FUSION: The Philippine Music Festival 2025 Brings Out The Best Of Filipino Music

“Musika natin ‘to!” (This is our music!)

This is the slogan of FUSION: The Philippine Music Festival as they’ve curated 10 years of local music festivals across the Philippines. Last March 15 at the CCP Open Grounds marked the Festival’s 10th anniversary, with previous iterations being headlined by none other than some of the industry’s greatest like KZ Tandingan, Bamboo, Gloc-9, and more. The night in itself boasted of a lineup listing OPM superstars like Maki, Ben&Ben, the Itchyworms, and more.

The full-day event as a whole served as a commemoration to the growth and evolution of local music, paying tribute to all the various genres that decorate the local music landscape from P-pop artists to classic rock hitmakers. Emulating this love for Filipino talent, festival-goers themselves could be seen enjoying the tunes whether in the pits, while chowing down on the various food stalls scattered across the venue, or even just laying down on their mats while gazing at the night sky.

The performances themselves didn’t skimp any shorter either, even with a whopping number of twenty-five performers decorating the star-studded lineup. With rising solo acts like Amiel Sol and Jan Francis to rookie P-pop groups like G.A.T, Raya, and 1st.One taking the stage with lasting charisma and charm, it was made clear that the future of Filipino music was in good hands.

Likewise, veteran OPM artists like December Avenue, The Itchyworms, and Ben&Ben turned the open grounds into a karaoke room, shifting the atmosphere into a more intimate setting as everyone sang along to their favorite radio staples. Growingly prominent P-pop groups like ALAMAT and KAIA, as well, executed their performances with grace and perfection as they powered through their intricate choreographies and belted through their songs.

In an exclusive interview with Billboard Philippines, ALAMAT’s Jao shared the group’s collective excitement to take part in this momentous festival, “It is our very first time performing at the FUSION Music Festival. We have always known about this event and being able to be a part of it means a lot, sharing and celebrating the stage with many amazing artists here in the Philippines is super duper exciting,” He added, “We can’t wait to be a part of it and we can’t wait to perform later.”

In a similar vein, the group’s main vocalist, Tomas, voiced, “Sobrang grateful kami na mapabilang dito sa mga great artists, mga nag-pu-push ng boundaries ng OPM kaya sobrang grateful kami maging parte ng itong FUSION.”

(We are extremely grateful to be included among these great artists who are pushing the boundaries of OPM, which is why we are very thankful to be part of FUSION.)

The group also shared their sights on an even bigger stage in future iterations of the festival; their wishlist involves a collaborative stage with pop royalty Sarah Geronimo, local hip-hop artists like Al James, Gloc-9, Hev Abi, Ez Mil, and More. Jao also emphasized, “I love the female hip-hop artists in our country so, (I’d like to perform with) Illest Morena, Alex Bruce, Zae, and more.”

During his set for the show, the consistent chartbreaker, Maki, brought Miguel and Paolo Benjamin of Ben&Ben during his live rendition of his latest release, “Bughaw.” Pairing off with this, closing off the festival was another surprise collaborative stage between the two artists. Joining forces for the former’s 2022 hit, “Paninindigan Kita,” the group brought the house down with the classic kababayan spirit that weaves Philippine music together.

In an exclusive interview with Maki, the hitmaker spoke about his collaborative stages with Ben&Ben in this light; “It’s always a good thing for me, not just to perform but also to collaborate with my co-artists, my co-OPM artists, such as Ben&Ben, it fills my heart to be performing on a stage na kasama ko sila. Of course, to spread the OPM vibes dito sa Philippines, it’s important we attend these kinds of events, not just to have fun but also to learn more about OPM and new artists”

(It’s always a good thing for me, not just to perform but also to collaborate with my fellow artists, my fellow OPM artists, such as Ben&Ben. It fills my heart to be performing on a stage with them. Of course, to spread the OPM vibes here in the Philippines, it’s important for us to attend these kinds of events—not just to have fun but also to learn more about OPM and discover new artists.)

Having mentioned he had previously attended FUSION as a festival-goer prior to becoming an artist himself, Maki shared his dream lineup for future iterations of this festival as well, “Eraserheads, miss na miss kayo namin guys, bumalik na kayo. (… We miss you guys, please come back.) Also IV of Spades, I would love to hear them all together again.”

In its purest form, FUSION: The Philippine Music Festival did not only serve as a mecca in which OPM enthusiasts of all kinds could gather and enjoy local music, but also a space in which artists themselves could join forces and collaborate on this meaningful stage. The night was a means in which festival-goers could not only enjoy the live performances from their favorite artists, but discover new ones in the process.

With this, FUSION: The Philippine Music Festival offered a glimpse into the bright future OPM has in store.