Nightlife MNL: Fête de la Musique, Drag Pride Fiesta, Plus 8 Hot Events

Manila’s music scene thrives on diversity, and where is this more evident than at Fusion: The Philippine Music Festival? 

Prepare to be dazzled at this star-studded celebration, which brings together the best of OPM (Original Pinoy Music) onto one electrifying stage. Fusion 2025 features the theme, “Musika Natin ‘To,” — a call to embrace and uplift OPM with pride as it marks its 10th anniversary. This milestone event will bring together the brightest Filipino music artists in an immersive experience that goes beyond performances, featuring interactive art, cultural exhibits, and a showcase of local flavors. More than a festival, it is a declaration that OPM is not just music — it is our identity, our pride, and our story as a nation.

Whether you’re an avid festival-goer or a first-timer, this guide will take you through everything you need to know — from the lineup of artists and festival highlights to tips on making the most of your concert experience. 

Without further ado, here’s your guide to Manila’s hottest and boldest music festival!

Fusion Manila 2025: What, When, & Where?

Launched in 2015, Fusion is the first Philippine music festival uniting artists across different genres and managements into a massive concert extravaganza that aims to celebrate OPM. The year’s Fusion music festival is set to take place on Mar. 15, 2025 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Open Grounds. 

Gates open at 3:30 PM with pre-show performances starting at 5:30 PM. The main show begins at 7:30 PM, and it’s one act after another from there, with the last performance ending at 2 AM. There will also be games and raffle sessions, as well as booth activities before the pre-show, so it’s worth coming in earlier!

The event is directed by Paul Basinillo, the award-winning creative force behind some of the biggest productions in OPM history, such as Sarah Geronimo’s legendary 24/SG, and is powered by Nestea, Nescafé, Bear Brand Sterilized, Hapee Toothpaste, Dazz Dishwashing, and Fudgee Barr.

Getting There

You can go by either private or public transportation. We would highly recommend point-to-point options such as ride-hailing apps like Grab, InDrive, or Angkas, or taxis where you can simply pin the exact location or tell the driver to drop you off at the CCP complex.

If you’ll be commuting, the nearest train station is LRT1-Vito Cruz. From there, you can ride a jeepney along Pablo Ocampo Sr. (Vito Cruz) that is going to CCP or the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC). 

And look! Fusion just gave us a sneak peek of the venue. Looks like the stage is rising... and so is our excitement! 

Address: CCP Open Grounds, CCP Complex Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City, 1003

Ticket and Merchandise Information

Tickets are currently on sale via Ticketmelon with three sections priced at P3,000 (Gold), P2,000 (Silver), and P1,000 (Bronze). 

All tiers are standing, and there is no limit to the number of tickets you can purchase. Gold ticket holders get access to special perks such as a chance to win Artist Merch, Photo Albums, or participate in pre-show games on stage. They will also be able to go through the Express Lane for the VIP Entrance, get 20% off on Fusion Merch, bring home an Instaphoto souvenir by one of the event’s roving photographers, and enjoy a Fusion kit packed with sponsor loots, sticker packs, a LED wristband, tote bag, complimentary drinks courtesy of Tanduay, and more!

Ticketmelon accepts several modes of payment, such as Credit and Debit Cards, Cash, G-Cash, and GrabPay. For online purchases, an e-ticket will be sent to your registered email address, which you can show at the entrance on the day of the event. 

For merchandise, there will be official event t-shirts (P499) and tote bags (P199) available at the Praxis booth. Fusion also encourages you to show up in your best colors to the event by wearing your most colorful #OOTD (Outfit of the Day)! Winners get fusion gift packs and 1-level ticket tier upgrade!

Artist Lineup and Schedule

A star-studded lineup awaits you at this explosive milestone event, featuring both veteran and rising local artists beloved by music fans not only in the Philippines but across the globe!

This year’s headliners include Ben&Ben, December Avenue, and Zack Tabudlo, who will be performing alongside powerhouse acts like The Itchyworms, Maki, Barbie Almalbis, ALAMAT, KAIA, Jan Francis, and ALLMO$T. 

The concert will also feature a lineup of DJs and rising acts, such as singer-songwriter Amiel Sol, Jan Francis, Pauline Anne, and up-and-coming P-Pop groups GAT and RAYA. See below for the complete schedule of performances:

Festival Reminders: Things to Bring and Prohibited Items

As the festival will be taking place outdoors and will last approximately ten hours, make sure to weatherproof your belongings. An extra shirt, comfortable footwear, and handheld fans are just some of the things you can bring to better your festival experience.  

Other essential things you might need are: 

• Phones (for making memories and showing your e-tickets, of course!)
• Chargers and power banks
• Towels
• Hats
• Sunglasses
• Sun protection
• Raincoats (because Manila rain does come down out of nowhere)
• Hygiene kit (sanitizers, wet and dry tissues, band-aids, etc.) 

For everyone’s safety, Fusion encourages everyone to pack light and smart, and to keep in mind things that are not allowed within the venue premises such as outside food and drinks, pets, water bottles/jugs/flasks, bags bigger than 12x12 inches, digital and professional cameras, and all types of pointed umbrellas. For a complete list of prohibited items, click here. 

Are you ready for a night of electrifying stages? See you on Mar. 15, OPM fans, and let’s make it a night to remember! 

For more information and updates, stay tuned on Fusion: The Philippine Music Festival’s official Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok pages. 

Location: CCP Open Grounds, CCP Complex Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City, 1003

When: Mar. 15, 2025

Admission Fee: P1,000 (Bronze), P2,000 (Silver), and P3,000 (Gold). Buy here.

Art in the Park, the Philippines’ favorite art day out, is happening on Mar. 23, 2025, at the Jaime Velasquez Park in Makati City. 

Park visitors, budding art collectors, and art enthusiasts everywhere are invited to immerse themselves in an exciting and diverse showcase of contemporary Filipino art in a casual and friendly setting! 

This year, Art in the Park will be featuring 61 exhibitors representing galleries, collectives, and independent art spaces. With a price cap of P70,000 per art piece and many art lovers scoring finds and coveted works for less, Art in the Park is a haven for art lovers and budding art collectors seeking exceptional value.

Art in the Park 2025 exhibitors include:

• Ang INK
• Archivo 1984
• Art for Space
• ART LAB: Atelier Cesare & Jean Marie Syjuco
• Art Toys PH
• Art Underground
• Art Verité Gallery
• Artbeat Collective
• Artery Art Space
• Avellana Art Gallery
• Boston Art Gallery
• Cartellino Art
• Cornerstone Pottery (EJ Espiritu)
• Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP)
• De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLSU-CSB)
• FA Gallery
• Fuse Projects
• Galeria de las Islas
• Galerie Ana
• Galerie Artes
• Galerie Stephanie
• Gallery Genesis
• ILCP Art Space
• J Studio
• Jon and Tessy Pettyjohn
• KASIBULAN
• Komiket
• Kulay Art Group
• Looking for Juan
• M A G
• Metro Gallery
• MONO8
• Nest
• Nineveh Artspace
• Orange Project
• Pintô Art Museum and Arboreteum
• Qube Gallery
• Resurrection Furniture
• Savage Mind / Kamarin Art Space
• Sheerjoy Collective
• Sierra Madre Gallery
• Space Encounters Gallery
• Superduper Art Gallery
• Talyer 15 Manila
• The Authenticity Zero Collective
• The Mighty Bhutens
• The Photography Collective
• The Print Outpost
• The Thursday Group
• Tin-Aw Art Projects
• UP Artists’ Circle
• UP College of Fine Arts
• Urban Sketchers Manila
• VeryGood Gallery
• Village Art Gallery
• Vinyl on Vinyl
• White Walls Gallery
• Ysobel Art Gallery

Art in the Park 2025 Featured Artists

One of the highlights of the annual art fair are the special exhibits by Filipino artists chosen by the organizers themselves. This year, the featured artists for Art in the Park 2025 are multimedia visual artist TRNZ, contemporary mixed-media artist AR Manalo, and designer and artist Carlo Tanseco. 

AR Manalo (MANALOAR)

A contemporary mixed-media artist, his works often focus on individuals who form the backbone of society and communities, such as blue-collar workers, couriers, and street vendors, and celebrate their presence and significance. 

For Art in the Park 2025, AR takes a break from the somber and deep topics of his previous work and focuses toward the lighthearted and whimsical, inspired by his toddler daughter and her love of pop-up books. 

One of the works that will be displayed is titled “Princess in the Park” and is a reminder for everyone to look inside to our childlike wonder. 

“The title ‘Princess in the Park’ is a reminder for us to find joy in the mundane. I think as a toddler, whenever they see parks, it’s like an adventure. For us, it’s a place to relax, a place to be quiet. I think for them, they seem happier in those areas over gadgets, which we seem to take for granted nowadays,” said AR Manalo, describing his artwork during a press event held last Mar. 11, 2025. 

“It’s Art in the Park, and I think it’s a good reminder for us to enjoy this place with our family and people we love; to just disconnect and connect with the people that really matter.” 

AR Manalo also described this work as a love letter to Art in the Park PH, where he first started his career as a contemporary mixed-media artist. “For someone who’s just trying to fit in the art industry, and now a featured artist, it’s a full circle moment for me, and it’s my way of thanking Art in the Park and those who supported me.” 

TRNZ

A multimedia visual artist who was first introduced to art through the locally dubbed Japanese animation that aired daily during the ‘90s, influencing the graphic nature of his work. Even though the figures in his work were influenced by the anime he watched religiously when he was younger, he explained that his work is “realist in theme,” and that he gets inspired by the things he sees every day. 

“My inspiration in my work are the things I come across. All the clothes that the figures in my artworks are wearing are inspired by the ones I see at my ukay-ukay runs,” TRNZ explained during a casual conversation with the press at the Art in the Park Press Event last Mar. 11. He also said that inspiration doesn’t just come from clothing; it comes from everything that he encounters in his daily life. 

TRNZ spoke a little about one of the works to be featured in Art in the Park, where he said he got inspired after seeing badminton shuttlecocks being dumped at the corner of the court. 

“These things have an attached context that people disregard; you see it every day. But when it’s used in a composition in a certain way, there are lots of layers to it that people use to create their own narratives,” he said, describing it as his own artistic philosophy for the past years. 

TRNZ also explained that he wanted his works to be Filipino, but not cliché. “It’s Filipino because it’s the things I see, as a Filipino here in my neighborhood.” 

TRNZ started his career as a multimedia visual artist with an exhibition in Art in the Park 2018. 

Carlo Tanseco

Following his solo exhibition “Sari-Sari Sabi-Sabi” at Art Fair PH 2025, visual artist Carlo Tanseco will be reintroducing a pivotal work from his critically acclaimed “Rizal Matchbox” series, which will be the first time in two years since a piece from this collection has been exhibited.

Carlo Tanseco will also be offering several limited-edition giclée prints based on the series. 

Beyond the Art: What Else to Expect at Art in the Park 2025

Since its beginning in 2006, Art in the Park has featured a wide range of food and beverage concessionaires, making the entire experience a convenient hang-out, bonding, and date idea. There will be numerous options to satisfy your cravings, whether you’re looking for a quick refreshment or a leisurely meal. 

The vibe at Art in the Park will also be enhanced by music from singer-songwriter duo Leanne and Naara, and an all-vinyl DJ set by Mario Serrano of EST City. Soulful Mood will provide easy jazz music throughout the day. 

The venue of the Art in the Park — Jaime Velasquez Park in Salcedo Village, Makati City — has never changed since its inception. The art fair promises a relaxed and accessible environment for art appreciation, and Art in the Park encourages everyone to come and enjoy a day filled with art, creativity, and community. 

Art in the Park is free and open to everyone from 10 AM to 10 PM. 

Art in the Park continues to benefit the Museum Foundation of the Philippines in support of its projects and programs for the National Museum of the Philippines and its networks. 

Art in the Park is organized by Philippine Art Events, Inc. for the benefit of the Museum Foundation of the Philippines, with support from Globe and Bank of the Philippine Islands, and with partners MACEA, Barangay Bel Air, and the Museum Foundation of the Philippines. 

For more information and updates, visit the Art in the Park website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram. 

Anyone up for a taste of a real St. Paddy’s Day celebration? 

Get into the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day with a taste of Irish whiskey at The Spirits Library this Mar. 15, 2025, at 4:30 PM with The Tasting Club.

Following their Irish Whiskey Tasting with Kris Ong from last year that featured a selection of rare Irish whiskeys, The Tasting Club continues this tasting journey through Ireland with another selection of Irish whiskies: Tullamore DEW, Writer’s Tears Copper Pot, The Irishman Single Malt, Waterford Ballymorgan 1.2, Yellow Spot 12 Years, and Redbreast 12 Years. 

The Irish Whiskey Tasting is priced at P2,000 nett per person, with bookings to be directed to The Tasting Club on Instagram. 

A Run-Through of Irish Whiskey Types

To get the most out of the Irish whiskey tasting experience, here’s a rundown of every Irish whiskey type. These liquors depend on the type of grain used and its distillation process. 

Single Malt Irish Whiskey: These whiskeys are made entirely from malted barley that are distilled in a pot still inside a single distillery. These can be double or triple distilled. The Irishman Single Malt is a whiskey of this type.

Single Pot Still Whiskey: This is a mixture of malted and unmalted barley that is completely distilled in a pot still inside a single distillery. The difference between single malt and single pot still whiskey is the addition of raw, unmalted grain. Yellow Spot 12 Years is a single pot still whiskey. 

Grain Whiskey: This is a whiskey type produced from continuous distillation in a column or Coffey still and is produced from a variety of grains. 

Blended Whiskey: This is a mix of all other types and is the most common style of Irish and Scotch whiskeys. Tullamore DEW is a blended whiskey. 

Location: The Spirits Library, 4963 Guerrero St, Poblacion, Makati 1210

Date and Time: Mar. 15, 2025, 4:30 PM

Admission Fee: P2,000 nett

Make your reservations via their Instagram page.

Manila, brace yourselves! The queens are coming, and they’re bringing the house down. Filipina drag superstar Marina Summers is set to reunite with her fierce RuPaul’s "Drag Race UK vs. The World" Season 2 co-finalists, Hannah Conda and La Grande Dame, for a night of pure drag magic. 

Dubbed Global Phenomena, this highly anticipated event will take place at The Music Museum on Mar. 21 at 8 PM.

Marking one year since UKvTW2 took the drag world by storm, this reunion promises a full-blown celebration of drag, creativity, and the unbreakable bond these queens formed on the show.

Marina Summers, the Philippines’ very own drag queen who slayed the international stage, took to Instagram to hype up the event, saying, “Bring back my global phenomena!” She added, “It’s the one-year anniversary of UKvTW2, and we’re giving Manila a reunion show for the ages.”  

Prepare to be stunned by performances that will leave you speechless, hilarious audience Q&A sessions, and non-stop entertainment.

Tickets are already on sale here, with prices ranging from P1,200 for balcony seats to P4,100 for Tier 1. For those who want to take their experience to the next level, meet-and-greet passes are available for P2,700.

Summers has also teased that the full lineup of performers will be announced soon, so expect even more surprises as the event draws closer. 

For more information, visit Camp Summers on their website, or follow them on Instagram.

Location: Shoppesville Arcade, Greenhills Shopping Center, Ortigas Avenue 1502 San Juan

Thinking of joining a running event soon? Why not hang up your running gear for a quick sec and swap them for your best pajama set? 

Wear your best pajamas and lace up your running shoes for a cause because the Pajama Run is happening this Mar. 23, 2025, at Fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila! Dubbed the Philippines’ first-ever Pajama Run, the event is organized to help raise awareness about domestic violence and promote a healthier and more supportive community. 

Distances for the run include 1 km, 3 km, and 5 km, which are priced at P550 (1 km Regular), P850 (3 km Regular), and P950 (5 km Regular). As of writing, the tickets for the 1 km and 3 km runs are sold out! Late registrations from Mar. 6 onwards are priced at P600 (1 km), P1000 (3 km), and P1150 (5 km).  Tickets can be bought here.

Joining the Pajama Run includes a Race Bib, a Finisher’s Medal, and some good vibes! 

Assembly time for the Pajama Run is at 4 AM, with the 5 km run starting at 5 AM, 3 km at 5:15 AM, and the 1 km run at 5:30 AM. The good news? Pets are allowed to join the run for free, so feel free to bring your fur babies with you!

Get ready for a day filled with positive energy, unity, and support for a meaningful cause. Take a stand against domestic violence and run in solidarity with your friends and fellow running enthusiasts!

The exact route has not yet been announced as of writing. The organizers also ask those who are interested in joining to fill in this form here.

For more information and updates about the Pajama Run, follow the Pajama Run Intramuros Events Page on Facebook and EmpowerPH on their Facebook and Instagram pages.