Live music and perya rides are all waiting for you at UP Fair.

This year's edition of the week-long music fair at the University of the Philippines Diliman, happening on 12 to 17 February 2024, is going to be another chance for UP students and music fans to get together and enjoy performances by their favourite local artists, hop on fun rides, and find their next favourite bites at the food pop-ups. It's a showcase that celebrates Filipino talent that even continued online during the pandemic. This year, it carries on in real life at Sunken Garden in Diliman, but for the uninitiated, this event may seem overwhelming.

Here are tips, straight to you from Lola Amour's Pio Dumayas and Jeff Abueg, Ysanygo's Ygo Ferraz, The Ransom Collective's Jermaine Choa Peck, and Paolo Sandejas, all UP Diliman alumni themselves, on how to survive UP Fair:

I was studying in UP the first time I attended UP Fair and my favourite part about it was the weather. The amihan wind was too good.

Tip #1: If you're only there for a few of the artists, bring a blanket so that you have a place to rest and hang out with your friends away from the loud music. There's a lot of standing involved especially because program can sometimes last for around 10-12 hrs.

Tip #2: When watching an artist, find a spot as close as possible to the center aisle but not too close to the stage. The closer you are to the center, the better the music will sound.

Tip #3: Bring some earplugs for when youre closer to the stage. Your ears arent meant to listen to music that loud for that long so protect your ears so you can enjoy music till you die of old age. For reference, a music festival is commonly around the same loudness level as a car horn, which I dont think is okay to listen to for 10 hours.

Tip #4: Bring an umbrella, some waterproof footwear, and a waterproof bag. Sometimes it rains during the fair and you dont wanna have to go home soaking wet and covered in mud.

I first attended UP fair as a sessionist for Lola Amour back in 2018(?) It's nice to be back to the university I used to call home. Seeing all the old buildings really brings me back to my college days.

Tip #1: Bring the essentials. Store all your essentials in a small bag. Water, phone, cash, umbrella is technically all you need to survive UP fair.

Tip #2: You can buy UP fair tickets on the day itself, you just have to line up super early. You can only purchase a maximum of 2 tickets per person so be sure to bring a friend if you plan to watch as a group.

Tip #3: Dress for comfort. You'll be standing up for hours so you want to be as comfy as possible.

Tip #4: Be prepared to face the crowd. You'll need endurance and stamina when you're in UP fair.

Tip #5: Enjoy the show! Lots of artists will be there to perform for you guys so we hope you enjoy!

I remember the excitement when we got invited to play at UP Fair, it was almost like a dream come true to play in our university with all the big OPM acts. And we were sooooo nervous before playing, not really sure how the crowd would react but the moment we got on stage everyone just started cheering for us and we rode that energy till the end, we even went down to the join the audience at one point jumping up and down! It was definitely an alumni proud moment for us!

Jermaine's Tips:

Make sure to try the rides! Best way to watch your favorite band is to watch from the ferris wheel (if there will be one hehe) but also educating yourselves with the issues that the campus is advocating for everyday and to make sure to spread the message to the audience and to your friends. Most of all just have fun and savor every moment of the Fair! Make good memories!

My first time was during UP Fair 2023—my sister and I performed on Thursday and Saturday! 

It was honestly surreal seeing people in such a big crowd singing along to our songs. We made sure to prepare and rehearse A LOT because UP Fair is such a big help for new music/artist discovery. We debuted new dance moves and our twinning blue space suits there! 

Ygo's Tips:

For Attendees: Bring an umbrella, have some shawarma, and dance like nobody’s watching.

For Bands: First of all, congrats!!! Go ABSOLUTELY crazy on stage, interact with the crowd, and take a lot of photos/videos. Also have some shawarma.

I'm lucky to say I’ve both attended and played UP fair! As an attendee, it was definitely a core memory of my UP experience and I had so much fun exploring the stalls and spending time with my friends for pretty much a whole week.

Paolo's Tips:

For the first time attendees, make sure to prepare lots of water and cash (tough to find signal…). For first time performers, savor the moment and don’t forget to have fun! If you give your heart to the crowd they’ll definitely reciprocate.