What to know
- Toronto city council is considering temporarily co-naming Yonge Street between North York Boulevard and Finch Avenue “BTS Boulevard.”
- All six people who spoke with Now Toronto supported the idea, although some said keeping the signs up for more than a month may be excessive.
- The honorary signs would be installed from around Aug. 21 to Sept. 23, while BTS performs at Rogers Stadium on Aug. 22 and 23.
Toronto residents are weighing in on a proposal to temporarily co-name part of Yonge Street “BTS Boulevard” ahead of the K-pop group’s two sold-out concerts next month.
City council is scheduled to consider a motion this week that would temporarily co-name a stretch of Yonge Street in North York, marking the global group’s highly anticipated shows.
The motion comes two years after city council approved temporarily renaming the route from Rogers Centre to Nathan Phillips Square as “Taylor Swift Way” during the pop star’s six-show Eras Tour stop in the city.
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How do Toronto locals feel about the potential name addition?
Now Toronto spoke to several Torontoians, who all supported the proposal, describing it as a fun and harmless way to welcome BTS and their fans to the city.
“Do it! I love BTS and it’s fun. Why not,” Sarah M. said.
Sarah described BTS as a “unifying band” whose fan base reaches beyond South Korea.
“So many people from so many countries—the fandom extends beyond Korea,” she said. “I think that’s really cool for Korea, and it’s getting them on the map, which they deserve because they’re an awesome country.”
Chloe, another BTS fan, was just as enthusiastic about the potential tribute.
“Love it, love it,” she said.
Although Chloe supports keeping the signs up for a month, she will not be attending either concert after missing out on tickets.
“I wish,” she said. “I couldn’t get a ticket in time.”
‘BTS Boulevard’ would be implemented for one month
The motion, titled “Toronto Goes Dynamite! Welcoming BTS on BTS Boulevard,” was introduced by Councillor Lily Cheng and seconded by Councillor James Pasternak.
If approved, temporary honorary street signs would be installed along Yonge Street between North York Boulevard and Finch Avenue from around Aug. 21 until Sept. 23.
The proposal would not officially rename Yonge Street. Instead, “BTS Boulevard” would appear on honorary single-blade signs alongside the existing street name.
Marvin T., who described himself as a BTS fan, said the city should move ahead with the idea.
“I think they definitely should,” he said. “It’s completely harmless. It’s fun.”
Shanika H. was also open to the idea, despite not initially considering herself a major fan of the group.
“I mean, sure,” she said. “Why not?”
Shanika said her opinion of BTS changed after watching a docuseries about the group and listening to its latest music.
“I wasn’t the biggest fan, but then I watched their docuseries on Netflix, and then I gave their most recent body of work a listen,” she said. “It’s not bad. It’s pretty good.”
Not everyone was fully convinced by the proposed timeline, though.
Finn supported the concept but questioned whether the signs need to remain in place until late September.
“I think it’s a good idea, but I’ve heard it’s going to be up for a month,” he said. “I think that’s probably a bit too long, given there’s only two shows. But I like the idea.”
Jonah shared a similar reaction, saying the tribute could help celebrate the group’s diversity and global reach, but a month may be longer than necessary.
“The fact that they’re here [for] only two shows, a month is a long time,” he said. “You’ve got to make those right decisions.”
The city is also being asked to light the Toronto sign purple on Aug. 22 and 23, the two-night stretch BTS is scheduled to perform at Rogers Stadium in Downsview Park.
BTS returns to the city after 8-year hiatus
The seven-member group is bringing its massive Arirang World Tour to Toronto for two sold-out shows. The concerts mark BTS’s first performances in the Toronto area since the group brought its Love Yourself tour to Hamilton in 2018.
The tour follows the return of RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook as a full group after the members completed South Korea’s mandatory military service. Their comeback tour spans dozens of cities and more than 80 concerts worldwide.
The proposed street tribute would also coincide with the Toronto Korean Festival, taking place at Mel Lastman Square from Aug. 21 to 23.
The free festival, described by organizers as Canada’s largest Korean cultural festival, will feature Korean food, traditional performances, a K-pop DJ show, a hanbok fashion show, a K-beauty pavilion and other cultural activities.
In the motion, the councillors said the overlapping events present an opportunity to showcase Korea Town North to the BTS fans — known collectively as ARMY — expected to descend on the area.
“Fans can make their way along honorary ‘BTS Boulevard’ to take photos with commemorative street signs and enjoy a plethora of Korean restaurants while celebrating one of the most influential musical acts of our time,” the motion reads.
The item is scheduled to be considered during the city council meeting running from July 29 to 31.
