June is a very special moment in BTS world because that’s the month when a little group of seven South Korean singers and rappers debuted on the music scene with their very first single. “No More Dream,” taken from the group’s single album 2 Cool 4 Skool, was released on June 13, 2013—and the BTS wave hasn’t stopped rising since, becoming the worldwide pop culture phenomenon we all know today.
Such an important anniversary of course deserves to be celebrated. It happens without fail every year with an event that is particularly beloved by both BTS and their fanbase, the equally world-famous ARMYs. And that is the BTS Festa.
So what exactly is the BTS Festa? What happens?
The BTS Festa is a celebration organized by BTS and their label, Big Hit Entertainment, to mark the anniversary of the group’s debut. It goes on for two weeks (more or less) each year at the beginning of June, usually from around June 1 until anywhere from June 13 to June 17, with a series of online events and special surprises that ARMYs very much always look forward to.
No need to book any tickets, then, since pretty much everything is easily available on BTS’ social media pages and Weverse channel. All you need to enjoy a BTS Festa is a good Internet connection and some free time for whenever 12 AM KST is in the timezone you’re currently in—because that’s when new content is usually dropped.
And this content really could be anything—but it usually includes never-before-seen footage of BTS members during concerts or other events that have happened throughout the year, unreleased dance practice videos, and at least one or maybe two new songs produced just for the occasion by one or more members of the group. Let’s never forget the 2018 Festa, which gifted us all with the absolute masterpiece that is “땡 (DDAENG)”. Truly a blessed moment for this fandom.
The timeline for the Festa is released a couple of weeks before the actual start of the month of June, with a detailed calendar that teases the new content coming ARMYs’ way in the following days. One staple of every Festa is the annual family portrait, a photoshoot with all seven BTS members to act as a testament to how all of them—RM, Jin, SUGA, j hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook—have changed throughout the years.
Of course, the main event of each Festa is the actual anniversary itself, during which BTS and ARMYs make a contest of who can write the sweetest and most heartwarming message to the other. This year even more so, since this particular anniversary is special in more ways than one.
It is, first and foremost, the 10th anniversary of BTS’ debut—a full decade of constant growth that everyone is and will continue to celebrate. It’s also the first Festa with BTS having officially halted their group activities, with some members—namely Jin and j hope—currently off serving their mandatory military service and the others focusing on solo activities, from tours to advertisement campaigns.
The announcement that BTS was going to take a break from their group schedules was actually made by the boys themselves at the 2022 Festa, during another staple event of each anniversary: the group dinner, in which all seven members usually discuss what happened during the year and their plans for the future. It’s safe to say that day was a particularly emotional one for both the group and its fans, which have of course worked through it via jokes in true ARMY fashion.
This year’s 10th anniversary Festa includes the release of a whole new song that BTS recorded and dedicated to their fans, among the many other Festa staples that have been published and the ones still to come. The digital single “Take Two” is filled with references to the 10 years of their career and of the well-known BTS affection for their fans that still has me crying on the floor.
(featured image: HYBE)
