K-pop star J-hope, member of South Korean boy band BTS, has announced his first solo world tour.
Titled Hope on the Stage, the tour will start in February and take in major cities across North America and Asia.
The rapper, 30, whose real name is Jung Ho Seok, will start with a run at the KSPO Dome in Seoul from 28 February to 2 March, which will be streamed live on fan platform WeVerse.
He will then head to New York’s Barclays Center and on to Chicago, Mexico City, San Antonio, Oakland, and Los Angeles for the North American leg of the tour.
The tour announcement took into account the wildfires currently ravaging Los Angeles saying: “Due to the largescale wildfires in California, USA, and their resulting impact on the region, the detailed notice for the North American tour will be announced at a later date. We kindly ask for your understanding.”
J-Hope’s show in Los Angeles will be held at the BMO Stadium. He will be the first solo Korean artist to headline a US stadium.
After this, the rapper will head to Asia, with shows scheduled in Manila, Saitama, Singapore, Jakarta, Bangkok, Macao, Taipei, and Osaka.
The “Arson” singer teased new music set to release in March and shared a clip of the song-making process on his social media shortly after announcing the tour.
This is J-Hope’s first solo tour, but not his first performance. In 2022, he headlined Lollapalooza in Chicago, making history as the first Korean artist to headline a major US music festival.
J-Hope has released solo music in the past, separate from his work with BTS. In 2022, he released the critically acclaimed Jack in the Box, which hit No 6 on the Billboard 200, and his mixtape Hope World in 2018, as well as collaborations like “On the Street” with J Cole and “Chicken Noodle Soup” featuring Becky G.
In March 2024, he dropped his EP Hope on the Street Vol 1, as well as a six-part docuseries that explored his love for street dance and how it came about.
The album entered the Billboard 200 at No 5, making him the first South Korean solo artist to have two top-ten albums.
In October 2022, BTS’s agency BigHit Music announced that the members would enlist one by one over the coming months and complete their military service. The eldest member, Jin, was discharged in June 2024, followed by J-Hope in October.
“I took a break as Jung Ho Seok, but now I’m back as J-Hope,” he said on a livestream after his discharge. “I’ll lead you on a path of flowers.
“Now that I’ve taken off the beret and military uniform, I think it’s time to show you BTS’ J-Hope again, not Sgt Jung Ho Seok. I love you all.”
According to South Korean law, all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 28 must join the military and serve 18 months in active service.
Individuals with physical and mental issues can instead carry out their duties at non-military facilities like welfare centers, community service centers, and post offices for 21 months.
In 2020, the law was revised to allow globally recognised K-pop stars to postpone their service until they turned 30.
The band’s other members – RM, Suga, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook – are still serving.
BTS are expected to reunite as a full group in 2026.
