Global boy band BTS made their long-awaited return to the awards show stage on Monday, making a special appearance at the 2026 American Music Awards.
The seven-member band kicked off the Memorial Day Awards ceremony, held in Las Vegas, with a pre-recorded performance of “Hooligan” from their ceremony the night before. The Arirang Tour sees the powerhouse group performing on the tour.
Nearly 90 minutes after their performance aired at the top of the show, BTS took the stage at the MGM Grand Garden Arena to screaming fans in what was the group’s first appearance at an awards show in four years.
“We are all very happy to be back together at the AMAs again,” RM said on stage.
BTS presented the award for Best R&B Artist to SZA, who expressed her happiness at meeting the K-Pop stars.
The group went into the night for three AMAs including Artist of the Year, Song of the Summer and Best K-Pop Artist. They won the grand prize for Artist of the Year as well as Song of the Summer for “Swim,” taking the stage twice more at the music awards.
The crowd continued to gush over the K-Pop group during the award ceremony.
BTS was already in town for a series of sold-out shows at nearby Allegiant Stadium as part of their ongoing Arirang World Tour. The group, which includes members RM, Jin, Suga, J-hope, Jimin, V, and Jungjook, performed their first show in Vegas on Saturday (May 23) and their last on Sunday (May 24). They will return on May 27 and 28 to finish their engagement in Vegas.
Sunday’s concert was a little over two hours long show of masterful production and brilliant performances. The tour was highly anticipated Arirangthe group’s album after which the tour is named, is their first album in years.
BTS took over the entire city over Memorial Day weekend with their BTS The City activation. Fireworks kicked off the festivities Saturday night at the MGM Grand Hotel. The Las Vegas Strip, as part of a partnership with Visit Las Vegas, turned completely red at 11pm local time, with a photo of the group and the message “Las Vegas welcomes BTS” spread across marquees on the Strip. The nearby area also appeared Arirang It appears on its rotation.
The group continues the Arirang World Tour throughout most of the year, however, they make a few special stops along the way. In July, BTS will join Madonna and Shakira for the halftime show of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final. This marks the first-ever halftime display of a FIFA World Cup final. They will co-headline alongside the pop stars on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The American Music Awards were created by Dick Clark Productions. DCP is owned by Penske Media Corporation, Hollywood ReporterParent company, in a subsidiary joint venture between Penske Media and Eldridge.
