Tugatog Filipino Music Festival 2022 puts the spotlight on P-pop

MANILA, Philippines – P-pop groups MNL48, ALAMAT, BINI, BGYO, and more acts are coming together for the Tugatog Filipino Music Festival 2022, which is set for June 18. 

Dubbed as the “stage for top Filipino talents to celebrate the best of OPM year after year,” the Tugatog Filipino Music Festival aims to highlight the music, culture, and identity of Filipinos, showcasing the artists that define the peak of Filipino music at a certain time. 

And for this year’s festival, they chose to put the spotlight on P-pop. 

Why P-pop?

During the grand media conference on Tuesday, February 22, Executive Strategy and Communications Officer Anj Hereula said that the upcoming festival is a celebration of how P-pop has “grown into its own sound and style that is distinctly Filipino.” 

In 2021 alone, several P-pop groups like SB19 and ALAMAT have gained international recognition, while more promising acts continue to showcase their talents. 

“It’s not just any kind of pop anymore, P-pop is really embracing our roots and heritage for the contemporary audience. We are not just inspired by their craft but also how they inspire other people, young and old, through their music and stories of training and hard work to reach their current status as P-pop idols now,” Heruela continued. 

The event, which will be streamed online via TicketMelon, might be fully digital, but the organizers assure fans that the festival will still offer a unique experience. 

“Tugatog created a special line-up of artist collaborations in order to fuel the drive for artist interaction. The festival will feature special acts of artists performing songs together which have never been released before,” Chief Executive Officer Su Matias said. 

Among the confirmed P-pop groups that will participate in the festival are MNL48, ALAMAT, BINI, BGYO, LITZ, P-POP GENERATION, PRESS HIT PLAY, 1ST.ONE, and VXON. The organizers, however, teased fans that more artists will be announced in the coming days.

With nine groups already onboard, and with the promise of more acts to follow, Tugatog guarantees viewers that the festival will feature fresh takes on fan-favorite songs and debut collaborations among artists involved. 

“Ever since we made the announcement about the festival and its line-up, the fans have been clamoring for a showcase of partnerships and collaborations, and we are putting together a show with elements that will highlight exactly that: the way these groups can shine on their own while jiving so well with other P-pop groups,” Festival Show Director Miggy Tanchanco said.

The future of Tugatog

While they’re glad with the overwhelming response and support for the festival despite it being an online event, the organizers added that their goal is still to take the Tugatog Festival to the live stage. 

“We still want to put up a stage in a big venue and fill that space with the energy of both the artists and the audience. In the future, we hope to bring the Tugatog experience to fans all over the Philippines. We want to take Tugatog to different regions so we can also feature local artists in the line-up,” Matias said. 

Heruela also noted that while this year might highlight P-pop, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the Tugatog Festival will focus on that genre alone: “Tugatog becomes a platform that is not defined by one genre alone, and instead, it continuously evolves as the sound of Filipino music evolves and changes through time.”

“This way, we are able to honor the different voices that keep the community alive and contribute to building the culture and craft of Filipino music,” she added. – Rappler.com 

Tickets for the Tugatog Filipino Music Festival will be available starting March 1, 2022. Premier tickets are priced at P1,800 while VIP tickets are P2,700.