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MANILA, Philippines – It might have taken Irish singer-songwriter Niall Horan six years to make his way back to the Philippines, but it was definitely worth the wait for the Manila Lovers – his Filipino fanbase – who went above and beyond to warmly welcome him.
On Monday, May 13, Niall held the Philippine leg of his The Show: Live on Tour at the Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City. The current tour is dedicated to the artist’s third studio album The Show, with lead singles “Heaven” and “Meltdown,” which he was able to perform live for the night.
This also marked the third time for the singer to be in the Philippines – his first being with his former group One Direction in 2015 and his first solo concert, Flicker Tour, in 2018.
To officially start the concert, Niall greeted Filipino fans with performances of “Nice to Meet Ya” and “Small Talk,” followed by “On the Loose” and “On a Night Like Tonight” which helped set the lively mood for the night’s event.
Before his performance of “The Show”, Niall welcomed the fans and expressed his appreciation, saying, “Welcome to The Show: Live on Tour, baby! It is so good to be back in the Philippines, good to be back in Manila.”
Even from the start of the concert, the singer was very vocal with his appreciation of the crowd – something which he continued to express throughout the one-and-a-half-hour show. “Thank you so much for filling this place up for me. We were here six years ago, nearly to the day…. And I’ve missed you guys. It’s good to be back in town. We’re gonna have a lot of fun tonight.”
He even dared the attendees to “sing as loud as [they] can” and the Filipino fans were definitely up for the challenge. In songs such as “Black And White,” “This Town,” and “If You Leave Me,” the crowd’s harmonizing voices with Niall’s rung throughout the arena.
Notably, it was his cover of One Direction’s “Night Changes” that earned one of the loudest cheers and sing-alongs of the night.
In an interview with Variety in 2023, Niall mentioned that their team operated on a rolling setlist for the tour, saying, “So, I’m going to rehearse too many songs, and then pick and choose as we go.” With this, fans are often on the lookout for which special performances they will be witnessing.
And fans from the Philippines were in luck and heard songs that weren’t permanent on the setlist, such as “Cross Your Mind,” “Flicker,” and “Everywhere.”
In between performances, Niall continued to be evidently playful with fans. During a chat before his performance of “Mirrors,” Niall walked to the extended stage to read a few fan-made slogans.
One of the signs he read was a huge clothing banner prepared by his fanbase. “I got your gift earlier. Thank you very much. I appreciate you organizing all of this craziness,” he said in response.
Before the encore, he also joked about not having to wait six years again before coming back to Manila but seven years instead.
Banter aside, Niall exhibited a heart of gold by appreciating fans’ effort to attend the concert that night. “Thank you to every single one of you for spending your well-earned money to come and watch me because, in this day and age, it’s not easy to just go to a concert. It’s not just the ticket. It’s flying, it’s cars, it’s trains, planes, automobiles. And it’s people with parents, with multiple children, and students everywhere – like this girl who missed her exam,” he said, prompting the crowd to erupt in laughter.
“And I know that’s not easy to do so, but you chose to spend your time and your well-earned money on me, and I really appreciate that. Thank you so much.”
With performances of 20 songs overall, Niall ended the night with “Save My Life” and “Slow Hands” for the encore. Niall took his final bow with his band, whom he also had constantly acknowledged throughout the show. – with reports from Isabella Baldado/Rappler.com
Isabella Baldado is a Rappler intern.
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