Countless fans—including celebrities and stars—braved hours of horrendous traffic last Saturday, June 24, 2023, to reach the Philippine Arena and catch the fantastic Bruno Mars perform his chart-topping hits.
Naturally, these concerts of the Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter and half-Pinoy Mars were blockbusters. And, naturally, the concerts got everyone buzzing again about the Philippine Arena—and what a challenge that venue is!
Read: Bruno Mars dazzles Pinoy fans in his fourth concert in the Philippines
Take this most common of hassles: With the long commute made worse by overwhelming traffic and multiple gridlocks, many fans arrived who caught only Mars' last few songs!
Among these fans were celebrity host Maine Mendoza and actor Arjo Atayde, her fiancé.
Michele Gumabao, a former beauty queen, and Paolo Valenciano, a concert director, also went through roughly the same experience.
All four just made it to the tail-end of the show.
Read: Bruno Mars thanks Pinoy fans; celeb couples spotted at his concert
Even before the show closed, agitated fans began complaining, calling on producers to make their lives less miserable by staying away from the Philippine Arena!
I wanted to stay above the fray, but I have to give in to my feelings: Let me say I went through the same disheartening experience, and not just once!
Through the many anticipated concerts of my very favorite acts, I have gotten stuck in the miserable traffic trap both going to and getting away from the venue.
December 17, 2022, I watched the Be The Sun concert of SEVENTEEN at the Philippine Arena.
For the record, PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) was invited by SMART to cover SEVENTEEN's Bulacan concert.
I was so eager to finally catch their concert after missing their sold-out, two-night shows just two months earlier, October 8 and 9, that same year.
Read: SEVENTEEN becomes first K-Pop group to fill up Philippine Arena
Let me start by saying that acquiring concert tickets for K-Pop shows is in itself quite a hassle.
Some fans actually line up at the ticket sellers overnight to secure their spot in the Arena. Yes, overnight! As a working adult, I don't have the luxury of doing something that crazy, even if I have the craziness to do so.
With that opportunity, I put in a big effort. I made sure I was prepared for the experience. I was determined to watch even if I was alone—and I really ended up watching alone. If that's what it took—so be it.
Unfortunately, there I was—stuck in traffic and missing 90 per cent of the concert. Ninety per cent!
THE NITTY-GRITTY OF this FAN'S EXPERIENCE
Typically, it takes me approximately three hours to travel from my place in San Pedro, Laguna, to the Philippine Arena in Santa Maria, Bulacan—and that's when I'm lucky to be using a private vehicle.
For the SEVENTEEN concert, I had to take public transport.
Not one to sweat small stuff, I proceeded anyway to prep my mind and body.
Nights before the concert, I meticulously planned my route, seeking advice from friends residing near the venue about the most efficient means and route to reach the concert site without one's car. Earlier, I also thought of the most comfortable clothes to wear to meet any rough changes in weather.
I left home at 11 a.m. for the 6 p.m. concert. Apparently, even that lead time wasn't good enough! I stood through lengthy queues for the bus and sat through heavy traffic along NLEX.
Unbelievably, I arrived at the venue 7:45 p.m.—I'd been on the road almost eight hours!—and I was still one hour-and-45-minutes late for the show.
The moment I got to the Philippine Arena, I wasted no time. I sprinted toward the Arena's doors. It honestly felt like I was in my own The Amazing Race episode, rushing now towards the final pit stop for that million-peso cash prize!
Regrettably, I could only catch the final song and the encore performances.
I still vividly remember witnessing the group deliver farewell messages before performing their last song, "Snap Shoot."
And later, they treated the audience to another performance of their hit "Aju Nice," which seemed to never end.
The heartfelt promise of Mingyu—the star I call my personal bias—to return to the Philippines brought tears to my eyes!
Partly because it was so touching that they should want to come back to my country, and partly because it reminded me that I missed out on the full enjoyment of their concert experience. I was really sad.
@annadytorres till we all see each other again, i'll hold into your promise. ???????????? #bethesunbulacan #seventeen ? original sound - anna
Once the concert wrapped up, I wasted no time, I dashed out, swiftly making my way to the group's concert merch to snag some pick-me-ups.
The ride home was not an issue. I was fortunate to get a bus driver who knew one alternate route after another, allowing us to bypass the heavy traffic of concertgoers all exiting from the Arena at the very same time.
By 9:00 p.m., the bus had departed from the venue. By 12:00 a.m., I was back home. And what do I do? Of course, I catch up on the performances I missed—but now through TikTok.
Then I cried myself to sleep.
WHY I'LL WATCH AT PHILIPPINE ARENA AGAIN
That whole ordeal didn't put me off from catching two more amazing artists at the Philippine Arena.
For both BLACKPINK's Born Pink Tour and Harry Styles' Love On Tour, I made arrangements for a car and a driver. It was extra expense, but totally worth it in making my concert experience more enjoyable and hassle-free.
And this time, I came way way ahead of time. So way ahead, I had three hours to kill!
Fortunately, BLACKPINK's concert had booths and activities set up, providing entertainment for fans like me who were eager for the main event but were excited by anything connected to the phenomenal South Korean girl group.
It was a great way to pass the time and enjoy ourselves.
My experience at SEVENTEEN's Be The Sun concert also made me think of why concert producers persist in choosing the Philippine Arena, particularly for big acts.
One of the primary considerations is, of course, the high demand for tickets coupled with limited venue options.
Additionally, there are artists available for only one concert in the Philippine leg of their tour.
Watching the show at venues like the SM Mall of Asia Arena (declared capacity 20,000) or the Araneta Coliseum (declared capacity 16,500) may make for a more convenient commute, but this severely limits the number of fans allowed in, even with their hard-earned savings on standby.
In contrast, the Philippine Arena, with its fully enclosed structure, can accommodate up to 50,000 fans.
When ticket demand is high, having concerts there for just a day is the equivalent of hosting a concert over several days at another venue. And there's a lot of space for parking!
Of course, I still wholeheartedly agree that concertgoers deserve more hassle-free experiences. We're there to have fun, you know!
I can only remain hopeful that some wealthy businessman or the government itself takes the initiative to invest in a large-scale concert venue within the metro.
Another hope I have is for more roads to open up and more transport options to come up to help decongest the area surrounding the Philippine Arena.
Additionally, I like the idea of having hotels, cafes, restos, and convenience outlets nearby that can provide concertgoers with more comfort.
As for Philippine Arena itself, it can do with hiring more professional marshalls, positioning trained enforcers for smarter vehicle flow inside the grounds, managing its one and only entrance and exit better, and maybe even adding more openings to blast those gridlocks out of the universe.
Promise—the fans will love the Arena for it!
I understand that not everyone is as gung-ho as I am when it comes to turning concerts into all-day adventures.
But I truly believe in making the most out of seeing my favorite artist perform live.
We'll never know when we'll get another chance to witness their incredible stage presence and feel the electric vibe of their concerts—and a cavernous Philippine Arena with its massive stage is just the spot for all that energy!
So, I'd rather endure hours of traffic—I can always just gripe about it—than miss out on the mind-blowing experience of seeing my fave artists rock the stage!
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