PREPARATIONS for the highly anticipated University of the Philippines (UP) Fair have begun, as the musical fest is set to return in February.
The week-long event was last held in 2023, three years after the COVID-19 pandemic that halted live productions worldwide.
The UP Fair is considered as the “biggest student-initiated activity” in the campus attended by various artists and thousands of people every night, according to the University of the Philippines-Diliman’s (UPD) website.
Organized by the University Student Council (USC), the UP Fair is held annually at the Sunken Garden.
This year’s edition seems to have a lot to offer to attendees as it will be held for six days, kicking off on February 12.
Each day is dedicated to a theme: “Hiwaga” (Monday), “Pop Rising” (Tuesday), “Kalye Tunes” (Wednesday), “Quests” (Thursday), “Elements” (Friday), and “REV” (Saturday).
Several artists who will conquer the stage at the UP Fair have been revealed. Let’s meet the performers:
Kicking off the UP Fair on February 12 for “Hiwaga” is Filipino singer-songwriter Adie, who is known for his songs “Paraluman,” “Tahanan” and “Mahika.”
Adie was revealed to be part of the lineup in December 2023, with a video of him inviting everyone to attend the music fest.
Organizers of “Hiwaga” yesterday said that the first batch of tickets has sold out, but attendees still have a chance to purchase tickets in the following days.
It added that it has more surprises as they are set to reveal the other artists for “Hiwaga.” It partnered with record label O/C Records founded by celebrity couple Kean Cipriano and Chynna Ortaleza-Cipriano.
P-pop fans will have a blast on February 13 as P-pop groups ALAMAT and G22 are set to perform for “Pop Rising.”
ALAMAT is a multilingual and multiethnic boy band composed of aneo, Tomas, Mo, Jao, R-Ji and Alas. They are known for their songs “Maharani,” “Day and Night” and “Dagundong.”
G22, on the other hand, is a three-member group composed of AJ, Alfea and Jaz. They are known for their songs “Loka,” “BANG” and Musika.”
For Valentine’s Day, “Kalye Tunes” will bring the attendees to a nostalgic trip with popular love songs from the early 2000s.
Known to be “a night of local hiphop and original Pinoy music,” “Kalye Tunes” has Macwun of Gagong Rapper, Aikee, and Repablikan in its lineup. They popularized the songs “Kabet,” “Dota o Ako?” and “Paglisan,” respectively.
P-pop groups will once again dominate the stage as “REV” will be headlined by ALAMAT, VXON and BINI.
VXON is a five-member boy group consisting of C13, Sam, Franz, Vince and Patrick. The quintet are the hitmakers behind “Breaking Bad,” “Sandal,” and “Dulo.”
Meanwhile, BINI is an eight-member girl group composed of Jhoanna, Aiah, Colet, Maloi, Gwen, Stacey, Mikha and Sheena. They are behind the songs “Pantropiko,” “Lagi,” and “Na Na Na.”
“REV” organizers have yet to reveal their artist no. 4 but they seemed to drop a hint when they reposted Filipina R&B sensation Denise Julia’s post on X (formerly Twitter).
“up fair … ? :>,” Denise Julia posted on Wednesday, to which “REV” organizers replied, “Hello,” along with a smiling face with hearts emoji.
Meanwhile, artists who will perform for “Quests” and “Elements” have yet to be unveiled.
A platform for advocacies
The UP Fair is not entirely about music and for people to meet their favorite artists.
Students also use it as a platform for their advocacies and to bring social awareness related to education and human rights, to name a few.
For 2024, the advocacies that organizers are pushing for are: “Pop Rising” for free and quality education, “Kalye Tunes” for the rights of urban poor communities, “Quests” for women and queer empowerment, “Elements” for farmers’ welfare, and “REV” for minority rights.
The fair is also a fundraising activity for various beneficiaries of the participating student organizations.
