Manila (CNN Philippines Life) — Sudden downpours, long MRT lines, and flash floods are all signals that summer is officially winding down — and subsequently, this also means that music festival season is almost over.
As a last hurrah for the summer, the Alliance Française de Manila is celebrating its annual Fête de la Musique in Manila on June 18 and 23. As in the past years, the lineup is almost as act-heavy as big music festivals like Coachella or Lollapalooza. Festivities start at 4 p.m. at the A-Venue open-parking main stage with the electronic musician BP Valenzuela and the experimental hip-hop/soul musician RH Xanders. Reese Lansangan will open the main stage in the Greenbelt 3 park at 4:30 p.m., and over a hundred acts will be performing at various pocket stages scattered around the Makati area. Admission is free to the festival, featuring performances from local and international musicians under genres that range from bedroom beats and Xperimental to grunge and electronica.
Fête has always been the perfect opportunity to discover new music, which can make it tempting to go to all the stages. Though the venues do seem theoretically close to each other, having to go back and forth to catch your favorite bands could be tiring and pricey. With that in mind, CNN Philippines Life has come up with a solution to help you make the most of this year’s Fête: a nifty little guide featuring festival essentials, a list of the stages that are close to each other, and quick tips.
Prep the essentials
Sure, Makati is dotted with 7-Elevens around every corner, but it doesn’t hurt to over-prepare maybe just a little. For Fête, it would be best to pack a light bag, dress comfortably, and do away with whatever you don’t think you’ll actually end up using for the day. Keep it practical: Bring your phone, a power bank (or even just your charger, because you never know where there could be plugs), tissues or wipes, hand sanitizer, an umbrella, and maybe a change of clothes. You can also opt to bring water and snacks, and even a book or something else to pass the time with in case you find yourself in the middle of a long wait. Bring emergency cash and spare change for commuting.
Make a checklist for artists and stages you want to see, and pay attention to schedules and venues, and how far apart they are. (More on that below.) Research routes for commutes to save cash on cab rides. If you’re bringing friends — definitely advisable for the festival! — write down their numbers just in case. A legal ID might also be wise to keep with you, as some places may want to check for them.
Game plan
There are 21 pocket stages situated around the Makati area. The diverse lineup features everyone from Pupil to up-and-coming indie bands like Oh, Flamingo! In the list below, grouped are the stages that are close to each other.
Jazz Stage at Sage Bar, Shangri-La Makati*
Bedroom Beats Stage at The Belle & Dragon*, starts at 4 p.m.
Acoustic Stage at A Space
Hiphop Stage at M Cafe*
Blues-Soul-Funk Stage at H&J Sports Bar and Restaurant*
Blues Rock Stage at Le Cafe Curieux*
Eclectic and Art Stage at Lokal Hostel
Evolution of RnB Stage at Z Hostel
Mod Stage at Alchemy Bistro Bar*
Xperimental/Folk Stage at Pineapple Lab
Reggae Stage at B-Side, The Collective
Punk Stage at Mang Rudy’s Tuna Grill and Papaitan*
Grunge Stage at Aloha Bar & Grill, The Collective*
World Stage at The Cabin Bar & Bistro*
Electronica Stage at Time
Fusion Stage at Century City Mall (4th Floor)
Rock Stage at Green Sun (The Eye)
Indie stage at Green Sun (Axon)
Food will be sold at the SOMA Bistro
Stages that are outliers are: F*K Stage at Finders Keepers*; House Party Stage at Black Market, which starts at 10 p.m.; and Open Mic & Spoken Word Stage at Acceler8.
*Marked places serve food.
Here’s a map to illustrate which places are closest to one another.
Make the most of it
Fête de la Musique is a free event, but that doesn’t mean you can take it for granted. It brings together hundreds of artists from all over the world to celebrate music, even if they’re not well-known or they seem out of the ordinary, playing music that doesn’t cater to certain tastes.
There are three rules of thumb, then, to make sure you get the best that the festival has to offer: Go out of your comfort zone, check out at least one new band or type of music that you’ve never heard before, and don’t just stay in one place. Going back and forth to catch certain acts and sets may be tiring, but you just never know what you’ll miss. Plus, it’s the weekend — for just a few hours, it wouldn’t hurt to pretend that you’ve got all the time in the world.
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Fête de la Musique Philippines will be held on June 18 across Makati City, and on June 23 in Puerto Real Gardens, Intramuros. Acts for Intramuros include Up Dharma Down, Yolanda Moon, Giniling Festival, Save Me Hollywood, Jensen & the Flips, Encyclopedia Frown, Chase, and more. For the full lineup and schedules, visit the event’s Facebook page.
