Sokvin Vann and her son Jordan, the duo behind BTS Army Toronto, record a video with a cellphone in Toronto on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey
Sokvin Vann and her son Jordan, the duo behind BTS Army Toronto, pose for a photograph in Toronto on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey
BTS performs during the halftime show in the World Cup final soccer match between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Drones fly in the shape of the K-pop band BTS's member V during a drone light show to celebrate the comeback of the K-pop band BTS at a park along the Han River in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Sokvin Vann and her son Jordan, the duo behind BTS Army Toronto, record a video with a cellphone in Toronto on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey
TORONTO - Nearly four years ago, Sokvin Vann felt like her life was in a rut.
Her brother encouraged her to find a positive outlet through her love of K-pop and BTS, the globally popular boy band. Vann took her brother鈥檚 advice and formed BTS Army Toronto. The local fan club 鈥 a reference to the broader BTS fan base, which refers to itself as 鈥渁rmy鈥 鈥 hosts activations and fan meet-ups that foster bonds through love of the South Korean band.
Shortly after founding BTS Army Toronto, Vann鈥檚 brother passed away. Despite her grief, the 43-year-old continued to grow the organization into a thriving community that hosts hundreds of fans at events, organizes giveaways and fundraisers, and promotes supporting local Korean businesses.聽
Sokvin Vann, organizer of BTS Army Toronto, speaks about how the fan group has grown into a community, bonding over their shared love of K-pop. The boy band is playing two nights at Rogers Stadium in Toronto this weekend. (Aug. 19, 2026)
Kaitlyn McGrath
Now, the fan club is gearing up for BTS鈥檚 much-anticipated return to Toronto for the first time in more than a decade.
鈥淚 did this for the community, but selfishly, it's come back to me tenfold,鈥 said Vann, who co-runs BTS Army Toronto with her 24-year-old son, Jordan Vann, and is now a dedicated team of about 10 people. 鈥淭his community has built friendships that you never thought would ever exist. People who come into your life that understand you and your passion and your love for music. That's the most rewarding thing about doing this.鈥
Sokvin Vann and her son Jordan, the duo behind BTS Army Toronto, pose for a photograph in Toronto on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey
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As part of their Arirang World Tour, BTS are performing sold-out shows on Saturday and Sunday at Rogers Stadium. The K-pop group, whose hit songs include "Swim," 鈥淧ermission to Dance鈥 and 鈥淏utter,鈥 will perform for about 100,000 fans across two nights.
The army is known for its fervent fandom, with devotees boasting encyclopedic knowledge of the band鈥檚 history, its members and their song catalogue. They have shorthand terms such as 鈥渁rmy鈥 or 鈥渂ias,鈥 a word used to describe your favourite BTS member.
Vann said fans鈥 devotion is a byproduct of BTS sharing so much of themselves through their music, with lyrics that touch on topics like mental health, self-love, personal struggle and growth.
鈥淭here's so much meaning and intention behind everything they do, from lyrics to artwork, and I think that's really brilliant of them,鈥 said Vann, a real estate agent by trade but whose work with BTS Army Toronto has spawned a new business venture called Idol Konnect that provides consulting, event planning and tour support for K-pop artists. 鈥淚t's not just, let's make music and put it out and make some money. It's let's make music that can make a difference in the world.鈥
Before this tour, BTS had been on hiatus since 2022 as each of its seven members completed mandatory military service, a requirement for able-bodied South Korean men aged 18 to 28.
The north Toronto outdoor venue is the group鈥檚 only 好色tv stop on the worldwide tour, which runs through March 2027 and spans 88 shows across 34 cities in 23 countries.
BTS performs during the halftime show in the World Cup final soccer match between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
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Since BTS debuted in 2013, they鈥檝e gone from underdogs to international superstars. In 2020, their first all-English song, 鈥淒ynamite,鈥 debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, a first for a Korean pop group. Since then, K-pop has continued to grow in North America, with last year鈥檚 Academy Award-winning film, 鈥淜Pop Demon Hunters,鈥 and its hit song, 鈥淕olden,鈥 another example of the genre鈥檚 expanding reach.
BTS鈥檚 fifth album, 鈥淎RIRANG,鈥 the basis for the current tour, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S. in April and sold 641,000 equivalent album units 鈥 a figure that combines physical sales, downloads and streaming numbers. It was the biggest sales week for a group album in more than a decade.
Vann has seen BTS perform live six times in the United States 鈥 but said it鈥檚 meaningful to finally see her favourite band at home, especially after their previous Toronto concerts in 2020 were cancelled due to the pandemic. BTS last performed in Canada in 2018, in Hamilton.
鈥淚t feels like a homecoming, right? From 2018 to the missed 2020 (concert). Now eight years later, it feels like our seven kings are coming home. That's what makes it special,鈥 said Vann, who will attend both concerts, including pre-show soundchecks, with three others for a total cost of more than $1,200.
Aira Uy, 39, also had tickets to the 2020 show. When it was cancelled, she said she was disappointed but understood the reasoning. When BTS announced their current tour would stop in Toronto, Uy signed up for a Weverse membership 鈥 the band鈥檚 online fan platform 鈥 to access pre-sale tickets.
鈥淭his is like unfinished business for me,鈥 said Uy, who鈥檚 attending Sunday鈥檚 show with her sister and friend.
The City of Toronto is also embracing BTS鈥檚 first visit since 2015. City council agreed to temporarily rename a portion of Yonge Street, from North York Boulevard to Finch Avenue, to BTS Boulevard.
Meanwhile, hundreds of BTS fans have visited the official BTS merchandise pop-up store on Bloor Street daily since it opened last week. T-shirts, hats and albums have been popular items, according to store manager Andrew Park, who said excitement for BTS鈥檚 arrival has been palpable.
鈥淚f you buy an album, you get a photo card, and then when these fans pull their 'bias,' which is their favourite member, you can hear them screaming from outside,鈥 Park said.
Nicole Chau, 21, travelled from Kitchener, Ont., to visit the pop-up and walked out with a T-shirt. Chau said she recruited her boyfriend to help purchase concert tickets to increase her odds of getting through the massive queue.
鈥淚 can't even believe it 鈥 that I was able to get tickets as a longtime fan because I know since a couple of years ago, they blew up a lot more, especially in North America,鈥 said Chau, who has been a fan since 2016. 鈥淚 was really happy that I was able to get tickets, and I'm so excited for this Saturday.鈥
Drones fly in the shape of the K-pop band BTS's member V during a drone light show to celebrate the comeback of the K-pop band BTS at a park along the Han River in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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As anticipation for the concerts grows, Vann鈥檚 BTS Army Toronto will have a booth with photo opportunities and a craft station at the Toronto Korean Festival at Mel Lastman Square, which runs Friday through Sunday. Vann is also planning to share a guide to Toronto, including restaurant recommendations, on the organization鈥檚 Instagram account to help travelling fans navigate the city.
BTS Army Toronto will also host an event near the concert venue for army members to meet, purchase food and take photos ahead of the shows.
Looking ahead to the performance, Vann said she鈥檚 curious how intimate the concerts will feel at Rogers Stadium, which altered its configuration to accommodate BTS鈥檚 360-degree, in-the-round stage. She鈥檚 also eager to find out which surprise song 鈥 a track not on the set list 鈥 BTS chooses to play in Toronto.
鈥淭hat's a cool thing they've done this tour,鈥 she said. 鈥淧eople go wild and crazy once they hear the first beat drop.鈥
Most of all, Vann is looking forward to soaking in the 鈥渢ruly special鈥 concert experience alongside the BTS community.
鈥淎fter the concert, you're going to feel the post-concert depression. That's what we call it 鈥 the PCD after every concert,鈥 Vann said. 鈥淏ut after you get over that hump, it's just going to be a feeling of gratitude, and it will help you move along in your journey in life because you've seen them, and you feel that connection.鈥
This report by 好色tvwas first published Aug. 20, 2026.
