Growing Up With Wanderland: 10 Years Of Manila’s Favorite Music Festival

Over the past ten years, Karpos Multimedia’s flagship event, the Wanderland Music and Arts Festival, has become somewhat of a staple event for music lovers across the entire country. What began as a modest gathering has transformed into one of the premier cultural events in the Philippines, drawing attendees from all corners of the archipelago, eager to partake in the unique experience it offers.

You see that every year, Filipino audiences long for the annual lineup reveal and the corresponding festivities that could arguably meet the standards of what festival giants like Coachella, Lollapalooza, and even Rolling Loud have been able to do worldwide. A good (if not great) festival goes beyond the music –– as it’s the overall experience that leaves a lasting impression on the audiences who’ve traveled all this way for the festival. From the visual art installations to the immersive atmosphere that keep people coming back year after year, Karpos’ Wanderland Music and Arts Festival offers a celebration of creativity and connection — where music, art, and culture come together to leave a lasting impact on everyone who attends.

This year was no different, as Wanderland celebrated its 10th anniversary in style with a homecoming event that felt like a full-circle moment for both old and new fans.  This year’s edition featured a carefully curated mix of nostalgia and novelty, bringing back several of Wanderland’s beloved past performers — headliners such as Daniel Caesar and HONNE — while also bringing in several fresh faces such as ALYSON, Mindfreakk, Dayglow, and several more into the festival’s growing repertoire as a sign of its constant evolution to provide an unforgettable experience for its audience.

Music discovery has always been at the forefront of Karpos and the festival’s mission, which is why the first day of the festival served as the most appropriate way to kick off the festival with a bang. Despite the summer heat, ALYSON delivered their signature suave charm to the Wanderland main stage, enamoring audiences with their innovative blend of city-pop and a modernized take on Manila Sound. Braving the heat in their uniform crimson suits, the members of the group performed electric renditions of their beloved tracks “Babalik” and “Summer Nights,” which surely surprised the crowd that dropped by (and stayed!) to witness the indie group at their biggest stage performance to date.

Keeping the momentum on a high was the viral Singaporean singer-songwriter Regina Song, who easily won over the audience with her mellow, yet infectious string of songs. Channeling the very best aspects of musicians like Beabadoobee, NIKI, and Gracie Abrams, Song’s performance weaved together the hyper-specificity of high school heartbreak with the grown-up emotional response that comes from it. It’s easy to note how dreamy her vocals are when you hear it in its recording format, yet its quite impressive to see how much her voice soars in the live setting. For what it’s worth, her entire set made us feel as if we were witnessing the rise of a promising new artist on the scene.

Still, OPM took center stage throughout the majority of the first day — with Waiian bringing in his frenetic energy, Toneejay delivering heartfelt (and somewhat swoon-worthy) performances to his hits “711” and “Aurora,” while Mayonnaise proved their status as alternative rock stalwarts on the scene. However, one of the biggest (and most pleasant) surprises of the night came with Sinosikat? and their first performance on the festival’s stage.

Though you’d expect their soulful sound to be a deviation of sorts from what you’d hear from a festival such as Wanderland, it was frontwoman Kat Agarrado’s hypnotic voice that served as a magnetic force that reeled audiences in.  By blending soul, jazz, and bossa nova in one tight set (a special shoutout goes to their enthralling rendition of “Sabado”), the beloved musical ensemble was able to add a unique splash of color to the festival’s array of sounds. It was powerful, to say the least, and will surely be remembered as a standout entry from this year’s list of memorable acts.

On the international front, making their Manila debut was Australian multi-instrumentalist Chet Faker, as well as Texan indie pop group Dayglow. While Faker was able to showcase a surprising yet welcome blend of ambient and energetic sounds, it was Dayglow who managed to make a strong impression on Filipino Wanderers of all ages. Not only was the band’s set quite fun and fresh, but it also brought audiences back to the glory days of their youth with their music. Crowd-favorite tracks like “Can I Call You Tonight?” and “Hot Rod” were met with a rousing response from the crowd, as seen from the hundreds of head thrashes and leaps of joy that you could witness close to the barricade.

However, day one’s most anticipated set was undeniably that of Canadian R&B and neo-soul phenomenon Daniel Caesar. The audience turnout for his headlining set was arguably one of the most jam-packed ones from the festival’s history in years, with thousands closely sandwiched against one another as they waited for his performance to start. Unsurprisingly, Caesar’s set was well worth the wait, as the electric blue glow of the stage’s lighting began to accentuate the intricate stage design that evenly featured his band, backup singers, and the musician himself. 

From the moment Caesar sang his first note, the mood of the Filinvest City Grounds transformed into a unified echo chamber, with only his voice beaming throughout the entire space. The soulful and heartfelt crooning of the Canadian singer enraptured all of us, yet it also beckoned further interaction with the Filipino audience as he led us all in a massive karaoke session for his fan-favorite and hit songs like “Best Part” and “Get You.” 

While the initial section of his performance leveled up a ton from his debut Wanderland performance in 2018, it was quite disappointing to see him forgo his musical chops as it was merely lazy for him to lead audiences in a sing-along, rather than performing his own tracks himself. Because ultimately, the audience paid for their tickets to witness Caesar sing –– and not the other way around. Still, no one can deny the musical chops that the young crooner really does have, but we wish that it was showcased to its full potential.

Even for the first-time Wanderers attending Wanderland, the festival has stayed true to its promise as a celebration of one’s love for music and the community that surrounds it. Even the mere experience of standing near the stage, finally touching (and even sitting on) the grass was exactly what one needed after a busy week in the bustling city. Though the afternoon heat seemed quite bothersome at first, the Filinvest City Event Grounds was blessed with a cool breeze, allowing festival-goers to fully immerse themselves in the various activations spread across the grounds.

As more than just a music festival, this year’s Wanderland Music and Arts Festival gave attendees the chance to support creatives and small businesses through their Wander Market section, which offered different booths for stickers, bags, mystery books, sunglasses, and various souvenirs.  

Beyond its abundance of trinkets and abubots available for sale, this area also emphasized activations for art and creation, with workshops on pottery, ceramic painting, matcha-making, and mochi-making providing a sense of wonder for those creative kids at heart. Yet even for those sentimental festival goers, several vintage-inspired photobooths were available to those looking to capture the moment as they commemorated shared memories at the event.

On the food and beverage side of things, there were various options at the Food Village, ranging from Japanese poké bowls, American smash burgers, and Thai kra pow, to Italian pizza, Vietnamese banh mi, and classic Filipino cuisine. While the lines may have piled up during peak times for dinner, there was no shortage of tasty meals for everyone to enjoy. 

Yet apart from the food, a festival wouldn’t be complete without drinks — as the San Miguel drinks booth offered guests the perfect beverage for having a good time with its blend of flavored and craft beers. But for those looking for a healthier alternative, several blended juice drinks from Locally were readily available to give attendees a much-needed boost of refreshment. In the spirit of going environmentally friendly, Klean Kanteen had a water station space where attendees could refill their reusable water bottles to help reduce the use of plastic water bottles, which again, is a necessity for heat-stricken day-long festivals like this.

For those looking to bide their time with other engagements, a number of booths designated for suncare and sun protection, particularly the brands Pond’s and Vaseline, had a special treat for the Wanderers who may have forgotten to apply sunscreen before going to the festival. Attendees got the chance to take home bottles of sunscreen (and ice cream!) through quick, interactive activities.  

Even for the parents who brought their little ones with them, the Little Wanderers Nature Nook provided a dedicated space for kids as they had a sense of wonder and adventure of their own throughout the two-day festival.

As a staple in concerts and music festivals, the merch booth is a music lover’s best friend. The WanderMerch tent offered attendees a piece of 10 Years of Wanderland with various shirt designs, caps, tote bags, magnets, enamel pins, stickers, and the Wander Bob Blind Box that featured the “Space,” “Magic,” and “Wonder” versions of Wander Bob, a perfect addition to your anik-anik collection and memorabilia.

Carrying off the same electricity from the first day of Wanderland’s 10th anniversary, the festival’s second day kicked off with an equal amount of excitement, and perhaps more layers of heat. With a roundup of all kinds of performers from different sides of the globe, from homegrown acts to internationally renowned artists, crowds came flocking into the open grounds.

Blazing through their opening set were the rising indie alternative band Nameless Kids. Channeling in listening ears into the venue in spite of the scalding heat of the sun, the group’s ecstatic energy bounced off one another as they played their popular tracks like “Gabi” and “Sa’yo (Ang Mundo).”

Such energy got them noticed by one of the international headliners, the Plain White T’s themselves. In an exclusive interview with Billboard Philippines, the Grammy-nominated alternative pop rock band, Plain White T’s, named the rising OPM band as a set they would be on the lookout for, as Tim Lopez shared, “Oh, they’re killing it. I was trying to fall asleep and every song that started, I was like, ‘Oh!’ Awesome bass line, awesome drums, they’re killing it.”

Following Nameless Kids was the rising Thai pop sensation Mindfreakkk, who turned heads with her distinct and dream-like vocal quality. As if she were cooling the audience from the sun’s rays, her city pop tunes filled the space. On a similar downbeat note was the following set, the Internet-formed South Korean indie duo PRYVT, whose bedroom pop beat perfectly fit the Wanderland atmosphere as Wanderers spread out their mats to watch their stage, enjoying as the weather cooled down.

Shifting the atmosphere up a couple of notches after this was the “Janice” hit-making rock combination, Dilaw. Turning up the heat with a fun budots-esque remix of “Uhaw,” the group showed festival-goers — both local and international Wanderers — the unique beats that compose the Philippine soundscape.

Following in the same vein of growing artists, the Billboard Philippines Hot 100 chart-topper, Yung Kai, took over the stage. In spite of this serving as his second time ever performing at a festival, the 23-year-old singer-songwriter channeled a flock to his stage as he filled the air with his beloved serenades “blue” and “wildflower.”

For their second time performing at the Wanderland festival, the Paper Kites captivated the audiences with their new direction in a more rock and grunge-y approach. In contrast to their previous performance in 2014 where the group leaned towards a more folk-pop kind of sound, they showed the Wanderland audience their growth as their lush and evolved production became one of the stand-out performances of the night –– especially with Moira Dela Torre’s surprise appearance on stage.

In a similar beat, Urbandub had also performed at the 2017 iteration of the Wanderland festival, but still channeled a similar excitement. Breaking out their classic heavy rock sound, the veteran band reintroduced their greatest hits to an audience of both young and returning Wanderers.

It’s important to note, as well, that the performers themselves were just as excited to stage their set as members of the audience were to witness it. Prior to their set, the Plain White T’s shared their anticipation for their first-ever performance in the Philippines.

On this note, the band’s lead vocalist Tom Higgenson shared, “I’m excited to play, for sure. I have friends here, which is crazy,” He jokes, “So I keep adding people to the guest list — I think our tour manager is getting annoyed with me. But yeah, some of my best friends have family and stuff here, so, I’m excited to finally get here!”

When told that the band’s music serves as radio staples in the Philippine airwaves, the band’s bassist, Mike Retondo explained, “It’s weird — when you’re in the States, it kind of just looks like metrics. Like, ‘Oh, look at how many people in the Philippines are listening to the band on Spotify,’ or on some social media, or whatever. So, until we actually get on stage, that’s when we’re gonna know.” On this note, the group was pleasantly surprised with their audience reception as the festival grounds sang in unison to their hits like “Hey There Delilah” and “1, 2, 3, 4.”

However, there was still something for everyone to explore while not focusing on the performers on the main stage and Karpos stage. The DJ sets in the newly-added Goody Dance Shoes section offered a different kind of music experience for attendees, especially if you’re looking to refresh with a chaste dance break in the midst of the festival proper. With a DJ list curated by the organizers of UNKNWN and GROOVE throughout both days, the area was carefully situated far away from the big stages, creating this kind of little world of its own.

If one did not get to catch the side stage at Goody Dance Shoes, they definitely would’ve caught Hermitude’s astounding set. The Australia-hailing duo took over the open grounds with an electric pulsating rhythm that got everyone on their feet — Wanderland’s mascot, Wanderbob, included. Spinning remixes of both their original music along with international chart-toppers like Kendrick Lamar’s “tv off” and Doechii’s “DENIAL IS A RIVER,” it was almost as if the duo caused an earthquake with the audience jumping in sync.

Wrapping up the two-day festival were self-proclaimed Wanderland veterans themselves, HONNE. In an exclusive interview with Billboard Philippines, the British synth-pop duo admitted that closing off the festival as headliners was almost poetic, in a way, as they had starred in previous iterations of the event. As a testament to their growth, the pair climbed their way to the top of the bill as first-time headliners in this event, and the crowd was equally receptive to their set as they were energetically feeding off the audience’s energy.

Additionally, HONNE’s James Hatcher detailed the work behind their set: “For this album campaign, we’ve put a lot of work into the visual side of our show, as well as the musical side, but people are in for some really unique visual aesthetics in our stage design so it’ll be good, and I’m excited for people to see it.” And such was showcased during their set, as the stage was extravagantly and intricately designed with motifs from their recent album, OUCH!, and the album’s mascot, Poco, took over the stage in an electrifying guitar riff.

As the festival closed off with HONNE’s live rendition of “Day One,” there was a sentimentality in the air. Commemorated as one of Manila’s biggest annual festivals, Wanderland, to many, has also taken the place of many regular Wanderers’ hearts as their “Day One.” With confetti shooting into the air and a same-day edit displayed on the screens, the Wanderland team thanked the audience for joining them on this journey, and bid farewell ‘til next time.