Here's Your Ultimate Guide to the Philippine Arena

(SPOT.ph) Philippine Arena has become every fan’s worst nightmare: heavy traffic, lack of transportation, remote location, and lack of accommodation make for an inconvenient concert experience. Yet we're willing to bet none of that is enough to stop you from coming over to watch your fave acts.

The Philippine Arena was inaugurated almost 10 years ago, but it’s only now that concert organizers are making the switch to be able to accomodate a larger swath of fans. Even with all its inconveniences, the Philippine Arena is slowly becoming go-to spot for the biggest names in the music industry. 

That said, it's best to come to the Philippine Arena prepared for battle. 

Also read: LIST: All the International Acts Coming to the Philippines in 2024

Everything to know about the Philippine Arena

Background

The Philippine Arena is the world's largest indoor stadium, with a seating capacity of 55,000. Many might not know this, but it is actually part of a larger complex called Ciudad de Victoria, which also includes a convention center, a hotel, a commercial center, and a religious center for Iglesia ni Cristo (INC).

According to architect Populous, the Philippine Arena is one of the five most earthquake-resistant structures in the world. It was built to withstand strong typhoons and earthquakes that rock Bulacan every so often.

Since opening to the public, the Philippine Arena has hosted PBA games, FIBA World Cups, and international concerts of Katy Perry, Guns N’ Roses, SEVENTEEN, Harry Styles, and BLACKPINK.

Public transportation

There is no sugarcoating it: there is little to no mass public transportation in or near the Philippine Arena. This includes even Grab and Angkas. Without a private car, this can prove challenging (and expensive) for a venue that is some 30 kilometers north of Metro Manila.

Contrary to popular belief, there are a few ways to commute to the Philippine Arena.

• Catch a bus at Farmers Plaza in Cubao to Barangay Turo in Bocaue. The bus should have a signboard of “Bocaue Exit” on it. From there, take a tricycle to the Philippine Arena.
• Take a P2P bus from SM North EDSA or TriNoma with a direct route to Bocaue or Sta. Maria. Ride a tricycle to the Philippine Arena.
• Head to LRT-1 D. Jose Station. Below the station is a bus terminal with buses en route to Barangay Turo as well. Buses should have a signboard of “Sta. Cruz – Bocaue.” Don’t be shy to ask bus conductors for some guidance! Afterwards, take a tricycle to the Philippine Arena.
• From Monumento, take a bus with a “Balagtas-Monumento” signboard then get off at the Bocaue or Sta. Maria stop. Take a tricycle to the Philippine Arena.
• PITX buses will pass by LRT Buendia, Taft, Lawton, Quiapo, Dangwa, and Andres Bonifacio before reaching the North Luzon Express terminal stop, which is located beside the Philippine Arena.

Fortunately, concert organizers like Live Nation Philippines have started to offer shuttle bus rides to and from the venue. Based on previous prices, roundtrip fares from Vertis North will cost P450, while roundtrip fares from Mall of Asia will cost P600. Trips run every 30 minutes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Only concert ticket holders can purchase shuttle bus tickets at SM Tickets. Check out Live Nation’s guidelines for this service below.

Street teams might also work on providing a van rental or car pool service for fans at a lesser cost. You can check out Facebook groups or Twitter threads for this.

Navigation

The drive to the Philippine Arena is far, but it’s nowhere near complicated. Just make sure to have an Easytrip RFID to be able to pass through the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) like a breeze.

From Metro Manila, take the NLEX. Keep on the right side of the expressway to enter Ciudad de Victoria, which is just after the Marilao exit. No need to take the Bocaue exit like older guides suggest since there’s already a dedicated route going straight to the Philippine Arena.

The NLEX Toll Plaza comes right before entering the parking area of the Philippine Arena.

Also read: 10 Places to Stay Near the Philippine Arena for Every Budget

Parking

Running out of parking is no problem since the Philippine Arena has enough slots for over 10,000 vehicles scattered across the venue. Parking A to D are designated for small private vehicles, while Parking E are designated for buses and other vehicles.

However, entering and exiting the venue is no joke due to the sheer volume of vehicles trying to squeeze in. Many attendees have reported taking two hours at the minimum to get out of traffic gridlock—and that’s only heading out of the event grounds. This is because the Philippine Arena only has two entrance and two exit points.

Pro-tip: try to park near the exit to avoid getting stuck in traffic after the concert. Parking D and E are nearest to the exit but farthest from the stadium. Regardless, still expect roads to be heavily congested.

Food and beverage

The Philippine Arena was once criticized for not having any food and beverage outlets within the venue. Fortunately, it has since improved accessibility for necessities (minus the fact that it could take an hour to get to the front of the line).

There’s no fixed location for the food establishments as this will depend on the concert organizer’s call. For instance, it was at the food pavilion in a parking lot for Harry Styles’ concert, while it was at the Philippine Sports Stadium for the BLACKPINK concert. Food concessionaires range from cheap fast food to full blown meals.

Inside the stadium are more food establishments, but with even longer lines compared to the outside.

Looking for a more sit-down type of restaurant? Make a quick stop at the Petron Station NLEX-Northbound. That is the nearest food establishment to the Philippine Arena. The writer of this guide made a rookie mistake of assuming there would be more restaurants on the way to the Philippine Arena, only to find the stadium right there. Do expect that the Petron Station will also be packed with people.

Whatever the case, it’s best to eat heavy meal before heading to the Philippine Arena.

Phone signal

No matter the service provider, we can count on the Philippine Arena to give us nothing (when it comes to signal). Yes, we mean Smart, Globe, Sun, and TNT.

Phone signal is weak in the venue, which is why it is highly recommended for concertgoers to decide on a meeting place in case they get separated from family or friends. This is also why cash is king, as online payment methods like GCash or Maya will likely be inaccessible (PSA: there are no ATMs for cashing out, either).

Seating chart

This is what the inside of the venue looks like:

Be prepared to get up four flights of stairs for the Upper Box sections.

Site map

Take note that the site map below is what was provided for the Harry Styles concert in March. The placement of certain facilities may or may not have been changed over the past few months.

Prohibited items

Here is a quick list of prohibited items at the Philippine Arena:

• No smoking and vaping
• No banners bigger than size A4
• No water bottles or tumblers
• No drug or medication unless cleared with medical personnel
• No professional cameras
• No selling of unofficial merchandise
• No backpacks bigger than 12x12
• No outside food and drinks
• No selfie sticks
• No large costumes unless surrendered for security inspection
• No double purpose security gadgets
• No drones
• No spike belts or bracelets