Feel the beat of love and music this Valentine’s weekend
This Valentine’s season, the Philippines’ stages are set for love, nostalgia, and musical mastery across generations. Whether you hope to belt out pop rock and R&B hits in an arena, soak in the classics in elegant concert halls, or let loose in casual outdoor gigs, these shows will give you every reason to celebrate Heart Month with music.
“Stages of Love”
Feb. 13 at SM Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City
If Top Suzara were to describe Freestyle’s catalog of smooth love songs, he would call it “time machine music.” And what’s a Valentine’s concert without a little reminiscing? True enough, the moment “Before I Let You Go,” “This Time,” and “So Slow” start playing, listeners are instantly transported to that unique niche the band created in the late ’90s and early 2000s.
That pocket—where they made R&B ballads and a pop rock band setup feel like they were always meant to be together—is what Freestyle hopes to bring back to “Stages of Love.” The show also features performances by Gigi De Lana and Neocolours.
“The old songs have become the soundtrack of many people’s lives, so performing them is always a meaningful experience,” says Suzara, who is also working with the band on a new album of entirely new material. They’re also gearing up for a US–Canada tour in March and April. “Together, we get to look back at all the good times and the bad,” he adds.
“Love Letters”
Feb. 13 to 15 at Proscenium Theater, Makati City
Class is back in session. For the upcoming installment of his “MaestroClass” concert series, National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab invites OPM legends Basil Valdez, Celeste Legaspi, and Ogie Alcasid to give lessons on love.
The syllabus highlights some of the local industry’s iconic Cs—enduring compositions by George Canseco, Jose Mari Chan, and Willy Cruz—reimagined through Cayabyab’s arrangements and genius.
These artists share decades of collaboration. Valdez has worked with Cayabyab since 1977, performing the Famas-winning song “Paraisong Parisukat.” For the musical “Katy!,” Cayabyab wrote “Minsan ang Minahal ay Ako,” which was immortalized by Legaspi. While Alcasid doesn’t have a Cayabyab song in his repertoire, he has worked closely with the Maestro in concerts, on TV, and in musical theater—most notably as Jose Rizal in Cayabyab’s 1996 musical “Sino Ka Ba, Jose Rizal?”
Together, they offer a rare Valentine’s show that celebrates love and pays tribute to OPM’s Golden Age.
“As Long As You’re Mine”
Feb. 13 at Maybank Performing Arts Theater, Taguig City
Celebrating nearly a decade of onstage chemistry, Shiela Valderrama and Arman Ferrer reunite for “As Long As You’re Mine.” The Philippine musical theater stars promise a sophisticated setlist spanning standards, pop, showtunes, and even Disney favorites that reflect love and its many faces.
Honed by experience and dubbed theater’s “onstage love team,” Valderrama and Ferrer’s stage partnership started in 2017 with Rony Fortich’s “Best Seat in the House.” They have since graced landmark productions, including “Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag” and the rock opera ballet “Rama, Hari.”
Following the success of their 2025 concert “As We Are,” this Valentine’s show will feature solos and duets, showcasing their crystalline soprano and rich tenor. Joining them are fellow theater power couples Lara Maigue and Gian Magdangal, along with Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante and Nyoy Volante.
“Champions of the Heart”
Feb. 14 at Marriott Grand Ballroom, Newport World Resorts, Pasay City
A thing Martin Nievera, Jed Madela, Jona, Klarisse de Guzman, and Sofronio Vasquez have in common is that they began their musical journey through singing contests—and they’re all the better for it.
Winning the overall championship at a state talent tilt in Santa Fe, California in 1981 set Nievera on the path to becoming a singer. Madela, the first Filipino to take home the Grand Champion Performer of the World title at the World Championship of the Performing Arts in 2005, is humbled when young hopefuls say he inspired them to take the stage.
For Jona, being a champion wouldn’t have been possible without people who unwittingly supported her—like her high school adviser, who offered her a place to stay near GMA 7 while she competed in “Pinoy Pop Superstar” in 2004. “The Voice PH” 2013 runner-up and “Your Face Sounds Familiar” 2021 winner De Guzman looks at the challenges and rejection with the same fondness as her triumphs.
Meanwhile, Vasquez, who had tried his luck in countless competitions in the Philippines before winning “The Voice US” 2024, believes that if you lose but never lose hope, you have already won.
While the show will have these singers looking back on how they triumphed onstage and in life, it’s the “heart” part of the title, Nievera says, that really matters. “The star of the show is always love and relationships,” he says. “I hope we can tell your stories—your love stories—through songs. And perhaps, through the show, you too will realize that you’re a champion.”
Bangungot: “Aswang Sa Maynila”
Feb. 14 at 123 Block, Mandaluyong City
After a breakout 2025 with hits like “Kalapastanganan” and the current No. 1 song “Pag-ibig ay Kanibalismo II,” alt-rock band Fitterkarma aims to sustain the momentum with an upcoming release of their new single, “Aswang sa Maynila.” They will perform it as part of an hour-long set of older tracks, unreleased material, and a few surprising covers.
Composed by band members Joao de Leon, Sophia Miranda, Sanders Bayas, and Mikee Mendoza, the song is inspired by J-Rock and other heavier styles, while staying true to their gothic and folklore-inspired themes and dark, emotional songwriting. This time, the band touches on yearning and alienation—“the feeling of not belonging in someone’s heart, no matter what you do.”
“It captures the frustration of wanting to say so much to a person you care about, but ultimately feeling powerless and unheard,” De Leon says.
The single launch is also Fitterkarma’s way of thanking fans, with exclusive merch, booths, and interactive activities throughout the show.
