FESTA: BTS's annual debut anniversary celebration

As June 13 approaches, a special stretch of the year kicks off in the BTS world. FESTA is the annual celebration of their debut anniversary, a time when BTS marks another year of their story together with ARMY through special content, music, and events.

BTS debuted on June 13, 2013, and the first FESTA was held just a year later. The 2014 celebration ran eleven days, from June 3 to 13, with the members posting photos, videos, choreography, and other content prepared specifically for the anniversary. What started as a relatively small online celebration has grown into one of BTS's most recognizable traditions over the years.

Every FESTA looks a little different, but some things keep coming back year after year. Their "family photos" hold a special place, group portraits where all seven members are photographed together again. Lined up in order today, they practically function as a small growing-up album for BTS, from the first years after debut to the group they are now.

Over the years, FESTA has also brought songs released specifically for the occasion, old and previously unreleased footage, dance rehearsals, member conversations, their profiles, and various video content. Some years wrapped up with the members relaxing together around a table, others with performances or bigger events. That's exactly why it's never entirely clear what the next FESTA will bring, and the schedule BIGHIT releases in early June regularly turns into a small map of what's coming.

As BTS grew, so did the celebration itself. For their tenth anniversary in 2023, FESTA spread out across Seoul, and the closing event in Yeouido included exhibitions, costumes, old family photos, and other programs tied to the group's history. In 2025, a big two-day event was held in Goyang, while 2026 was especially significant since all the members were together again. The shared family photos returned, a new song, Come Over, was released, and the 13th anniversary coincided with an ARIRANG tour concert in Busan.

Maybe that's exactly why FESTA hasn't become just another date on the calendar after all these years. It's changed right alongside BTS. It used to mean a few new photos and videos online, today it can span songs, concerts, and events across an entire city, but the date everything revolves around has stayed the same: June 13, the day BTS began.