Toronto is getting ready to paint the town purple. When K-pop supergroup BTS rolls into town next month, the city wants to offer them something not a lot of pop stars get: their own street.
A new motion by City Councillor for Ward 18 Willowdale, Lily Cheng, is proposing a stretch of Yonge Street in North York to be ceremonially renamed “BTS Boulevard” to welcome the global K-pop superstars ahead of their highly anticipated concerts here this August.
If approved, Yonge Street between North York Boulevard and Finch Avenue would be renamed BTS Boulevard for just a month, from Aug. 21 to Sept. 23.
Earlier this year, the group announced their comeback world tour with two nights at Rogers Stadium on Aug. 23 and 23 and tickets have become the hottest commodity in town, with fans still to this day flooding social media in search of seats.
Although the South Korean septet performed at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final halftime show on July 19, the upcoming tour marks the group’s first since 2022, when members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jung Kook took a break to complete South Korea’s mandatory military service.
Aside from the street renaming, the Toronto sign located in front of City Hall will also be lit up purple during the concert dates, and according to the motion, commemorative street signs would eventually be auctioned off to fans in support of local food banks and other charities.
The timing couldn’t be more fitting as BTS’ arrival coincides with the Korean Harvest Festival at Mel Lastman Square, giving thousands of fans (better known as ARMY) all the more reason to spend the weekend exploring North York’s growing Koreatown.
It’s another sign of just how far K-pop has grown in Toronto, a city that refers to BTS as “one of the most influential musical acts of our time.”
Back in 2022, hundreds of BTS fans slept on the floor of the Eaton Centre just to be among the first through the doors of the group’s first-ever Canadian pop-up shop. Along with BTS, BLACKPINK and other groups have packed stadiums and arenas across the GTA, with fans travelling from all across Canada to see them live.
While BTS fans don’t need “Permission to Dance” in August, the renaming still needs permission from City Council. Councillors are expected to vote on the motion later this week.
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