Kehlani to headline new Manila festival PLUS63
Manila is set to host a new 20,000-capacity music festival next year, headlined by American R&B/pop singer-songwriter Kehlani.
Following annual editions in Cebu, the PLUS63 festival is launching in the Filipino capital on 23 February 2025 at the Aseana City Concert Grounds in Parañaque City.
Kehlani, who headlined the 2022 edition of PLUS63 in Cebu, will be joined by American alternative R&B artist Jenevieve, as well as Filipino acts James Reid, Mrld, and Jolianne.
General admission tickets will be priced at PHP 4,000 (€65), VIP at PHP 8,000 (€130), and the VVIP table bundle at PHP 100,000 (€1,630).
The inaugural Manila edition was due to take place in 2023 but it was indefinitely postponed
The inaugural Manila edition was due to take place in 2023 but it was indefinitely postponed as organisers, Insignia Presents, said they were “unable to deliver the Plus63 experience that our community has been accustomed to”.
The 2023 festival would have been headlined by Weezer, with supporting performances from the likes of Aminé, mxmtoon, Lola Amour and PlayerTwo.
PLUS63, named after the Philippines’ country code (+63), was launched in Cebu in 2018 and has previously been headlined by LANY, Kid Ink, Steve Aoki and Dada Life.
Other festivals to launch in Manila include K-pop event Waterbomb and Head in the Clouds.
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Olivia Rodrigo delivers her biggest-ever concert
Olivia Rodrigo delivered the largest concert of her career on Saturday night during the Philippines stop of her arena outing, the Guts World Tour.
The Filipina-American singer delivered a sold-out show to the 55,000-capacity Philippine Arena, the world’s largest indoor arena located 30 km (18.6 mi) outside of the capital city of Manila.
The 21-year-old plans to donate all profits from the concert – her first in the Philippines – to Jhpiego, an international nonprofit organisation providing healthcare for women and families.
The Johns Hopkins University-affiliated initiative provides access to reproductive healthcare, infectious disease prevention, and immunizations, operating across more than 40 countries including the Philippines.
“I’m SO stoked that all the net ticket sales from last night could be donated to @jhpiego through my fund 4 good,” Rodrigo wrote on Instagram. “I got to visit the organization while I was in Manila and was so impressed by the work they are doing providing healthcare to women and girls in the Philippines.”
“It was the most special show and the most meaningful trip. To say I’m grateful doesn’t even cut it! Mahal kita [I love you].”
Tickets for the show were sold for PHP 1,500 (£20/$25), with all net proceeds allocated to Rodrigo’s Fund 4 Good, a global initiative to boost women and girls through “direct support of community-based non-profits that champion girls’ education, support reproductive rights and prevent gender-based violence”. The reduced ticket price supported her Silver Star programme to increase affordability and access to the tour while sustaining the Fund 4 Good.
“It was the most special show and the most meaningful trip. To say I’m grateful doesn’t even cut it”
Launching the initiative alongside last year’s tour announcement, Rodrigo has aided local organisations throughout the 99-date venture, which is due to end with eight shows across Melbourne and Syndey later this month. The former Disney actress has partnered with the National Network of Abortion Funds in North America, 600 Canadian women’s shelters, and Women Against Violence Europe across her regional tour legs.
While the arena tour will end this year, Rodrigo is lined up to headline four Latin American festivals in March 2025: Lollapalooza Argentina, Brazil, and Chile and Colombia’s Festival Estéreo Picnic.
The Guts World Tour will soon be visiting homes worldwide as Olivia Rodrigo: Guts World Tour is set to debut on Netflix on 29 October. The concert film was recorded across two performances at Los Angeles’ newest arena, the 18,000-capacity Intuit Dome, in August. The LA-based songwriter performed six nights in LA, with four shows at the Kia Forum (18,000).
“I am so excited to share the Guts World Tour with my fans,” Rodrigo said. “For those of you who didn’t get a chance to rock out in-person, now you can have the best seats in the house! And to the fans who cheered, screamed, and danced with me, I am so glad we get to do it all over again!”
The Live Nation-promoted trek has traversed North America, Europe, and Asia, and will hit Australia on Wednesday (9 October). The singer-songwriter released her critically acclaimed second album GUTS last September, with its support tour beginning in February at Palm Spring’s Acrisure Arena (11,680).
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K-pop festival Waterbomb to debut in Manila
Touring K-pop festival series Waterbomb Festival will debut in Manila, Philippines, this year.
Manila is the latest stop to be confirmed for the 2024 Waterbomb World Tour which includes dates in Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, Japan, Bangkok, Taipei, Los Angeles, Ho Chi Minh, Xiamen and Bali.
The tour kicked off in May in Xiamen, China, and most recently visited Seoul, South Korea, where it was first held in 2015.
Waterbomb first expanded to new markets in 2023 with two editions in Japan and one in Bangkok. The event was launched by Hong Kong-based streaming platform Viu and Singapore-based Evergreen Group Holdings, with local promoters helping bring it to new territories.
Waterbomb intertwines various water activities alongside local and international lineups of K-pop, hip-hop, and EDM performers
As the name suggests, Waterbomb intertwines various water activities alongside local and international lineups of K-pop, hip-hop, and EDM performers.
Acts vary with territories but the most recent Seoul edition of Waterbomb featured the likes of Zico, Jay Park, Simon Dominic, Hwasa, Changmo and Taemin. Dates and acts for the Philippines edition are yet to be announced.
KCON, the world’s biggest K-pop fan and artist festival, also announced expansion recently.
The Korean pop music and culture convention, operated by Korea’s largest media conglomerate CJ ENM, will debut in Germany this September.
Karsten Jahnke, in cooperation with AEG Presents and CJ ENM, will organise the premiere at the Messe Frankfurt complex on 28–29 September.
The Waterbomb World Tour schedule is as follows:
May
18-18: Xiamen, China
June
1-2: Hong Kong
July
5-7: Seoul, South Korea
13: Jeju, South Korea
13: Fukuoka, Japan
20: Daegu, South Korea
27: Busan, South Korea
27-28: Tokyo, Japan
August
3: Incheon, South Korea
10: Daejeon, South Korea
10: Osaka, Japan
17: Sokcho, South Korea
17: Nagoya, Japan
24: Suwon, South Korea
24-25: Singapore, Singapore
31: Gwangju, South Korea
September
TBA: Bangkok
TBA
Los Angeles, United States
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Taipei, Taiwan
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Manila, Philippines
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Head in the Clouds festival to launch in China
Asian-American music powerhouse 88rising is launching Head in the Clouds festival in China this September.
The expansion follows successful editions in Los Angeles (US), Jakarta (Indonesia), Manila (Philippines) and most recently, New York (US).
88rising today (24 July) confirmed that the China debut will take place in Guangzhou, a sprawling port city northwest of Hong Kong, on 23 and 24 September.
88rising todayconfirmed that the China debut will take place Guangzhou on 23 and 24 September
The venue and line-up are yet to be announced but as always, the festival will spotlight Asian acts. The likes of NIKI, Rich Brian, Warren Hue, Jackson Wang, eaJ, Joji, BIBI and Itzy have graced previous iterations of the festival.
88rising also announced that Head in the Clouds will return to Jakarta on 9 September for a second edition. Following that, 88rising will host a special showcase as part of the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix on 15 September. Confirmed to perform so far are Jackson Wang, NIKI, Rich Brian, Warren Hue, XG, BIBI, MILLI and Atarashii Gakko!.
Meanwhile, the original LA event will return on 4 and 5 August at Brookside at The Rose Bowl with Rina Sawayama, DPR LIVE + DPR IAN, XG, YOASOBI and more.
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Live music markets hit as more cities lock down
The Philippines has become the latest live entertainment market to be put back into lockdown amid concerns a surge in new coronavirus cases could push the healthcare system to collapse.
Stay-at-home orders are now in place in Manila and four surrounding provinces for the next two weeks, prohibiting residents from outdoor activity except for going out to buy essential goods or exercising outdoors.
The country only just emerged from one of the strictest lockdowns in June but after reporting a record 5,032 new infections on Sunday (2 June), numerous medical associations urged President Rodrigo Duterte to toughen restrictions.
The capital city is home to some of the country’s largest venues, including the SM Mall of Asia Arena, which in lieu of live events has transformed into a mega swabbing centre.
Across the Indian Ocean, Melbourne’s gradual reopening of nightlife is still on hold as the city battles a deadly second wave of coronavirus. Australia’s second-biggest city was put back into lockdown on 9 July after a localised outbreak of Covid-19.
Melbourne has recently mandated wearing masks and tightened a stay-at-home order to reduce transmissions.
Parts of Leicester have been relinquished from local lockdown, allowing venues in Leicester City to reopen from yesterday
The state of Victoria, of which Melbourne is the capital, is responsible for over half of Australia’s 18,300 recorded cases.
After Victoria recorded another 671 cases of coronavirus on Sunday and seven deaths, premier Daniel Andrews announced a “state of disaster”.
On Sunday (2 August), Andrews introduced new rules including a night-time curfew between the hours of 8pm and 5am for the next six weeks.
In the UK, parts of Leicester have been relinquished from its local lockdown, allowing venues in Leicester City to reopen from yesterday (3 August). Though venues such as The Shed will remain closed, writing “Music venues still aren’t in the clear, and we’re aiming for September!” on its Facebook page.
English venues were preparing to reopen from 1 August but will no longer be able to do so after the government pushes back the next step of lockdown easing by at least two weeks.
Elsewhere, Botswana has reinstated lockdown in the capital, Gaborone, for two weeks after recording 30 new cases of coronavirus. The order took effect last Thursday (30 June).
“Essential services will operate at 25% capacity, there will be no movement within the Greater Gaborone Zone without a movement permit and movement to and from Greater Gaborone Zone will be void with immediate effect,” says Kereng Masupu, the coordinator of the presidential Covid-19 taskforce.
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