10 Most Hyped Concerts We Looked Forward to in 2023

(SPOT.ph) 2023 proved that the world is compensating for the lockdowns. If there’s such thing as travel revenge, then you best believe there’s concert revenge. We’re talking Filipinos here—being a fan is in our DNA.

This year, we had ITZY, Arctic Monkeys, and Melanie Martinez grace our shores for the first time. We also welcomed the return of The 1975, Air Supply, A1, and LAUV who can’t get enough of the Manila crowd.

From the 2000s to mainstream to K-Pop, here are 10 of the most highly anticipated concerts that had everyone splurging in 2023.

Also read: Don't Miss These International Acts Coming to the PH in 2023

2023's best concerts in the Philippines

ENHYPEN

You know ENHYPEN is no joke when they sold out three nights in a row from February 3 to 5 at the Mall of Asia Arena. Nevermind that the K-Pop group only debuted in late 2020—the online ticket selling had over 150,000 people in line to snag a concert ticket for ENHYPEN.

The crowd was loud as ever as the seven-piece performed a total of 19 songs. During “Polaroid Love,” the boys went closer to the audience to hand out merchandise. Jungwon also said the Philippines is “the most passionate” out of the many countries they have visited for the Manifesto world tour so far (not that we’re surprised). The success of the Manila show has ENHYPEN going back for seconds, this time at New Clark City Stadium in February 2024.

Also read: NAIA, ENHYPEN, and "Unprofessional Behavior": A Short History

Backstreet Boys

Backstreet’s back, alright! For the boyband’s 30th anniversary, no less. They might no longer be putting their abs on display, but the five-piece is still well worth the watch with pop songs that still don’t feel out of place in today’s music scene.

Nostalgic hits filled the Mall of Asia Arena on February 20, with a few acapella numbers here and there to prove they’ve still got it. Backstreet Boys have been to the Philippines five times, but the hype isn’t going away anytime soon. Take it from AJ McLean: “Little fun fact. This is by far the loudest crowd ever. Ever, ever ever… This is the best place on earth, the best crowd and fans… There’s so much love in this room.”

Honorable mention goes to Westlife, who had scheduled a Manila concert the exact same night Backstreet Boys did. Both bands were last in the Philippines in mid-2019.

Also read: Tell Me Why: Backstreet Boys and Westlife Both Schedule Manila Concerts on February 20

Carly Rae Jepsen

We know, we know. Carly Rae Jepsen’s return to Manila wasn’t her own concert, but as Wanderland Arts and Music Festival’s headlining act on March 4. Everyone’s favorite pop princess got everyone rushing to buy passes for the annual music festival. We would be remiss to not consider her comeback as one of 2023’s most highly anticipated.

The entire performance was a masterclass in production. From top-notch audio to stunning visuals, her set was as much of a feast for the eyes as it was for the ears. With random bursts of smoke clouds, colorful confetti showers, and sudden outfit changes, Carly Rae Jepsen gave the Manila crowd a night to remember, which was enough to turn her Loneliest Time into her Loveliest Time.

Also read: 10 Wanderland 2023 Moments to Feed Your FOMO

Simple Plan

It’s been over a decade since Simple Plan visited the Philippines. Now in the band’s fourth time, they take to the New Frontier Theatre in Cubao and SMX Convention Center in Davao for a sold-out show on March 11 and 12, respectively.

Early 2000s hits aren’t the same without teen angst anthems like “Welcome to My Life,” “Perfect” and “I’m Just A Kid.” We might have done a lot of growing up since then, but the impact the songs have linger in us to this day. Pierre Bouvier said it best: “It’s pretty crazy that we are still here."

Harry Styles

On March 24, the Philippine Arena was Harry’s House. Harry Styles' concert for “Love on Tour” was a highly anticipated event, especially considering it was his first performance in the country in five years.

Fan interactions will always have a place in his concerts—and the Manila show is no different. There was a proposal to “Sign of the Times” (which sadly turned out to be a hoax relationship to begin with) and six bananas as spotted during the “She’s Dressed as a Banana” segment. Who could forget Nicole, the loudest lady in Thailand who happens to be Filipina? Harry Styles went looking for her in the barricade that night and was found when she screamed her loud scream.

The setlist also featured a variety of songs from his earlier albums, as well as a nod to his One Direction days. For one night, the whole arena was covered in hot pink, glitter, and feather boas.

Also read: Marriage Proposals, Nicole, and Bananas: What You Missed at the Harry Styles Concert

Blackpink

No concert list is complete without the mention of Blackpink. They’re the first K-Pop group to hold a two-day concert at the Philippine Arena. As one would suspect, the entire crowd was a sea of black and pink outfits with hammer bong lightsticks on March 25 and 26.

The concert comes on the heels of Blackpink being pegged as “the biggest girl group in the world” in late 2022, so the audience turnout was no surprise at all. Several local celebrities were in attendance that night, but it was Andrea Brillantes’ Star Magic promposal to then boyfriend Ricci Rivero that caught Blackpink’s eye.

They performed over 20 songs, many of which were pulled from “The Album” and “Born Pink.” We got to witness Lisa’s pole-dancing skills (!!!), Jisoo’s cover in red, Jennie’s sneak peak into then-unreleased song “You & Me,” and Rosé's smooth medley of “Hard to Love” and “On The Ground.”

Bruno Mars

Oh, Bruno Mars. Very few international acts have the following to book the Philippine Arena, but Bruno Mars manages to sell out two nights on June 24 and 25 in the world’s largest indoor venue like it’s nothing. With groovy hits like “Treasure,” “Finesse,” and “That’s What I Like,” who wouldn’t grab the chance to see this 15-time Grammy winner in the flesh?

That night, the whole arena turned into a dance floor. Older classics like “Grenade” and Nothin’ On You” can’t be missed either. He even spoke in Filipino as a treat to fans: Masaya ba kayo? Nahihiya ako! There’s nothing quite like watching a Filipino perform to a Manila crowd. Unfortunately, a large number of attendees missed half the concert from the traffic jam that surrounded the venue.

TWICE

TWICE saw a surge in following in the pandemic, so it’s only expected that hype would translate into two sold-out shows at the Philippine Arena on September 30 and October 1.

There’s a lot to love about the READY TO BE concert. Few K-Pop groups have the same genuine connection to fans as TWICE does with Onces. Technical issues plagued the first night with Chaeyong nowhere in sight, but the Filipino cheers and chants quickly made up for it. Before the end of the show, TWICE had even re-sang some of the earlier songs that were plagued by technical issues.

The night had no shortage of inside jokes, either. Onces bark at the group, Dahyun responds. There was a couple of grabe’s and baliw’s thrown in there. Our personal favorite: when Jihyo and Nayeon yelled “shot puno” before performing “Alcohol-Free.”

Joji

Joji was supposed to headline a music festival before the Philippines went on a national lockdown in 2020. This built up enough hype for Manila on November 30 as part of the Pandemonium tour’s last three stops. It was quite the clutch, too, considering that he cancelled his remaining Asia shows in Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong after the Manila concert due to health reasons.

Joji didn’t just have fans slow dancing in the dark, but laughing to his meme personas of the past. Half of the concert was an ode to his past life in his first solo concert in the Philippines, which means a nostalgic throwback with “Plastic Taste” and “Gimme Love.” If not the sentimental tracks, EDM blasted throughout the arena with inflatable balls and pool noodles going around. In-between sets, he yelled: “Manila is the greatest city on Earth!”

Fall Out Boy

2023 was a great year for the emo kids. We had Mayday Parade, Simple Plan, Neck Deep, and of course, Fall Out Boy. It was a Christmas miracle for most of us, considering this is the first time Fall Out Boy has been to the Philippines in a decade.

Manila shows in 2007, 2009, and 2013 prove that they’ve still got loyal fans in wait with a sold-out concert (within an hour!) at the Araneta Coliseum on December 9. It was a trip down memory lane with classics like “A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More ‘Touch Me’” and “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race.”

“I’m so sorry it took so long to be here. We missed the Philippines,” Patrick Stump told the crowd. “You guys are the best audience in this entire tour easily.”