BTS Permission to Dance Concerts – What to Expect, Wear, Pack, and More

Had the best time ever at the BTS “Permission to Dance” concerts this past opening weekend at SoFi Stadium in LA 11/27-28!!! My bestie and I had tickets to their Map of the Soul tour that was canceled because of the pandemic, so it felt so surreal and cathartic to finally be at their concert. BTS are the most entertaining, dynamic, talented performers so their shows were just a total blast!

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The first show on 11/27 after nearly 2 years apart was so emotional — there was probably not a dry eye there. I won’t spoil the whole setlist, but we were so lucky to see some of their older classic songs performed, like “Answer: Love Myself”, “Spring Day”, and “Young Forever”. I have too many photos and videos to share, so see more on my Instagram, IG Reels, and TikTok.

What to Expect

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Merch: Merch lines are insanely long! Like 4-9+ hours?! My friends went on 11/27 at 8:30am and finally got merch at 2pm, and they were so sweet to get us shirts!! There’s an Express Merch line with limited offerings that’s a 1-3+ hour wait, but people said lots of what they wanted were sold out by the time they got there.

Entry: Check your ticket for the Entry number. On 11/27, we got to Entry 8 at 4:30pm and didn’t get in until 6:15pm. On 11/28, we lined up at Entry 9 at 4pm, and they opened doors early at 4:30pm, but still we waited in a huge crowd until about 5:30pm when they finished soundcheck. At least this time it was 6:15pm by the time we got to our seats. The show starts at 7:30pm so we wanted plenty of time to get drinks, use the restroom, and get situated.

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Inside the Stadium: There’s a big Permission to Dance sign inside the stadium, but there was a huge line to take a picture with it, so we skipped that. We went by the Tiny Tan booth for photos instead, and picked up free samples at the Amore Pacific booth.

Leaving the Stadium: The concert ended around 10:15pm, and my friend picked us up a couple blocks away so we were home before 11pm. However, my other friends who did rideshare couldn’t get a car until 12:30am or later, and lots of ARMYs were waiting at the nearby In-N-Out and 7/11 to stay warm. Try walking as far as you can in the direction of where you’re staying, while still staying safe and in a group of course, before getting a rideshare.

What to Wear

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Day 1: “Black Swan” is one of my favorite BTS songs so I knew I wanted that to be my outfit inspo. I already had this whole outfit prepped for their previous MOTS tour, so I wore it for PTD instead. It was so fun dressing up! Plus the outfit and boots were actually comfy so that was key. I took off the headband during the concert so as to not block people’s view behind me.

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Day 2: Since I dressed up the first day, I wanted to be casual the next day, so I wore my hair up, no makeup (thankfully I have my brows microbladed and lash extensions), and sneakers. Speaking of footwear, comfortable shoes are a must! I walked 15,000+ steps each day.

It was LA and SoFi Stadium had the top covered, so thankfully it wasn’t cold at all these two days! I had brought a sweater, gloves, and handwarmers the first day and never wore them, so I left them all home the second day and was fine. You’re so hyped during the concert and then walk tons afterwards so the body stays warm. If you’re going to be waiting hours for rideshare, then consider bringing outerwear. And of course temperatures vary so layer accordingly.

What to Pack

Make sure your bag is clear and fits the stadium size requirements. Personally, I’m a light packer and just wore this clear fannypack. For Day 1, I had earplugs, gloves, handwarmers, phone (with vax card photo), chapstick, and a cardholder. I attached my ARMY Bomb to my bag so I could be handsfree.

I didn’t end up using earplugs so I didn’t pack them for Day 2. I bought these high fidelity earplugs and my friend had another brand, and we both found that the earplugs distorted the experience, but do what’s best for your needs.

For Day 2, I only packed my phone, chapstick, and cardholder. My friend had a bigger bag and packed a factory-sealed water bottle and a phone power bank, which was clutch!!! This is a must.

Section 120 vs. Floor B1

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Section 120: On 11/27, I was in Section 120 Row 11. We were just left of the mix and had a clear frontal view of the stage except for one camera arm that would come in and out of view. I was standing behind a guy who didn’t move or cheer at all so luckily nothing obstructed my view. That being said, the BTS members were a bit far away and small, so I would look at the screen a lot. When the guys came by on the trolley, then they were so close!

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Floor B1: For 11/28, I was on the Floor in B1 Row 11. We learned we missed VIP Soundcheck by literally one seat… sob. I’m pretty tall (5’8″ naturally and 5’10” with the sneakers I was wearing) but it was hard to see the Main Stage because the girls in front of me wore 5-inch heels, I kid you not, and also had their phones, ARMY Bombs, and arms up the whole time.

However, when the BTS members came to the Extended Stage, which was the side view for us, they were so close!!! It was incredible to see their facial expressions and I barely looked at the screen. My friends who are 5’2″ and were near the back corner of B1 said they had a hard time seeing anything at all, except that thankfully they were on the perimeter where the trolley went by!

It’s really luck of the draw who you stand behind, but I’ve heard people who were on the shorter side get frustrated being blocked by heads, signs, equipment, security, arms, phones, etc. while on Floor (unless you’re barricade or close of course haha). But as they say, there’s no bad seat at a BTS concert! I’m sure we all feel lucky just getting to be a part of the purple ocean.

Anyway, hope this post was helpful. Leave any questions in the comments and I’ll answer them! I’m already looking forward to the next BTS tour — crossing fingers that it’ll be in 2022!