"King j-hope"—Fans celebrate as the BTS rapper becomes first K-soloist to top $4M at a US concert, joins SUGA and IU in $2M+ club
On June 6, 2025, fans celebrated as BTS’ j-hope became the first Korean soloist to surpass $4 million in gross revenue from a single concert in the United States, as posted by X handle @Jacktohope. The rapper accomplished this feat during his HOPE ON THE STAGE world tour. The tour wrapped its North American leg with two massive shows at Los Angeles’ BMO Stadium in April.
Each night drew tens of thousands of fans and generated $4.4 million in gross revenue, making it the highest single-show gross ever by a Korean soloist in the US. With this, j-hope has also joined BTS bandmate SUGA and soloist IU in the exclusive “$2 million+ club” of Korean soloists who have crossed the $2M mark for a US concert.
Forbes reported that the rapper's two-night run brought in a combined $8.8 million from 42,800 attendees, with ticket prices ranging from $59.50 to $279.50. According to Pollstar, his full North American tour grossed $35 million from 178,094 tickets sold across 12 shows, setting the record for the highest-grossing North American tour by a Korean soloist.
Fans flooded social media to celebrate this historic moment, with many hailing j-hope as "King." An X user, @Aya_SY13, wrote:
"King j-hope. Hope on the Stage deserves part 2 or more. Congratulations."
Some proudly noted that he has now surpassed both SUGA’s and IU’s top single-show grosses. They expressed their pride and sent their congratulatory messages.
"THE BEST," a fan commented.
"streaming is good, but the great artists are on stage, congratulations," an X user added.
"Sope behaviour, kings behaviour," another netizen added.
Others expressed admiration for the three K-pop stars, calling them the "elite".
"This! Two kings #Suga and #Jhope and a sweet Queen #IU!," an X user wrote.
"That is an elite group right there," a fan commented.
"oh my beloved sopeiu," a fan remarked.
j-hope’s HOPE ON THE STAGE tour and global success
HOPE ON THE STAGE tour has been a landmark chapter in j-hope's solo career. He became the first K-pop soloist to headline a stadium concert in the US. His historic BMO Stadium shows drawing a record 24,000 fans per night, the largest solo audience ever at the venue by any artist.
The North American leg, which began at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in March, included sold-out stops in Chicago, San Antonio, Oakland, Mexico City, and more, before concluding in LA.
Beyond the US, the Arson rapper completed 31 shows across 15 regions worldwide, including a triumphant finale at Osaka’s Kyocera Dome in Japan, where 80,000 fans attended over two days. The Japanese performances were broadcast live to cinemas in 70 countries. In total, his world tour attracted nearly 470,000 attendees.
Adding to his achievements, the concert film Hope on the Stage's live viewing recently earned over $4.1 million globally and secured a Top 10 spot at the US box office after a single-night event.
j-hope is now preparing for an encore concert, HOPE ON THE STAGE FINAL, scheduled for mid-June in Goyang, Korea. He will debut a new digital single, Killin It Girl (feat. GloRilla), live on stage.
