BTS' fans question iHeartRadio’s treatment of group after brief festival set

South Korean boy band BTS marked another major appearance following their reunion post military service. The septet closed the first night at T-Mobile Arena with a four-song set, but the performance soon became a talking point among fans for reasons beyond the music. While the fans praised the group for their performance, the organiser iHeartRadio is at the centre of controversy for their treatment towards them.

Fans react to BTS' performance at iHeartRadio

RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook took the stage at T-Mobile Arena on the first night of the two-day festival. BTS closed the show with a four-song set featuring "SWIM", "2.0", “MIC Drop” and "FYA". The performance included flames and other stage effects as the group wrapped up the night.

The criticism was not directed at BTS themselves. Fans largely praised the group's energy and vocals while expressing frustration with the way their appearance was handled.

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One of the biggest complaints was the length of BTS' performance. Reports noted that the group performed for roughly 16 minutes, while fans pointed out that several other acts had longer stage slots. Viewers tuning in from home and attendees complained about poor sound mixing, weak microphone levels, and difficult lighting that made parts of the performance dark or hard to watch. This led some ARMY members to question why BTS received such limited time despite being one of the festival's major attractions.

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One user wrote, “Shame on them. This was so frustrating...some mics were too loud, others too low, the audio mix from the show was awful. I wasn't expecting this from iHeart but...welp.”

Another user wrote, "Bro nah like first the bad production and the disrespect to BTS and ARMY and the way they posted everyone's performance pictures except BTS and now this? You absolute freaks. BTS did you a favour and this is how you repay them? I am chokeeddddddd."

"iHeartRadio you should've been careful about your artists! You made BTS as your headliner but didn't give them their proper needs! You know V has some issued with his ear, but chose to high music volume, which caused him to put his mic a bit as he used to sing!", wrote the third user.

Another social media user wrote, "The mic issues, the camera work, the lighting issues, the abrupt cut off, talking about other acts even when they were next, posting everyone except them, OH IHEART RADIO YOU WILL BURN."

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BTS performs at iHeartRadio after 6 years

BTS appeared at the '2026 iHeartRadio Music Festival' held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, U.S., on the September 18. Making their first appearance at the festival in approximately six years, BTS took the stage as the final act, concluding the event in grand style.

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In an interview ahead of the stage, BTS shared their joy at participating in the 'iHeartRadio Music Festival' after six years. Addressing ARMY, their fan club, they said, "You are truly the best fans in the world. It's amazing how you sing along to every Korean lyric." The 'iHeartRadio Music Festival' is a U.S. music festival where global pop stars gather. This year's event took place over two days, September 18–19, featuring performances by BTS, Cardi B, Snoop Dogg, Benson Boone, and others.