTS next year.

Rinah Lorie, the youngest Army among us at 17, could not help but squeal in excitement as she secured a VIP Soundcheck ticket—her parents’ gift for her 18th birthday. Having been a fan of the boy group since 2017, Rinah went all out in preparing for the ticket-selling.

“Tiningnan ko rin kung may chance [makabili ng ticket] sa ibang countries sa Asia, pero iba po talaga pag Filipino energy kaya ito ‘yung pinili ko,” she said.

She then expressed excitement to see Jungkook, whom she giggly called “the love of my life.”

Twenty six-year-old Jackylyn, for her part, worked for seven consecutive days to be able to request two days off for the ticket selling. She also “manifested” the tickets by purchasing her concert essentials even when she had yet to buy the passes. 

“Any seat is the best seat, basta maka-secure ka. Don’t give up!” she stressed.

Longtime fan Jam, 26, recalled praying fervently before the ticket sales, even visiting St. Therese of the Child Jesus Parish in Talisay, Lipa to whisper her wishes. She also noted that the upcoming March 2027 concert will be the first time she will see BTS in person. 

“Naghahanap na ako ng [platform] boots kasi VIP Soundcheck ako… Gusto ko rin mag-Hanbok,” she said, referring to the traditional clothing of female Koreans. 

Addressing fellow fans, she added, “Buti strong pa rin tayo kahit ang tagal nilang nag-military. Masaya ako na strong at lumalaki pa rin ‘yung fan base.”

Meanwhile, minutes before the presale started, friends Kimmy, 29, and Bianca, 23, arrived at the internet cafe, holding bottled coffees with the images of their BTS biases. The pair joked that the drinks were part of their manifestation ritual, though it seemed to do the trick.

About an hour later, they were screaming and stomping their feet after receiving their “Arirang” ticket confirmation.

Much like BTS’ song “Blood Sweat & Tears,” for many Armys, securing a concert ticket demanded sacrifice and the willingness to push through amid moments of doubt.

Bayanihan spirit in the works

But not every one is as lucky. Forty-nine-year-old Katherine expressed frustration that just when she thought they were past the stage of getting into the queueing system, there were still over 104,000 people ahead of them in line for tickets.

“Nine seconds after 11 a.m., nakapasok nako sa pila, pero, voila! Ang queue number ko ay 104,000 plus na. What sorcery is this?” she said.

Katherine worked in tandem with a more “nimble” friend, who was able to secure tickets for them both. She acknowledged that punching numbers and personal details during crunch time — and with so much at stake such as this — is not her strongest suit; the occasion requires a special talent that she unfortunately has long accepted she does not have.

“It’s a special talent. You know it’s hard to get in, so even if I have already secured a ticket (through a friend), I stayed in the queue so I could get my own ticket. Because when the dust settles, either by Sunday or Monday, I know that there are other Army friends and relatives na magtatanungan kung sino na ang may ticket at wala. So at least may extra nakong nakuha,” she said.

This is where the Filipinos’ spirit of bayanihan (teamwork) comes in. “Real” army groups come together to enter the queue and secure tickets for others who may not have the capacity or the luck to get tickets.

While she acknowledges that this system is prone to abuse by scalpers, similarly-situated Armys look out among their ranks so that they would not fall victim to unscrupulous sellers.

“Yung mga totoong Armys, nagtutulungan talaga yan, magca-call out na yan sa mga GCs (group chats) nila kung sino pa mga hindi nakabili, and then they will refer you to others who could help. They look after each other. They fully understand the struggles in securing tickets and merchandise. So we do that, walang tubo yan, di nagpapatong, unless siguro pamasahe nya, but very minimal,” said Katherine, who has already attended two of the three Arirang tours in Stanford, California, and will watch again the Singapore leg in December, before BTS’ shows in Bulacan.

The Philippines is in a unique position among other BTS concert venues in the tour due to the very limited slots, owing to the smaller venue — which is probably why organizers made the VIP section a standing-only affair, compared to others where VIP ticket holders have seat appropriations.

Regardless of whether lady luck smiled on an Army, there is no question about the phenomenon that was the BTS, and the group’s impact on its fandom and pop culture in general.

“There’s something about BTS that makes you wanna be calm, considerate, happy. Having a bad day? Listen to BTS. Their music will definitely change your mood, even if you don’t fully understand the lyrics because it’s in Korean. This only shows that music — their music — is borderless, crossing cultural and geographical boundaries. One can say that once BTS gets your attention, you’re trapped but it’s a good, beautiful trap,” Katherine said.

Also extending a message to BTS, Bianca, for her part, said, “Thank you so much for changing my life and for helping me grow as a person. You inspire me a lot.” 

BTS is set to hold their “Arirang” concert in Bulacan on March 13 and 14, 2027. /edv