Maryland Governor Wes Moore Welcomes BTS to Baltimore Ahead of M&T Bank Stadium Shows
Maryland Governor Wes Moore welcomed BTS to Baltimore on Aug. 10, 2026, ahead of the first of two sold-out shows at M&T Bank Stadium, with a video message that named all seven members and carried Korean subtitles. Billboard
"Seven guys with one mission — bringing the world together and transcending cultural, geographical and language barriers," Moore said in the clip, which also included a shout-out to the BTS ARMY: "Let's make some noise!" He closed with a plain-spoken "Welcome to Baltimore, y'all!" Billboard
The Baltimore dates — Aug. 10 and 11 — follow two sold-out nights at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the previous week. The North American leg of the tour continues to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (Aug. 15–16), Toronto (Aug. 22–23), Chicago (Aug. 27–28), and concludes with four nights at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Sept. 1, 2, 5 and 6. Billboard
The tour supports ARIRANG, the group's 10th studio album. Billboard
BTS will not submit ARIRANG or any other music for consideration at the 69th Grammy Awards, the group announced via Instagram. HYBE, the group's management company, clarified that the decision is specific to BTS and not a company-wide boycott of the Grammys. Billboard
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said in a statement that he was saddened by BTS's decision but understood and respected it. The timing is notable: the Recording Academy introduced a new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category for the 69th Grammys, one of five new categories announced in June — a category that would seem a natural fit for a group whose English-language single "Butter" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2021. Billboard
Away from the stage and the awards conversation, BTS fans have been active in Baltimore. Fans donated more than $16,000 in connection with the group's two M&T Bank Stadium shows, according to The Baltimore Sun. The Baltimore Sun
For a governor to film a personalised welcome for a touring act is not standard procedure. Moore's video, with its Korean subtitles and named callouts, framed the Baltimore dates as something closer to a civic event than a routine concert stop — a recognition that a two-night stadium run brings tens of thousands of visitors and their spending into the city.
For the ARMY, the Baltimore shows arrive with an extra layer: a group choosing to sit out the industry's most prominent awards process, even as that process created a category that appears designed with them in mind. Whether that gap between invitation and participation widens or narrows will play out in the months ahead.
