Las Vegas had a little extra K-pop energy this weekend as BTS and LE SSERAFIM took over the iHeartRadio Music Festival on the back-to-back nights.
For BTS, the appearance marked a return to the festival after six years, while LE SSERAFIM had a milestone of it’s own, becoming the first K-pop girl group to perform at the event.
Held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the annual two-day festival brought together some of the biggest names in music, and this year, K-pop had a major moment.
BTS Returns with A New Era
BTS closed the first night of the festival on Friday with a performance built around their latest chapter, which the group called “BTS 2.0”
The concept ties into their latest album and where the members are now as a group. With huge visuals and special effects filling the stage, BTS turned their festival set into something that felt closer to a cinematic show.
They opened with “Swim”, the lead track from their fifth album Arirang, while wave visuals moved across the screens behind them. The group continued with “2.0”, another song from the album, before bringing more energy with their 2017 hit “Mic Drop”, as well as “Fya”.
“Thank you so much, iHeart, for having us tonight. We’re having such a great and honorable time,” RM told the crowd.
Before taking the stage, J-Hope also spoke about how grateful the group feels to be performing on large stages again after completing their military service.
RM, meanwhile, reflected on BTS ‘relationship with ARMY, especially after so many years together.
“They’re literally the best fans in the world. It’s been 14 years, and seeing them sing along to all the Korean lyrics, that’s the most amazing part. That’s incredible.”
LE SSERAFIM Makes History The Next Night
The K-pop moment continued when LE SSERAFIM took the stage, making history as the first K-pop girl group to perform at the iHeartRadio Music Festival.
The five-member group kicked things off with “Made My Night,” their latest release created in collaboration with Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch. They followed it with “Boompala,” the lead track from their recent album ‘Pureflow’, Pt.1.
Their set also includes “Iconic By Mistake,” “Saki”, “Spaghetti” and “Crazy”.
For “Iconic By Mistake,” which was originally released in June as a collaboration with fellow HYBE girl groups ILLIT and KATSEYE, LE SSERAFIM performed a shorter version featuring only their section.
Of course, the music was only part of the moment. The group leaned into the setting with Western-inspired looks featuring cowboy boots, plaid and denim, bringing a little rodeo energy to Las Vegas.
A HYBE Family Moment in Vegas
Ahead of their performance, LE SSERAFIM shared a photo with BTS on their official social media account, giving fans a glimpse of the two HYBE groups together before their back-to-back festival appearances.
Their connection goes beyond sharing the same festival weekend. Yunjin previously appeared on a track from J-Hope’s 2024 solo album, while J-Hope later featured on LE SSERAFIM’s “Spaghetti”.
The iHeartRadio stage also adds to a busy year for LE SSERAFIM. The group recently performed at Summer Sonic 2026 in Japan, and returned to BlizzCon in Anaheim, California, where they closed the main stage on 13th September.
Held across Friday and Saturday, the iHeartRadio Music Festival brings artists from different genres together for two nights in Las Vegas. This year’s line-up also included Cardi B, Snoop Dogg, Muse, and Zara Larsson.
Between BTS stepping into their “2.0” era and LE SSERAFIM making festival history the following night, K-pop certainly made its presence felt in Vegas.
Source: The Korea Herald
