By Erica Cayme
Since the ease of the pandemic lockdowns and restrictions, concerts and events are gradually returning.
Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, Araneta Coliseum, North EDSA SkyDome in Quezon City, and Frontier Theater are some of the places the major artists chose to perform. Meanwhile, the Philippine Arena in Bulacan is also growing in prominence as a performance venue.
Famous artists like SEVENTEEN, Black Pink, Bruno Mars, and Harry Styles have performed in the Philippine Arena, and concertgoers have experienced mixed emotions.
Ins and Outs
Unlike the other concert venue, Philippine Arena can accommodate up to 55,00 maximum seating capacity —- the world’s biggest indoor, mixed-use theater, according to Guinness World Records.
Despite Philippine Arena being more extensive than the other concert venues, not everyone believes it is a “concert-friendly” venue due to the lack of transportation, shopping centers, and accommodation where fans can stay while waiting for the concert.
The lack of mass public transportation options like Grab, Angkas, Joyride, Jeepneys, or even trains is already an obstacle for most attendees.
Fans of various artists who attended their concerts at the Philippine Arena complained that it took them around an hour or so to leave the parking lot because of the number of cars and lack of various exits.
Netizens also advised the concertgoers to arrive at the venue early because of traffic and difficulty finding parking.
In the case of the concerts of SEVENTEEN, BLACKPINK, and Harry Styles, the event organizer, Live Nation, has provided limited shuttle services for attendees, which can be avail at the SM Tickets booths.
Aside from the lack of transportation, the mobile signal in the vicinity is also unstable. Fans remind future concertgoers to have enough load for text and calls in case of emergency.
There is also limited access to food and beverages as there are no restaurants nearby the venue.
Live Nation provided some food stalls during the recent concerts, but more was needed to accommodate all the fans. Cash payments are also suggested because the mobile signal is unstable, making online payment difficult.
Fans Suggest
Although it may be more convenient to watch the event in places like the SM Mall of Asia Arena (claimed capacity of 20,000) or the Araneta Coliseum (announced capacity of 16,500), this drastically restricts the number of people permitted.
Fans hope for more transportation alternatives and new roads to open up to help the Philippine Arena to become less congested.
The placement of skilled enforcers for more innovative vehicle traffic inside the grounds, better management of the entrance and exit of the venue, and adding more openings are some of the suggestions of the concertgoers.
Philippine Arena has the potential to be loved by dear concertgoers, but it takes a lot of listening and action to become one.