Packed with 10 hours of musical bliss, the On Festival Off: Manila, presented by ABS-CBN Global and KAMP, delivered an unforgettable show for fans of both Filipino and Korean music.
Headlined by Adie, Seori, Darren Espanto, MeloMance, Moira dela Torre, Wave to Earth, Ben&Ben, and EXO’s Suho, the diverse music festival took place at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on November 3, 2023.
Here are the highlights of the event prepared by PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal):
ON FESTIVAL OFF: MANILA OPENING ACTS TO WATCH OUT
The On Music Festival began with local opening acts, such as Nameless Kids, SAB, Cesca, and Maki.
Each artist showcased their talent with a short yet fun-filled set of three songs.
They treated the crowd to familiar pieces like "Sa 'yo (Ang Langit)" by Nameless Kids, "She" by SAB, and "Lovesick - Pagmahalasakit" by Cesca.
To add extra excitement, Maki performed his hit song “Saan?” which elicited giggles from the audience with the last line, “Bumalik sa ‘kin sa museo ng Antipolo, sa MOA, o sa Maginhawa.”
FILIPINO ARTISTS THAT SET THE STAGE ABLAZE
To officially kick off the main show, popular singer-songwriter Adie serenaded the festival goers with “Mahika,” his collaboration with Janine Berdin.
He also belted out in his falsetto voice the extended live versions of his Spotify chart-toppers “Tahanan” and “Paraluman,” leaving the audience with kilig.
Despite not feeling well, Adie proved why he is a music festival favorite by delivering unforgettable performances.
Next Filipino artist to take the stage by storm was Darren Espanto, who electrified fans with his covers of BTS’s Jungkook’s “3D” and Timmy Thomas’s “Dying Inside To Hold You.”
He also gave DARRENatics a sneak peek of an unreleased song titled "Hanggang Kailan," scheduled for release later this month of November.
Then, to take the crowd on an emotional rollercoaster ride, Moira dela Torre sang her heart-wrenching songs “Ang Iwasan,” “ikaw at sila,” “eme,” “Paubaya,” and “Malaya,” alongside her proclaimed one and only happy single called “Babalik Sa ’yo.”
Moira also included “Before It Sinks In” in her setlist, and shared the backstory of the song with the audience.
In her words, “Alam niyo yung part dun sa roller coaster na paakyat kayo dun sa pinaka-highest peak bago yung big drop?
"And then, pag paakyat palang kayo, you know that the big drop is coming, right?
"So you try to inhale and exhale as many times as you can… Kahit gawin mo man yun o hindi, the drop will be the same…
"But then even if you know that it’s gonna be the same, you try to prepare for pain anyway.
"So when I wrote this song in 2015, this is my big attempt at preparing for the worst thing."
Wrapping up the Filipino lineup, Ben&Ben wowed the attendees with powerful performances of "Pagtingin," "Araw-Araw," and "Paninindigan Kita."
@pepalerts What a fantastic show Ben&Ben! The nine-member OPM band served pure talent + energy + fun interaction with the audience at On Festival last night at MOA Arena. #PEPNews #EntertainmentNewsPH #NewsPH ? original sound - PEP.ph
They also sang “Leaves,” their sole song to date that entered the MelOn real-time search chart, much to the delight of the crowd.
Filled with gratitude for being invited to the first-ever On Music Festival in the Philippines, the band extended their gratitude to ABS-CBN and KAMP for hosting an event that celebrated "different music, one soul."
They capped off their set with their upbeat song "Home"
UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS WITH KOREAN ACTS
Serving a roster of talented Korean artists, the On Music Festival made the right choice by featuring Seori, MeloMance, Wave to Earth, and Suho.
Although it was the first Philippine music festival appearance for the first three mentioned artists, their captivating and show-stopping performances left no doubt about their talent.
Filipino fans, in particular, showed their appreciation during Seori's rendition of Zack Tabudlo's highly streamed song "Pano," which was met with loud cheers.
“This is my first time in the Philippines, and I’m enjoying every second being here…
“I love Philippines,” Seori expressed with bliss.
Read: Korean singer-songwriter Seori joins Suho, Ben&Ben in Manila music fest
Showing unwavering energy, the festival-goers continued to display their support for the South Korean indie folk duo MeloMance.
The latter sang OSTs like "Love, Maybe" from the South Korean drama "Business Proposal," "Feel Like Falling In Love" from "Because This Is My First Life," and "Good Day" from "Mr. Sunshine.”
In total, MeloMance generously served their fans a setlist of nine songs and an instrumental solo by Jeong Donghwan that elicited screams of delight throughout the arena.
While the indie folk duo had nine songs in their repertoire, Wave to Earth, on the other hand, performed 10 songs during the event, including "bad," "love," and "seasons."
@pepalerts “Peach eyes and blue skies, I'll be with you on your ride…” Wave To Earth thrills fans as the K-pop band performed for On Manila. #PEPNews #EntertainmentNewsPH #NewsPH ? original sound - PEP.ph
In addition to their surprisingly lengthy and enchanting set, the audience was captivated by their interactions in Filipino.
Bassist John Cha revealed, “Gusto naming gumawa ng music video sa inyong bansa.”
He also told their fans, “Sana ay magkaroon kayo ng mga maaraw na araw sa inyong buhay.”
Read: Get to know the members of K-pop indie band Wave To Earth
Capping of the music fest was the set of On Music Festival's headliner Suho, who greeted PHIXOs with an ‘L’ sign and a warm “magandang gabi po.”
Suho is the leader of the globally popular K-pop group EXO, and he was welcomed with thunderous cheers from avid Pinoy fans.
He served much love, talent and energy through his songs "Let's Love," "Self-Portrait," “Hurdle,” and "Grey Suit," among others.
The 32-year-old singer also treated his fans to a jaw-dropping EXO medley that included “Growl,” “Overdose,” and “Love Me Right.”
Overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and support from the crowd, Suho found himself at a loss for words and ended up exclaiming, “Wow, it’s been a while!”
He added, “Long time no see… I missed you so much… I almost cried when you sing… with my songs.
“Saranghaja! I’m really touched, thank you for coming today.”
The award-winning artist also promised to return to the Philippines in 2024 with his fellow EXO members.
“Today, I felt your… passion, your love…
"I’m so touched, so I’m gonna… tell my members… we’ll be back as soon as possible… I’m looking forward to next year,” he promised.
“I hope EXO-L and… our Manila fans to stay happy until that day comes,” he continued with the help of an interpreter.
To surprise his fans at the end of his set, Suho briefly exited the stage only to return holding a tulip, a fan project prepared by his fans, as he performed his encore song, “Made In You.”
@pepalerts Super enjoyed dancing and singing along K-pop artist Suho’s songs at the On Festival! He told Pinoy fans that he’s so touched to hear the crowd singing along his songs and that he remembers the last time he performed with EXO at MOA Arena. #PEPNews #EntertainmentNewsPH #NewsPH ? original sound - PEP.ph
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