39 Stages and counting: Fete dela Musique 2018 is the biggest one yet

Fete de la Musique literally means music festival, but for Jean Pierre Dumont, the Executive Director of Alliance Francaise de Manille, that barely describes what the event is all about.

“The thing about Fete dela Musique is that it gives the possibility to anyone who plays music to express themselves,” he said. “In France, it has become an institution. Some people would just open their window, plug an amplifier and play some rock and roll.”

“It’s not only a music festival where you go buy a ticket and you see bands,” he told GMA News Online during the press conference for this year’s edition of the Fete. “The thing here is that, with our partners, it’s a means of expression, it’s a time of year where people can express themselves through their music.”

It seems the Fete just keeps getting bigger every year, and so the 2018 edition is the biggest one yet.

According to Giselle Katrina Tomimbang, managing director of B-side Productions Inc., which has been the main producers of the Fete for the last few years, this year’s event already has 39 stages as of Thursday, June 7. That might even go up before show day on June 23. Dozens of musical artists are expected to perform in front of sold-out crowds that will descend upon Makati City on Saturday, June 23.

“Even genres are getting super specific,” she said. “Dreampop stage, Shoegaze stage, Bonggapalooza stage…we even have a Circus which is now the Sideshow stage. There’s Bedroom Beats and Freshman nights. People are getting a lot more creative. And a lot of people want to participate, so that’s a good thing.

Some of the artists expected to play at this year’s Fete include Cheats, Kjwan, Pedicab, Orange & Lemons, Reese Lansangan, Andg Bandang Shirley, Autotelic, The Ransom Collective, Kat Agarrado, Ebe Dancel, and many, many more.

But perhaps the biggest news about the Fete this year is that for the first time in its 24-year history, participants will be getting some much-needed help navigating the maze of stages and artists playing through a mobile app.

Organizers of the Fete are partnering with tech company Bizooku for the one-of-a-kind app. The company has plenty of experience working with some of the biggest and well-known companies and events, like the Superbowl, the French Open, the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and many others.

“The app specializes in dynamic content publishing,” said Alejando James Chiongbian, managing director of Bizooku Holdings Ltd. “We can adjust the content in real time depending on what the client needs. Last night, for example, we added 19 more stages. So the app, you don’t need to re-download it, you just refresh the page, and the whole thing changes and is updated.”

Having everything on your phone is certainly better than whipping out the Fete flyer that just seems to just keep getting thicker every year. Plus the app will send out push notifications for any updates about set changes or unexpected artist cancellations.  Available to download now via iOS or Android, the Fete app will definitely come in handy especially if you’re planning to visit more than one or two stages that evening.

Besides the app, the Fete is gaining the support of a major sponsor (San Miguel) which is co-presenting the event for the first time. Tomimbang said that definitely helps an event that is 100 percent free for audiences to attend.

“The independent producers of the stages is really where we draw a lot of strength,” she said. “Our core team produces the main stages (at the A-Venue open parking lot and Greenbelt 3 Park), but it’s really through the partnerships of these people, the movers and shakers in the local music industry—the rock scene, the hiphop scene, the blues scene, the electronica scene—that makes all of this possible. It’s the coming together of everyone, which is really the spirit of Fete dela Musique. Music as a universal language and bringing people from all walks of life together.” — LA, GMA News

The 24th edition of Fete dela Musique happens on June 23, 29 and 30 at venues all around Makati, Intramuros in Manila and Baguio City. For a complete schedule, download the Fete PH app on iOS and Android.

Paul John Caña is a writer and live music geek. Check out his blog manontheotherside.blogspot.com. Email him at pjcana@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter and Instagram @pauljohncana