From Scroll to Soul: How &FRIENDS Became the Festival Everyone Enjoyed
It all started with a scroll.
Then, for two unforgettable days, everything on the timeline stepped out of the screen and into real life.
The &FRIENDS Festival wrapped up two days of nonstop music, pop culture, creators, and community — and what unfolded was more than just an event. It was a living, breathing experience of what we usually see on our screens.
From the moment you walked into the sunlit scenes of the Creator Expo and the Glass Ballroom, to the beat of the rhythm of the crowd and the pulsing neon blur of the rave nights at Cove Manila — you could feel it. Everything and everyone was alive in that moment.
If you were there, you’d get it; there were no fandom walls, no cliques. Just two full days filled with energy and unity, and all that mattered was being here, now, and together.
The Moments That Moved Us
The Beat Manila didn’t just watch everything happen in those two days — we witnessed it.
The schedule was quite jam-packed from the beginning, with events, meet-ups, performances, and experiences happening everywhere all at once.
At the Crystal Pavilion, it felt like stepping into someone’s TikTok FYP, in the best possible way. TikTok stars and content creators just casually walked through the crowd like NPCs in some of your favorite games. But this time, they were real — laughing, vibing, and just as hyped as everyone else in the room.
On one side, creators were deep in interaction mode, joining challenges and laughing along with fans around their booths. On the other, gamers were locked in — hunched over curated consoles or gathered around to watch livestreams of ongoing competitions.
As for everything else in between? Booths were packed with merchandise, trinkets, enamel pins, merch, and knick-knacks that make you think, “Do I really need this?” And the answer is almost always yes!
The air in the Pavilion was definitely alive. Conversations and interactions clashed with the loud music of the speakers in almost every corner of the expo.
At the Creator Stage, creators and fans were living in their own bubble as activities and interactions went wild. As soon as the segments ended, fans stepped in and got the chance to snap selfies, share moments, and create memories they’d never thought they’d get to experience.
A standout moment from Day 1? Content creators Antony Chen, Tuonto, and Justin Han teamed up with rapper bbno$ and popular cosplayers Knite and Stella Chu for a surprise cosplay collab as beloved characters from the viral game “Love and Deepspace.” At first, we didn’t even notice them passing by, it was the droves of fangirls that got us confused.
Then we followed them, that’s when it hit.
Another “wait a minute” came out of nowhere: Tokyo Sims, the viral street interviewer, casually doing interviews with Fred Liu and some of the most random people walking by in front of Jollibee. And yes, it is as chaotic and hilarious as it is on screen.
Day 2 buzzed with even more energy than the first, with almost all creator booths swarming with fans waiting in line to see their favorite content creators. The Pavilion felt like it had leveled up overnight with more energy, more people, and more everything.
Then night hit, and the energy shifted.
What started with sunlight turned into strobe lights, with the crowd doubling in size. Outfits changed, the vibe turned electric, and everyone was ready to party.
Cove Manila practically became the final boss level at &FRIENDS, the room vibrated like it had a pulse of its own, syncing to every beat that dropped. The crowd moved like one, dancing along with the music. One moment, you were shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers, and then the next, you were frat-flicking and singing your lungs out with them like old friends.
Day 1’s headliners delivered an electrifying kickoff, setting the tone for a festival that embodied the “East meets West” energy. DJ HYO opened the rave with a high-voltage set that fused K-Pop precision with EDM grit — sharp and fierce — and never failed to acknowledge her fans while at it.
She then handed the stage over to a wave of Asia’s rising stars, including Singapore’s Kiara and Thailand’s BOTCASH, who kept the crowd’s energy up and rising with genre-blending beats.
Dutch electronic duo €URO TRA$H followed after, pushing the energy of the night to a full-throttle chaos that got everyone banging their heads.
Everything came to a head when ZEDD finally took the stage.
The crowd tripled right before he came on, with hands raised high, and everyone buzzed on drinks and dopamine. It wasn’t just a regular DJ set — it was the moment everyone was waiting for.
ZEDD’s highly anticipated return to Manila felt like a whiplash back to simpler times, nostalgic and loud. He hit the rave-goers with a flawless run of his most famous songs: “Stay,” “Stay The Night,” “I Want You to Know,” “Beautiful Now,” “The Middle,” and more. Each track was met with roaring screams and glowing phones raised to capture every moment.
And when he ended the night with “Clarity”? That was the moment everyone was waiting for. Cove Manila shifted from organized chaos to an intimate harmony. Everyone sang every lyric perfectly and jumped to every beat.
It was the perfect closer to the first day of a soon-to-be unforgettable festival.
But that was only the beginning.
If Day 1 was a lively welcome party, then Day 2 wasted no time in raising the ante. The energy in the room was rowdier, and the lineup even matched the crowd’s intensity.
JEONGHEYON x KDH turned up the heat with their set, blasting fire tunes to the crowd that was ready to let loose. Then, soon after, NIGHTSHIFT owned the stage and brought tight transitions and heavy-hitting drops that got the crowd partying like it was already 3 AM.
SEVEN LIONS came on to set, bringing a dreamy, ethereal vibe to the rave with his melodic dubstep, mellowing the energy by a tiny bit. It was impossible to describe at first, but hearing his sound was the perfect transition to what was to come next.
bbno$ then entered the stage, decked in Ironmouse cosplay with his signature offbeat swagger, and drove the room into a frenzy with his tracks “Mathematics,” “it boy,” “Edamame,” “many poppins,” “C’ést La Vie,” and more. He and VTuber Ironmouse later performed their unreleased single “1-800-BLOWURMIND,” which was received with roaring applause from the crowd.
During his set, bbno$ paid respect to the Philippines’ national anthem and danced along to “The Spaghetti Song” by the Sexbomb Girls.
And then came Illenium.
Just from the first note, you could feel the mood shift to something more than energetic. The crowd was wild, and the set went crazy with every beat drop, every effect, and it felt like an emotional release that everyone needed.
TL;DR: We’re Still Not Over It
And just like that, everything is back on our screens and algorithms.
Stories and recap videos went live, making everyone relive the moments and memories they’ve made from those two days. Anyone who wasn’t there was definitely feeling some FOMO from all that content, and it’s true!
&FRIENDS Festival was that event you shouldn’t have missed.
What happened at &FRIENDS wasn’t just for the timeline or for the clout. It was a one-of-a-kind experience when screens melted away, and everything we saw online just came to life.
For those two days, the screen was replaced by real-life experiences. Parasocial relationships became non-existent, online mutuals became friends, and content creators showed their true, personal selves.
The &FRIENDS Festival wasn’t just a moment; it was the moment. It showed us how community, creativity, and chaos come together to create a beautiful picture, all boiling down to what really matters: connection.
What may have started as a scroll turned out to be something tangible and real. From content to connection, algorithms to real memories, and scroll to soul.
And you know what? We’re totally psyched to see this festival happen again next year.
Follow &FRIENDS Festival on Facebook and Instagram, and Clout Kitchen on Instagram to stay updated with what’s cooking next.
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