You’ve reached your destination: CARAT Station Manila!

FILO CARATs, or fans of K-pop powerhouse SEVENTEEN, got their Caratbongs and photocards ready as they got off at their favorite station: CARAT Station Manila!

CARAT Station—a collaboration project between SEVENTEEN and digital music service Spotify—has finally arrived in the country, following its successful runs in Seoul, New York, and Tokyo. 

It is a themed pop-up event featuring various immersive spaces especially curated for Filo CARATs to turn their excitement up a notch for the Philippine leg of SEVENTEEN’s “RIGHT HERE” concert at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bulacan.

CARAT Station Manila opened its doors at Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City on Friday, January 17, a day before the long-awaited concert. It is free for all Spotify users.

The pop-up event was supposed to close on Sunday, but Spotify extended it until today, January 20. 

So, if you plan to stop by, here’s a sneak peek of what to expect at CARAT Station Manila.

Your guide to CARAT Station Manila

SEVENTEEN and Spotify put up the CARAT Station Manila to thank Filipino fans for their “unwavering love and support.” 

To give them another unforgettable experience, the 13-member K-pop boy group and the music service built up an exhilarating playground filled with vibrant colors and immersive stations. 

One of which is the Message Wall.

Message Wall is where fans express their love and support for their favorite idols by leaving a note on the board featuring a huge photo of SEVENTEEN. Several Filo CARATs even pasted their notes next to their bias.

Orange-colored pens and sticky notes that fans will use are already provided in the area.

To preserve such a happy memory, Filo CARATs can also take pictures inside the CARAT Photo Booth. 

However, the photo booth is only exclusive to Spotify Premium users where they are allowed to have one print per session. Up to three individuals can take a “Snap Shoot” per session in the photo booth.

Fans, especially the new Filo CARATs, will also learn more about each SEVENTEEN member through the SEVENTEEN Lockers, as each item in their lockers tells something about their characteristics.

Case in point: the tiger stuffed toy inside Hoshi’s locker, who is known to be a self-proclaimed “horanghi” or tiger. He expresses his love for CARATs by saying “Horanghae,” a combination of two Korean words “horanghi” and “saranghae (I love you).”

There is also a pizza display inside DK’s locker, whose favorite food is Pizza; musical instruments in Woozi’s locker, known as SEVENTEEN’s “genius composer,” and a tea set inside The8’s locker, who loves doing tea ceremonies.

But there is one spot in CARAT Station Manila that has become a crowd favorite: the CARAT Train!

Fans boarded the CARAT Train by batch, where they got to bond with each other by singing fan chants together. It was as if they had a fan chant rehearsal for SEVENTEEN’s songs—such as “HIT,” “Rock With You,” and “LOVE, MONEY, FAME”—before the concert. 

Pre-concert experience in CARAT Train

Several content creators, known to be CARATs, shared with republicasia why the CARAT Train was their favorite spot in CARAT Station Manila.

Arshie Larga, who is also a pharmacist, said the fan chant experience in the CARAT Train felt like a “pre-game” for the “RIGHT HERE” concert.

“Kasi parang maganda siyang pre-game—pre-game?!—talaga for the concert tomorrow. Talagang makakapag-fan chant ka and sing along with your favorite K-pop idol or your favorite SEVENTEEN member,” he told republicasia. “So yeah, come and join us here!”

Rodolf Jamilla, meanwhile, said it became a bridge that connected fans as they sang the fan chants in chorus.

“Nagkakaroon kami ng connection with my fellow CARATs and talagang mapapa-’Aju Nice’ ka na talaga and ito ‘yung aming practice para sa SEVENTEEN ‘RIGHT HERE’ in Bulacan,” he said.

Andrea Fabian said the CARAT Train gave them a “preview” of what the Filipino crowd would sound like at the concert.

“We’re so excited and we’re so hyped and everyone just had so much fun. So yeah, that is definitely my favorite!” she said.

Of course, SEVENTEEN and Spotify would not allow Filo CARATs to go home empty-handed. 

Aside from capturing and filming moments in CARAT Station Manila, fans were given exclusive merchandise, including a concert banner for Premium users, at the Spotify Merch Kiosk. 

In a notice, Spotify Philippines said Glorietta Mall will close at 9 p.m. on Monday. However, CARAT Station Manila will close its doors at 10 p.m. for the last batch.

Don’t miss out, Filo CARATs! See you at CARAT Station Manila!