Now that concerts are back, more and more international artists have been coming to the Philippines, especially with the rise of the Philippine Arena in Bulacan. It's the largest indoor stadium in the country, with a seating capacity of 55,000. Just recently, Bruno Mars' concert was held there. While it looked like a lot of fun, several netizens ranted about their pre- and post-concert experience online, including celebs like Maine Mendoza.
"Went to see Bruno Mars in Philippine Arena and made it to the finale. Happy pa din kasi umabot sa last two songs. Napaka-hassle lang talaga ng entry and exit! Has it always been like this? Kumusta ang previous concerts dito? And Tamang Panahon?! Shocks sorry kung ganito din ka-hassle," she wrote—and I can somehow relate!
Back in March 2023, I watched Harry Styles' concert at the Philippine Arena with my sister. It was my first time attending a concert again since the pandemic, so I was v v excited! I've heard some not-so-good stories about past concerts at the Arena, so I came prepared—or so I thought. We went there a bit early to avoid traffic, but there were still some unexpected things that happened. Below, I listed down some of the lessons I've learned based on my personal experience!
My 'Love On Tour' Concert Experience At The Philippine Arena
Lesson #1: Park near the exit.
When my sister and I finally arrived at Ciudad de Victoria, we headed straight to the parking lot in front of the Philippine Arena and parked our private vehicle there. At that time, we were just willing to take any free slot.
We realized, however, that it was a bad decision when the concert was over. The huge parking lot only had one exit, and there were obviously *a lot* of cars. We ended up being stuck in the parking lot for over two hours. As you can see in this snap, the traffic flow wasn't managed well:
The concert ended at about 10 p.m. and fortunately, we were able to head back to NLEX at around 1 a.m.
According to concert-goers on TikTok, Parking D and E are great parking spots since they're near the exit. But of course, the whole complex is huuuge, so expect to do lots of walking and wear comfortable clothes. Fortunately, I wore a pair of comfy white sneakers that day!
Lesson #2: Leave some snacks and drinks in the car.
As we were stuck in traffic, both of us got hungry, and we realized that we should have left some food in the car. My sister, who was the one driving, was also getting quite sleepy, so having some snacks to munch on would have been helpful.
In case you're wondering, there are a lot of food stalls inside (and right outside) the Philippine Arena. But of course, expect that the lines will be long.
Lesson #3: Bring enough cash.
Phone signals are *unstable* at the Philippine Arena. (I have a Globe SIM card, btw.) What's more, I couldn't access my GCash so it's best to have cash on hand. If you're also planning to see your friends, be sure to agree on a meet-up spot at the venue!
Lesson #4: Bring lots of patience.
TBH, I don't think I'll be watching another concert at the Philippine Arena anytime soon. Nonetheless, I still had fun, and I don't regret seeing one of my favorite artists perform live! There are definitely a lot of improvements that must be done, and I hope that the organizers will continue to help iron out these issues for upcoming concerts. After all, concert tickets don't come cheap, and it takes effort to get to the venue, especially for commuters.