UP Fair 2023 invites you to share your love for music and important advocacies in its week-long celebration.
Apart from its being the country’s premier state university, the Oblation, ikot/toki jeepneys, mouth-watering isaw, and being The Eraserheads’ alma mater, the University of the Philippines is also known for its annual week-long celebration of Pinoy music called the UP Fair. Held every February, the long-held tradition gathers some of the institutions and the best up-and-coming artists in the OPM scene for five festive nights and transform’s the university’s famous Sunken Garden.
Students, non-students, friends, lovers, and even loners looking to vibe to some great music can have some good time during the season of love. This year, the UP Fair returns and is poised to be more resonant than ever with its advocacy-themed offering. Curious about the lineup, schedules, and ticket prices? Here’s what we know so far.
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UP FAIR 2023: KAISA KA SA MUSIKA
“Huwag mag-alinlangan sa iyong paglaban,” encourages the UP Fair 2023 teaser. “ Dahil maraming paraan upang isulong ang iyong mga pinaniniwalaan. Sabayan ang saya, ang kumpas ng iyong mga adbokasiya. Tayo na’t tumungo sa lansangan at makiisa sa koro ng masa. Palakasin ang iyong tinig, dahil sa UP Fair 2023, Kaisa ka sa Musika!”
The new year signals a refreshed edition of the UP Fair and this time, the much-anticipated university-led concert will also put the spotlight on relevant advocacies as its core inspiration for the event. The tagline, Kaisa Ka Sa Musika, invites fairgoers to not just share their love for music, but also to bring with them their passion for the causes that they strongly hold.
This is why this year, apart from the usual food stalls or fair rides, the UP Fair 2023 will also add advocacy booths at the venue to cater to those who want to expand their knowledge about the nation’s most pressing concerns or to extend their participation in upholding advocacies that resonate with them.
The UP Fair 2023 will be a five-day music celebration at the UP Diliman’s Sunken Garden Grandstand starting on February 14 until February 18, 2023 (Tuesday to Friday). Per usual, each day has its own night handlers and themes: REV (Tuesday), Kalye Tunes (Wednesday), Dimensions (Thursday), Polaris (Friday), and Cosmos (Saturday).
THE LINEUP
While most of the lineups of the UP Fair days have yet to be completely unveiled, some artists that have already been revealed are surely enough reason to get you hyped up.
Bannering the “Love x Freedom” theme, REV has announced that Gem Largo, Hey June, Bree, The Vowels They Orbit, Better Days, and Gracenote. They have also recently revealed that Filipino bands Imago and Moonstar88 will be gracing the event. Singing your heart out to Torete on Valentine’s Day? We know you’d love that.
A night of local hip hop and original Pinoy music, Kalye Tunes will feature musicians like the singer-songwriter and dancer Zae, singer-activist Jon Bonifacio, Pinoy bands Kennedy, Pik Nik and Kartell’em, and rappers Al James, Because, Kiyo, Ron Henley, and Abra.
The tickets for the Thursday event, Dimensions, have already been selling out fast because of its grand lineup that boasts names like Any Name’s Okay, Lola Amour, Orange & Lemons, Unique Salonga, and Itchyworms. Take about a fire lineup! Be sure to check out Dimensions’ social media page for when the tickets will drop again.
While Polaris has yet to release their full line-up, it’s exciting to know that the night handler is someone responsible for the Balik UP Concert last December, which saw hottest OPM names like December Avenue, Zack Tabudlo, Juan Karlos, and Zild. Will they be bringing these artists back to the Sunken Garden concert stage? We sure hope so! For now, stay tuned to more announcements from Polaris.
Dubbed as an “OPM Festival” and a “benefit concert for sexual and reproductive health rights,” Cosmos looks to feature the best of mainstream and emerging Filipino talents. So far, Moonstar88 is confirmed to be back on the stage together with Munimuni and SOS. Cosmos has also prepared an official pre-event called Cosmos Clash on February 3, 2023 with artists RUTH-E, HNT, Indio, Aldrich Agad, Muffin, Hawaiian Combo Meal, and Along the Alps, and guest performances by Syd Hartha, Of Mercury, and drag queen Maria Cristina.
TICKETS
Regular UP Fair 2023 tickets are priced at P150 for UP students and P200 for non-UP students. Meanwhile, walk-in tickets sell at P200 for UP students and P300 for others. You can visit this link to know more about the ticket schedules and details per event.
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