MANILA — Hundreds of A’TIN, or fans of SB19 fandom, gathered before dawn Friday at the Rizal Park Open Air Auditorium in Manila for a watch party organized by the Department of Tourism (DOT) to witness the historic Lollapalooza debut of P-pop group SB19 at Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois.
SB19 took the stage at around 4:30 a.m. (Philippine time), drawing cheers, chants, and singalongs from fans watching the livestream of the performance.
DOT Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay said the agency organized the event to allow Filipino fans to celebrate the group’s milestone together.
“They just made history by being the first Philippine to perform in a stage like Lollapalooza. So it’s a big feat tapos malayo sila so gusto namin bigyan ng pagkakataon ang fans makita sila live,” she said.
The crowd erupted as Pablo, Josh, Stell, Ken, and Justin performed, making SB19 the first homegrown Filipino act to perform at Lollapalooza, one of the world’s biggest and most anticipated music festivals.
Among those who attended the watch party was 102-year-old Julita Odron, who traveled from General Trias, Cavite with her family.
According to her daughter-in-law, Almiraflor Sarez, Odron has been a fan of SB19 for nearly three years. “To support SB19 kahit pwede namang gawin sa bahay, pero mas gusto naming pumunta dito,” Sarez said.
Another fan, Alleine Nadal Khalifa, a 46-year-old Filipino based in Qatar for the past 20 years, flew to the Philippines with her two children while on vacation so they could join the watch party after being unable to travel to the United States.
“Just to witness kahit wala ako physically doon sa Chicago, just to witness 'yung talagang nasa stage sila, parang it’s my dream come true na rin for them,” Khalifa said, adding that watching SB19 perform on an international stage made her feel both excited and nervous.
“Excited and para akong nanay nila. Ninenerbyos for them,” she said.
For Jasmine Blanco, an SB19 fan and aspiring member of the all-girl P-pop group Laloons, the performance marked a major achievement for the group and for Original Pilipino Music (OPM).
“Malaking milestone po ito para sa SB19 kasi nadadala na po nila 'yung Filipino music all over the world po,” Blanco said. “Sobrang nakaka-proud kasi lahat ng hard works nila — deserve po nila kung nasaan po sila ngayon kasi grabe 'yung puspusan nilang trainings.”
Angara-Mathay also cited SB19’s talent, humility, and entrepreneurship as reasons why the DOT chose the group as one of its Philippine tourism ambassadors, alongside fellow OPM group BINI.
“Kakaiba 'yung mga bata e. They’re really very talented, magaling sila. Entrepreneur at saka most of all, very humble yung mga bata,” she said.
SB19 shared the Lollapalooza lineup with international artists including Charli XCX, Tate McRae, JENNIE of BLACKPINK, and others.