The Korea Herald

BTS attracted around 130,000 fans over two sold-out concerts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, setting a new attendance record for concerts held at the venue.

According to Big Hit Music on Thursday, the group’s "Arirang" concerts, held on Monday and Tuesday, drew the largest per-show audience for any concert since the stadium opened in April 2019, citing promoter Live Nation.

The achievement marks another milestone for BTS in London. In 2019, the group became the first Korean act to perform at Wembley Stadium during its "Love Yourself" tour.

During the two-night concerts, BTS performed songs from its latest album, including “Hooligan,” “Normal” and “Body to Body,” alongside global hits such as “Idol” and “Fire.”

“It felt like we were reliving the emotions we experienced at Wembley Stadium seven years ago,” said the members, as quoted in Big Hit Music's press release. “Thanks to your passion, we had an incredible time. It also brought back many memories from our previous concerts and once again reminded us just how passionate London is.”

BTS will continue the European leg of its world tour with two concerts at Allianz Arena in Munich on Saturday and Sunday, becoming the first Korean act to headline the venue.

The group will continue its European leg of the tour in Paris on July 17 and 18 before performing at the first-ever World Cup Final Halftime Show on July 19.

lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com

LONDON (AFP) -- Tottenham secured Premier League survival at the expense of West Ham on Sunday.

The Spurs knew a draw against Everton would realistically keep them up as they had a two-point advantage over West Ham and a significantly superior goal difference.

Joao Palhinha released the mounting pressure at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium just before half-time, poking home after his header thundered back off a post, before being mobbed by his teammates.

Just a few kilometers away, at the London Stadium, Valentin Castellano, Jarrod Bowen and Callum Wilson scored for West Ham in a 3-0 win against Leeds but it was too little, too late as a nervous Spurs held on to win 1-0.

"This day for us is much more than winning a game," match-winner Palhinha told the BBC. "A lot of people depend (for) their lives on this club. It was a tough season but I think this season can help for the future. We can take a lot from it even if we didn't reach the level Tottenham should."

Spurs, the ninth-richest club in the world, have enjoyed a mini-revival in recent weeks under Roberto De Zerbi, who arrived in late March as the club's third head coach of the season.

The Hammers, who were promoted to the English top division in 2012, will join Burnley and Wolves in the Championship next season.

"We knew it was going to be difficult, it was not in our hands," West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo said to Sky Sports.

"We did our part and we hoped for the best -- it didn't happen. We have to pass the sad moment that we are living."

khnews@heraldcorp.com

K-pop boy group Stray Kids has teamed up with Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, captained by South Korea’s Son Heung-min, for a special collaboration ahead of the group's historic concert at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

According to JYP Entertainment on Wednesday, Stray Kids and Tottenham will unveil a limited-edition collaborative jersey to commemorate the group’s “Dominate” concert, taking place Friday and Saturday. The performance marks the first-ever solo show by a K-pop artist at the iconic venue.

“Stray Kids will make history as the first K-pop act to hold a solo concert at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and this collaboration celebrates that milestone. The two teams co-designed the jersey to reflect Stray Kids’ unique aesthetics and the iconic identity of Spurs,” JYP Entertainment said.

The agency added: “This collaboration highlights the intersection of sports, music and fashion, while also expressing a shared vision of self-expression, global connectivity and breaking boundaries.”

The limited-edition away uniform is available exclusively on the Tottenham Hotspur official online store starting Wednesday.

Stray Kids continue to break records with their ongoing “Dominate” world tour. The band's recent Amsterdam concert marked the first performance by an Asian act at Johan Cruyff Arena. Earlier, in North America, they became the first K-pop artist to perform at large-scale venues such as Seattle’s T-Mobile Park and Orlando’s Camping World Stadium.

The group will wrap up the European leg of its world tour with shows in Madrid on July 22, Paris on July 26–27 and Rome on July 30.

jy@heraldcorp.com