“It’s my first time at the BTS Club Night”, says Charlotte, then adds: “It’s very nice, the organisers are friendly and quick to respond – there’s a good atmosphere and it’s a great night out with friends.” 

There is no denial that the BTS Club Night might be one of the hottest K-pop events in North London, if not in London itself. Taking place at The Garage, a music venue that has hosted stars such as The Killers, Suede, Green Day, and even Muse, over five hundred fans came together to celebrate their idols’ music. 

Organised every other month by 1on1 Events and BTS UK ARMY UNITE, one can be reassured that this event not only serves the community for being very affordable, but also gathers ARMYs of all ages, ethnicities, and religions. Everyone has always been welcomed, as long as they are 18+.

A couple of weeks ago, we were invited to experience the event for ourselves. Although none of us are a part of the ARMY fandom, nor do we listen to BTS often, we were rather excited about the event. 

The crowd started to queue way before the 11 pm opening time, and the line to the venue was as big as the line to a concert of your favourite artist. The excitement was visible, and while security tried to keep the crowd quiet, people were chanting and singing BTS’ songs for some time. 

The doors opened at 11 pm, but we decided to wait and watch the fans go in first. We entered the venue at 11:40 pm, and the first thing that hit us was how passionate and full of energy the crowd was. People came not only from London, but from different parts of England, including the Midlands. The latest event took place on the day of the group’s anthology release, Proof, which made the night even more special. 

DJ Sunny smoothly kept the crowd going with old and new BTS’ hits. And to see the full picture of the crowd, we were allowed to pop onto the stage and witness the fans in action – over five hundred people dancing, singing in Korean, and jumping up and down was an impressive view to see. The age range of ARMYs was also something that surprised us – we spoke to girls who were between 18 and 19 years old as well as a lady in her 50s who said that the BTS Club Nights make her happy and also allow her to be herself, even just for one night. 

It is important to mention that the event was truly female-friendly. Security was on top of everything and assisted us whenever we required help. 

Around 1 am, a K-pop cover group hit the stage. Although we wish the dance was more synchronised and filled with more passion, they did give it their all. Unfortunately, their performance was abruptly interrupted when a member of the crowd jumped on stage thinking he could be at the centre of attention. Obviously, he was, not for his dancing, but for his bad judgement.

The club night ran until 3 am, and we left just before the closing of the event. Despite the fact that we have never been to such a club night before, we must admit that it was a very nice experience! And, now that BTS is taking a break from group activities to concentrate on their solo projects, the next club night, perhaps in August, will be even more exciting. We might even come to the party again!

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