Written by: Emilio

Edited by: Alexis

“I think… We’ve seen some traffic, but I think you have the number one in the world. So, thank you, thank you for making the effort to come through all that bulls**t to be here!” – Chris Martin, lead singer of Coldplay. 

On January 19 and 20, ISM students braved the battlefield of Manila traffic. Hearts filled with excitement, these students watched the award-winning Music of the Spheres Tour by world-renowned band Coldplay at the Philippine Arena. But amidst the flashing lights of Coldplay’s light wristbands was the inconvenience that came with the Philippine concert scene. The stress that ensues when watching a concert in the Philippine Arena is replicated in concert venues all over the country, from the Mall of Asia Arena to the New Clark City Stadium, for reasons ranging from isolated areas to inconvenient parking. 

One of the primary issues plaguing Philippine concert venues is the inconvenient locations. Many Manila venues are situated in far-flung areas, making it challenging for concert-goers to attend. These remote locations often lack proper transportation infrastructure, leaving attendees with limited options and forcing them to endure long travel times in the infamous Manila traffic. 

Such inconveniences detract from the overall concert experience and discourage potential attendees from attending these events. For example, the recent Coldplay concert was held in the Philippine Arena in Bulacan. ISM students and most of the concertgoers from the Metro Manila area reported travel times as long as 5 hours! This led to many of them being late to the Concert and arriving home in the early hours of the morning. 

When the popular K-Pop band ENHYPHEN recently held a concert at New Clark City Stadium, they chose the venue because of its outdoor nature and the number of people it can fit. However, the stadium is 123.7km from Makati, which would take two hours to get to without traffic and as much as 5 hours to get to with the standard Manila traffic (Google Maps 2024). 

Many concert-goers find themselves with limited parking options as many of the country’s concert venues do not have sufficient parking systems. This has resulted in frustrating experiences before and after the event. Inadequate parking facilities lead to overcrowding and chaos and pose potential risks, such as unauthorized parking and vehicle damage. This lack of parking infrastructure ruins the overall experience and creates unnecessary stress for attendees. 

The Philippine Arena, in particular, can accommodate 55,000 people while its parking can handle no more than 10,000 vehicles (Kara Santos 2023). To make matters worse, the layout of the Philippine Arena’s parking lot is so poorly planned that it only has one exit (Philippine Arena)! With sold-out shows of 55,000 people, how can you expect to leave the concert immediately? The answer is you can’t. Ava, an ISM student, reported that she and her family left the parking vicinity three hours after the concert ended, simply because everyone had to leave through the same gate! 

As the country looks forward to constructing new stadiums and arenas, they should learn from past mistakes. Organizers should prioritize locations with good access to transportation infrastructure. Choosing locations closer to Metro Manila will attract larger audiences and make attending concerts more feasible for the majority of concert-goers. Moreover, concert venues should invest in well-planned parking spaces to accommodate the influx of vehicles during events. Similarly, concert organizers must implement efficient entry and exit systems to minimize queues and waiting times. 

From inconvenient locations to limited parking spaces, entering and exiting hassles, and their distance from Metro Manila, where most concert-goers reside, it’s clear that Philippine concert venues urgently need improvement. Better concert venues will not only ease the experience of fans but also make visiting the Philippines a much better experience for artists and bands alike. 

Works Cited
City, Clark. “Makati to New Clark City Athletics Stadium.” Makati to New Clark City Athletics Stadium, 2019, http://www.google.com/maps/dir/Makati,+Metro+Manila/New+Clark+City+Athletics+Stadium,+8GWM%2B6CM,+Renamed+Road,+New+Clark+City,+Capas,+Tarlac/@14.5560985,121.0245879,16z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x3397c90264a0ed01:0x2b066ed57830cace!2m2!1d121.0244452!2d14.554729!1m5!1m1!1s0x3396c1afd5de4e23:0x9f469b4e6adff8b8!2m2!1d120.5335399!2d15.3455818!3e0?entry=ttu. Accessed 9 Feb. 2024.