A Rave To Remember: &Friends Festival Hits Manila – Review

On May 30 and 31, the first-ever &Friends Festival landed on Philippine shores, transforming Cove Manila at Okada into a euphoric combination of light, sound, and sweat-drenched rave energy. Marketed as an all-encompassing celebration of pop and gaming culture, the event fused a convention atmosphere with multiple genre-specific stages and a massive main stage that pulsed with back-to-back techno-fueled sets.

Bringing in a stacked lineup of international EDM headliners, the festival offered a rare thrill for Filipino dance music fans. BBNO$ and Illenium made their long-awaited Philippine debuts, while Zedd made his prodigal return to Manila, headlining the festival’s biggest night. Though I unfortunately missed Day 2, the event used the time to also feature a spotlight on OPM (Original Pinoy Music), with standout performances from Ylona Garcia, Amiel Sol, and other local acts.

With over 50 artists across two days, the venue was split into a winding maze of stages: the main music stage for the heavy-hitters, the Friendship Stage for local and international DJ sets, the Creator Stage for OPM acts, and even a K-pop rave that lit up Day 1. The result was a vibrant, chaotic playground where every corner offered a different sound and subculture.

Naturally, the crowd came dressed to impress. Attendees showed up in full rave attire — bejeweled outfits, LED fingertip gloves, and leftover cosplay from the convention floor — adding color and character to an already electric atmosphere.

However, the festival’s scale also brought logistical headaches. Held across multiple areas within Okada, getting from one stage to another could take up to seven minutes, especially between the Expo area and the main stage. For those chasing performances across the venue, the walk was unavoidable. For those staking out at the event for the whole day, there was just one food booth the festival itself offered — a single pizza stand buried in the corner of the Crystal Pavilion.

Still, the music made up for what the festival itself lacked. As the night wore on, the energy only grew stronger. DJ BOTCASH lit up the main stage with infectious charisma — pulling out an electric guitar, flinging frisbees into the crowd, and dropping an unexpected dubstep remix of Maki’s “Dilaw.” Next up was Kiara, who kept the momentum alive with a set that bounced from club anthems to aggressive rap and dubstep bangers.

Hoang followed with pounding bass and tongue-in-cheek visuals (spinning cat memes and Labubu animations), while Dutch duo €URO TRA$H brought the tempo down with a slick blend of house grooves, tinged with acidic bass lines.

And, of course, what was day one without Zedd? As the main event of the night, he delivered a set that justified every aching foot in the room. Backed by lasers, strobes, and a crowd packed to the walls, he blasted out crowd-pleasers like “Starving,” “I Want You To Know,” and “Stay the Night.” The moment he played his signature anthem “Clarity,” the entire Cove lit up with waving flashlights and thousands of voices singing every word in unison.

Despite its organizational hiccups, &Friends Festival proved that there is both a demand and an audience for a large-scale EDM-focused event in the Philippines. With its international talent and euphoric atmosphere, the weekend gave Filipino ravers something they’ve long deserved — and left them with ringing ears and full hearts.