Grammy winner Steve Lacy opened the inaugural LaLaLa Fest Manila by walking to the front of the stage at World Trade Center in Pasay City, looking out at a midnight crowd, and doing something he had never done before: introduce his Filipino family.
“I don’t know if any of you guys know, but my father’s from here. And yes I met the whole Moya family for the first time, and they’re here tonight with us,” Lacy told the audience before launching into “Bad Habit,” the 2022 hit that earned him a Song of the Year nomination and a Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance. He followed with “Static” and “Oh Yeah?” as the crowd sang along.
LaLaLa Fest, which has run editions abroad for years, finally landed in Manila with a stacked bill. Thai band Kiki and South Korean group HOA opened the Asian acts segment, followed by Indonesian singer Isyana Sarasvati’s metal-themed set. Philippine indie band fitterkarma got the crowd going with “kalapastangan” and “Pag-Ibig ay Kanibalismo II,” before rock band Dilaw performed “Uhaw” and “Janice.”
Singer Maki brought out Kapamilya actor James Reid to perform their track “luck” on stage, and nine-piece group Ben&Ben had fans jumping to “Sunrise” and “Ride Home” before Irish singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy and rock band Two Door Cinema Club , celebrating the 15th anniversary of their debut album Tourist History , rounded out the international roster.
For Filipino music fans, the night was a double dose of Pinoy pride: just days earlier, Pinoy-born indie icon beabadoobee dropped a nostalgic new track ahead of her own tour, and P-pop group BINI made history at Japan’s Summer Sonic. LaLaLa Fest Manila 2026, with its homecoming headline and all-Filipino supporting acts, felt like the local music scene’s welcome party.
