BTS FESTA 2024: Get to Know Bangtan’s Annual Birthday Bash

It’s once again that special time of year! BTS’ annual birthday celebration, FESTA, is soon to arrive. This year marks the 11th year since BTS’ debut! During the first two weeks of June, an explosion of new and unreleased BTS content hits the internet from songs to videos to unexplored subunits; choreography videos; heartfelt group gatherings; and more. The event is typically capped with a party on or around BTS’ anniversary on June 13, during which the group plays games, performs a selection of songs, or both.

As BTS is currently on leave from active group activities, their absence has been softened by individual releases of new music, documentaries, and other programming. FESTA 2024 looks a bit different than previous years, but there’s no shortage on impactful moments. The schedule includes photo reveals, video and music releases as well as another BANG BANG CON livestream. Best of all, it’s capped with the long-awaited return of the group’s eldest member, Jin!

BTS FESTA 2024

Along with the start of BTS FESTA 2024 came the announcement of an outdoor event at Seoul’s Jamsil Sports Complex on June 13 (KST) to celebrate the group’s 11th anniversary. On the venue grounds, ARMY can participate in different zones to pick up limited edition souvenirs, take photos, make crafts, picnic, and more. What brought the most excitement, however, was news that the FESTA celebration would also include Jin’s first fanmeet post-enlistment. “The event was prepared in order to fulfill Jin’s wish to spend meaningful time with ARMY in person on BTS’s debut day,” says Big Hit Music. The in-person event takes place in two sessions:

• Jin’s Greetings – An approximately three-hour meet and greet in which a select bunch of lucky ARMY (chosen by raffle) will exchange light hugs with the singer. It will not be streamed online.
  
• Message from Jin: June 13, 2024 – An hour-long event during which Jin will perform and greet fans. It will be streamed on Weverse exclusively for members of BTS’ official fan club.

During the 2024 FESTA roll-outs, Jungkook released the surprise single “Never Let Go” on June 7 (KST). According to Big Hit, the house-inspired track is a “heartfelt tribute to Jungkook’s fans encapsulating the message ‘to never let go of each other’s hands’ as a token of gratitude for the boundless love from ARMY all over the world.” And though it’s not an official part of FESTA, the music video for ‘Credit Roll” from RM’s latest album, Right Place, Wrong Person, also dropped June 10 (KST). Other videos include “Life Goes On” (Forest version), the “Anpanman” stage cam from TODAY‘s Citi Concert Series, a candid recording from when “Dynamite” reached No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot 100, and Ji. Jin. Jung Radio Behind the Scenes.

Whether you’re new to FESTA or a seasoned BTS ARMY, here are some more highlights from the annual celebration:

Family Portraits

Every year, BTS takes commemorative group photos, both serious and silly in nature! As they’ve been doing them from the beginning, the images capture the group’s growth over time, providing fans with a way to look back on how far they’ve come.

View family portraits throughout the years:

• 2014
• 2016
• 2017 (1) / 2017 (2)
• 2018 (1) / 2018 (2)
• 2019 (1) / 2019 (2)
• 2020
• 2021
• 2022 (1) / 2022 (2) / 2022 (3)
• 2023
• 2024

Birthday Chef Jin – FESTA 2014

For the group’s one year anniversary, they live-tweeted Jin making their birthday meal. The series of tweets shows the group preparing food and snapping pictures of themselves posing and setting up for the small celebration. The end result is a sweet, nostalgic snapshot of a young(er) BTS gathered around a table of food in honor of their first year together since debut.

BHC Radio, BTS KKUL FM 06.13 – FESTA 2015

Some of the best and most heartwarming moments are those that the BTS members spend together. In 2015, the group hosted a radio show called BTS Kkul (Honey) FM 06.13; gathering around a table with a script (that they didn’t always follow) and their natural charm. It’s interesting to watch them talk about their dreams back then and see how they’ve exceeded them now that they’re eight years into their careers. As a group, BTS is bound to reminisce and tease each other as much as they get honest with one another; and this hour-long show doesn’t disappoint. Grab some popcorn and settle in to be entertained by BTS simply being themselves.

It’s not the last time we heard from KKUL FM! BTS went on to do a handful of additional episodes over the years, and the show was brought back again during their seventh year together. In 2020, Suga hosted a series of KKUL FM 06.13 radio shows on V Live that started in April and ended on the group’s seventh anniversary on June 13, 2020. Each installment featured a different member of BTS; up until the last episode in which all seven members make an appearance.

Listen to DJ Suga’s Honey FM 06.13 radio series from 2020:
Premiere | RM | Jin | V | J-Hope | Jimin | JK | BTS

For more BTS radio shows, family meals and parties, check out:
Honey FM 06.13 (2014) | Honey FM 06.13 (2016) | Honey FM 06.13 (2017)
BTS Dinner Party (2018) | Bangtan Attic (2019) | BTS Birthday Party (2020)

“Baepsae” Dance Practice – FESTA 2016

Always a crowd-pleaser, “Baepsae” (or “Silver Spoon”) was released on The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 2. In its 2016 dance practice, the group plays Rock, Paper, Scissors to see which member will take over the freestyle dance break at the end, a role J-Hope typically assumes in the live stage. While “Baepsae” is no longer performed in its original form, BTS incorporated the anthem for underdogs into a medley during their record-breaking Love Yourself Tour and its encore, Speak Yourself.

3J at BTS HOME PARTY – FESTA 2017

BTS is known for beautifully-synchronized choreography, and this stage is a brilliant showcase of the individual dance styles between a smaller group of members. Roommates teamed up to form subunits at 2017’s BTS HOME PARTY, which joined together J-Hope, Jimin, and Jungkook — also known as 3J. The trio puts on an unforgettable dance performance with each member being given a spotlight moment; featuring songs “CoCo” by O.T. Gensasis, “Take You Down” by Chris Brown, and “Don’t Wanna Fall in Love” by Kyle. 

“Ddaeng” – FESTA 2018

“Ddaeng,” a diss track released during FESTA 2018, was an immediate hit with the BTS ARMY. The song, written and performed by the group’s rappers, blends traditional Korean instruments with trap music. The title refers to a term used for an incorrect answer, but it’s also a high-scoring move in the Korean card game Hwatu. The combination of meanings caters to the wordplay in the song, denouncing those who look down on the group while also acknowledging their own success. 

A live stage of “Ddaeng” was first performed by RM, Suga, and J-Hope during BTS PROM PARTY -RE;VIEW & PRE;VIEW-. It made a second appearance during BTS’ 5th Muster [Magic Shop] (2019), with the vocal line taking over for the rappers; quickly becoming a viral moment for the fandom. We’re still holding out hope that the song will someday be released on streaming services.

“Euphoria” (DJ Swivel Forever Mix): JK Memories by BTS – FESTA 2019

In 2019, BTS dropped the video that would go on to launch a billion tears. A piano-led remix of Jungkook’s solo track “Euphoria” by DJ Swivel served as the soundtrack for a montage of JK-focused clips provided by BTS members. The endearing clips show maknae Jungkook through the eyes of his bandmates during downtime, on video shoots, goofing off between performances and rehearsals, and more. Bet you can’t watch the whole thing without it tugging at your heartstrings… (Go ahead, try it!)

If you’d like a deeper dive into the track itself, DJ Swivel does a detailed breakdown of the “Euphoria” Forever Mix production process in an episode of In The Mix on YouTube. There’s even a behind-the-scenes video of Jungkook recording adlibs for the “Euphoria” that you can watch on BANGTANTV.

“We Are Bulletproof: The Eternal” Animated MV – FESTA 2020

For the 2020 FESTA, an animated music video was released for “We Are Bulletproof: The Eternal;” the finale to the hard-hitting “We Are Bulletproof” series. The video shows the members’ transformation through their eras from 2 Kool 4 Skool to Map of the Soul: 7. Throughout their discography, BTS expresses many variations of love. That love ranges from the love of your family to the love of your first passion to the love between friends to the love of their fellow group-mates and beyond. Significantly different from the previous rap-heavy tracks of the “We Are Bulletproof” trio, “Eternal” is a tender reminder that while BTS started as seven — with ARMY, they’re infinite.

SOWOOZOO – FESTA 2021

In 2021, BTS capped off their eighth anniversay with the two-day virtual fan club Muster, SOWOOZOO. The name is pulled directly from the Korean title of the group’s sentimental synth-pop track “Mikrokosmos” (Map of the Soul: Persona), which closed out the show. On a stage decked out with colors and planets, BTS and ARMY exist in their own “little universe,” inspired by the song’s lyrics, at Jamsil Olympic Stadium. The group performed 15 tracks each day, including multiple stages fans have never seen before — such as all-BTS performances of Suga’s “Daechwita” and J-Hope’s “Chicken Noodle Soup.”

‘Proof’ Live – FESTA 2022

The announcement of BTS’ anthology album, Proof, came as a surprise announcement after the group’s final Permission to Dance on Stage concert in Las Vegas. The three-disc project features BTS singles from the past nine years, the members’ favorite tracks, unreleased demos, and three new songs. Fittingly, it was even released on June 10, 2022, days before the band’s ninth anniversary since debut. Proof Live was a special comeback show that premiered June 13 on BANGTANTV. Accompanied by a live band, backup singers, and at one point, Anderson.Paak, BTS performed a touching rendition of “Born Singer” as well as “Yet to Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)” and “For Youth,” two of the three new tracks on the anthology.

Episode 12 of SUCHWITA with Jin – FESTA 2023

The 2023 BTS FESTA opened with an announcement of BTS PRESENTS EVERYWHERE. A digital space for ARMYs appeared that gradually filled as the days passed with photos, videos, events, activities, and more.

By June 2023, Jin was nearly six months into his military service, so his appearance on Suchwita was a huge treat for fans to enjoy. Hosted by Suga, Suchwita is a webseries in which the artists sits down with friends, colleagues, and entertainers for a laidback chat over drinks. Over the course of its initial run, all seven members of BTS appeared on the program, including Suga (as Agust D). Jin was the fourth to sit down with his bandmate, bringing along a bottle of distilled liquor that he made himself during Jin’s Traditional Alcohol Journey. As the former roommates ate and drank, they spoke honestly and reminisced. Another BTS member even surprised them on set to briefly join the program. Jin will be discharged from the military mid-June 2024, right around the time of the group’s 11th anniversary.

BANG BANG CON Livestream – FESTA 2024

Although the first BANG BANG CON took place April 18-19, 2020 as an epic 24-hour-long blast to the past, a shorter version of the event graced our screens in 2024. The livestream featured three classic BTS concerts from The Red Bullet Tour (2014), The Wings Tour (2017), and the Speak Yourself World Tour (2019). The livestream brought ARMY together across various corners of the internet to relive some of BTS’ most defining stages or experience them for the first time. Throughout the event, tweets from backstage were reshared by the label (Red Bullet, Wings, Speak Yourself) as fans shared live reactions during the shows. As a pleasant surprise, J-Hope revealed that he was also tuning in by dropping a few messages on the Weverse app: “We’ll be able to see Jin-hyung’s flying hand kiss soon;” “I think Namjoon sobbed;” and “Mikrokosmos is truly the best best masterpiece.”

Honorable Mentions:

“Black or White” Dance Performance – BTS PROM PARTY, 2018

Jimin and Jungkook join forces for an electric dance performance to Michael Jackson’s “Black or White”. The performance was unfortunately cut after the live broadcast of PROM PARTY -RE;VIEW & PRE;VIEW- due to copyright issues; but the memory of the boys performing the hit song in black and white suits lives on forever.

“Butter” spreads across the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts, 2021

Though not technically a FESTA event, BTS hit a major milestone on the first day of their 2021 birthday celebration! Their single “Butter” reached the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100, Global 200, and Global 200 (Excluding U.S.) charts. It’s BTS’ fourth No. 1 single, following “Life Goes On,” “Savage Love”, and “Dynamite”. The accomplishment lands the group on a shortlist of only six other artists who have had four Hot 100 No.1 hits in less than a year; including The Supremes, The Jackson 5, and Mariah Carey.

The Real BTS Dinner Party, 2022

It was the dinner that sent shockwaves through the media, but (most) ARMY knew to trust BTS and not worry too much. At the 2022 Festa dinner party, an emotional BTS spoke candidly about their career and lives up to that point, ultimately revealing that it was approaching time for a break. Not a permanent one, of course, but a hiatus specifically from group activities. In lieu of appearances as a seven-member team, each of them would instead release their solo projects one-by-one, starting with Jin. In reality, there was a hardly a BTS absence as the group staggered their enlistment dates and prepared a lot of material that dropped in the span of time between Jin’s military entry and release. They expect to return as a complete group around 2025.

Do you have any favorite BTS FESTA moments?
Tell us in the comments below!

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