BTS's J-Hope is spreading hope in Paris, France.
On the 23rd (local time), J-Hope will perform at the 'Yellow Coin Collection Charity Event' (Le Gala des Pièces Jaunes) held at the La Défense Arena in Paris. This news was announced by FranceTV, a local public broadcaster, on their official social media on the 17th.
The event is hosted by the 'Yellow Coin Collection Charity Organization' (Opération pièces jaunes), a hospital foundation chaired by French First Lady Brigitte Macron. It is a talent donation performance aimed at raising funds to help hospitalized children and teenagers. J-Hope will be the first Korean male solo artist to attend and perform at the event, alongside G-Dragon and Taeyang. Top artists such as Katy Perry, John Legend, and BLACKPINK's Rosé are also on the lineup. For those unable to attend in person, the event will be broadcast on 'France 2' on the 28th.
Tickets for the event sold out within 10 minutes of opening on the 13th, drawing attention as ARMY (the fandom name) actively participated in the charity organization's fundraising efforts. Fans stated, "J-Hope decided to use his influence to participate in this meaningful performance. We will continue the beautiful hope and solidarity he has started," showing their support for his positive impact.
Local media also quickly reported on J-Hope's news. Weekly magazine Paris Match explained, "The reason J-Hope's appearance is considered so special is that BTS has never appeared on French TV before."
J-Hope will take the local stage for the first time in about 5 years and 7 months since BTS's world tour 'LOVE YOURSELF: SPEAK YOURSELF' in June 2019. When he attended Paris Fashion Week in January 2023, the streets were filled with fans eager to see him, indicating that there will be significant interest in this charity performance as well.
Meanwhile, J-Hope will hold the 'j-hope Tour 'HOPE ON THE STAGE' in SEOUL' at KSPO DOME in Songpa-gu, Seoul, from February 28 to March 2, kicking off his first solo world tour. Starting in Seoul, he will perform in a total of 31 shows across 15 cities, including Brooklyn, Chicago, Mexico City, Manila, Saitama, Singapore, Jakarta, Bangkok, Macau, Taipei, and Osaka. Notably, on April 4 and 6, he will become the first Korean solo artist to perform at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. The fan club pre-sale for the Seoul concert on the 14th sold out immediately.
[Son Jin-ah, MK Sports Reporter]
