Waterbomb Manila Debuts in the Philippines in the Most Memorable Way!
An energizing and splash-tacular weekend activity last February 22 became a memorable day for K-Pop and Hallyu fans with the debut of WATERBOMB MANILA!
Hailed as the most sought-after water music festival originating from Korea, Waterbomb ‘World Tour’ made its way to Manila. From local artists, amazing DJs, K-Hip-hop icons, and K-Pop superstars, the said festival became an amazing experience for the Filipino fans who’ve been demanding it for years.
To mark its historic Manila debut, the Annyeong Oppa team was lucky enough to be part of the famed music festival’s Philippine debut. We’re pretty confident that our must-have essentials became pretty handy for you!
Opening Performance + Activities Around
Not even the afternoon weather could stop fans from entering the Quirino Grandstand as the Philippines’ very own Thea Astley opens the stage. Her performance was very enjoyable to pump up the energy of the crowd!
Also, exciting interactive booths such as photo booths, inflatable play areas, and skincare stores are present together with different food stalls to keep the attendees full and entertained throughout the day.
Incredible Beats to Hype Everyone Up
Highly acclaimed producers and DJs APRO, IMLAY, J.E.B., DJ ROOTS, ZB & ATION, and RAIDEN kept the momentum up with occasional water bombs between their sets! It’s actually fun to wait if you’ll get wet or surprised with smoke machines during their sets, and we’re not really going to lie that at some point, we weren’t an exception getting wet.
K-Poppin Performances
Feather queen Lee Chaeyeon dominated the stage with her solo performance, and we definitely got impressed by how comfortable she was performing “Knock” and “Don’t,” It’s actually a sweet moment for her fans for finally meeting her once again after a long while.
STAYC also reunites with their fans with their immersive performance, such as “ASAP,” with special water bombs to their fans!
Meanwhile, Kwon Eunbi makes her first Philippine performance of “Door” and “Beautiful Night,” making us recall that she is definitely one of our Waterbomb icons.
Gettin Wet N’ Wild
Thanks to Kim Jong Kook, Baekho, and Hwasa’s sets, Waterbomb wouldn’t be Waterbomb without someone removing their shirts or, you know, just maintaining the intensity!
At first, Running Man’s Kim Jong Kook was initially reserved, but he took the audience back to 90s K-Pop with his group’s hit, “Black Cat” and his iconic “Loveable.” Alongside him, Mighty Mouth’s Shorry, one of his good friends, supported him on stage.
I can’t remember how many times we wiped our faces since we were so drenched after listening to “Wet N’ Wild,” one of Waterbomb’s theme songs, performed by Baekho. When he took off his shirt, his incredible body blessed us!
As legendary as she is, MAMAMOO’s Hwasa brought her classics “Twit” and “Maria” back to the Philippines, keeping the audience energized. Oh, and yeah, we were amazed when she danced to Tyla’s “Water.”
K-Hip-Hop Represents
Waterbomb’s artist roster has always featured K-Hip-hop or K-Rap musicians, and we can attest to how thrilled we were to see B.I., Dynamicduo, and Epik High perform on the first day!
B. I. performed in the afternoon with singles including “Waterfall” and “BTBT.” Meanwhile, Dynamicduo, the pioneers of k-Hip-hop, made their stage debut in the Philippines with the smash “AEAO” and actually lit up the crowd with “Smoke.”
Finally, the incredibly entertaining Epik High made a comeback to Manila and soaked everyone with their numerous water bomb strikes! We would never complain about being wet when listening to “No Thanxx” and “One” because they are so amazing!
A Memorable First Day Finale
We secretly hoped it would last forever, but as is always the case, good things have to end. The reunion between EXO’s Chanyeol, also known as Mr. Pogi, and his EXO-Ls was so much fun that he even used water guns to tease fans! And when Chanyeol sang “Hasta La Vista” to cap off the evening, it served as a reminder that there would be another exciting Waterbomb day.
As Waterbomb Manila’s first day draws to a close, a fireworks show illuminated the Quirino grandstand with the endearing message that music unites all fans.
As first-time Waterbomb attendees, we wholeheartedly concur. Discovering the variety of music turned into a fascinating experience! Cheering and dancing at every performance, together with its wide range of genres and international acts, makes this event a one-of-a-kind memory that we will cherish.
We are now anticipating the next Waterbomb’s return to Manila, even though day two isn’t quite over yet.
