The Great British Festival made a successful comeback as it marked the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and the Philippines.

Held from January 31 to February 1, 2026, the festival was organized by the British Embassy Manila, British Council Philippines, and the British Chamber of Commerce Philippines (BCCP).

Private partners also took part in the festival with GMA Regional TV as media partner.

Celebrating the strong economic and cultural bonds between the United Kingdom and the Philippines, the event brought these ties to life through live performances and interactive activities such as film screenings, pub quizzes, and fireside chats, while also highlighting education and innovation.

BCCP Executive Vice Chairman Chris Nelson said:

“We always look forward to hosting events like this together with the British Embassy and the British Council. This only shows how the UK-Philippine relations continue to grow. From the Chamber’s perspective, this only shows that the business community remains vibrant and we are optimistic that it will continue to increase in the coming years.”

The embassy said that British businesses have continued to expand their presence in Philippine economic zones, with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) reporting a total of 75 UK locator companies and cumulative investments amounting to P229.297 billion from 1995 to 2025.

According to PEZA Director General Hon. Tereso Panga, this positions the United Kingdom as the Philippines’ fourth-largest investor within PEZA. This growing investment footprint reflects the broader strength of UK-Philippine economic ties, with bilateral trade in goods and services reaching £3.0 billion in the four quarters ending Q2 2025.