The six-year wait for a full BTS album is over. To celebrate the arrival of ARIRANG, the septet’s fifth studio album and the first since 2020’s Be, which topped the Billboard 200, HYBE Labels has dropped the official music video for album track SWIM. And while the teaser was enough to immediately set social media alight as ARMY (the global fan base name for BTS) tried to pinpoint the location behind the cinematic scenes, the premiere has now confirmed some of the earlier guesses, sparking more speculations.
The exact filming location hasn’t been officially confirmed, but clues in the set design, architecture, and ship model continue to fuel discussions among ARMYs worldwide. Here’s everything we’ve learned about where the SWIM MV was shot so far.
BTS SWIM: MV details, cast and other details
Directed by Tanu Muino, who has worked with Jungkook, Post Malone, Doja Cat, and Dua Lipa, the video shows BTS sailing the high seas on a massive ship, starring actress Lili Reinhart (a collab we didn’t know we needed). RM has helped with writing the lyrics, and Chairman Bang Si-hyuk was credited with overseeing the album’s production.
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The members also shared a viewing tip and a behind-the-scenes tidbit from their shooting days through BigHit Music for this MV. “You’ll see a subtly more grown-up side of BTS,” adding, “Unfortunately, not a single day had good weather. There’s a scene we shot in the rain, and it actually turned out beautifully, which made us happy.”ARIRANG drops on March 20, 2026, at 1 pm KST, and BTS are set to mark their first full-group appearance on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in nearly five years from March 25 to 26. The late-night show teased the comeback on March 18 with Fallon exclaiming, “BTS RETURNS ON MARCH 25TH!” It’ll be followed by a live concert at Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square on March 21, streamed on Netflix.
What do we know about the filming locations so far?
Lisbon, Portugal
Korean media reports have pointed towards Lisbon as the likely location for BTS’ SWIM music video, based on the group’s reported presence in Portugal in February 2026. Fans quickly connected the dots, speculating that the sprawling ocean scenes, real ships, and intricate sets in the video were filmed there. We wouldn’t be surprised if it is actually the case, since the ‘City of Seven Hills’ is known for its stunning coastal landscapes and cinematic vistas, making it the perfect backdrop for BTS’s high-seas adventure.
Museu de Marinha, Lisbon
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When the teaser for BTS’s SWIM MV dropped on March 19, 2026, viewers were immediately drawn to the scene of a woman running through an empty museum, pausing to examine exhibits before stopping in front of a massive ship installation. Fans quickly speculated that the location is Lisbon’s Museu de Marinha, the Portuguese Maritime Museum. While neither BTS’s label nor the museum has confirmed this, side-by-side comparisons online show strong visual similarities.
The Museu de Marinha, located in Belém next to the Jerónimos Monastery, was founded in 1863 by King D. Luís I. Its collection spans over 20,000 objects, with 2,500 on permanent display, making it one of Portugal’s key cultural institutions of the Navy.
- Address: Praça do Império, Santa Maria de Belém, 1400-206 Lisboa, Portugal
Watch BTS’ Swim music video below:
This story first appeared here.
(Feature Image Credit: HYBE LABELS/Youtube)
Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.