Bruno Mars Comes Home to the Philippines

Can we just stay here and spend the rest of our days here? 24K magic was in the air as Bruno Mars makes his way back to his home for a bigger concert in the Philippines!

Bruno Mars became the first solo performer to perform two consecutive shows at the biggest indoor stadium in the world by dominating the Philippine concert scene with back-to-back performances at the Philippine Arena. The weekend performances also marked his comeback to the local concert scene five years after his 2018 24K Magic World Tour.

Bruno Mars
Photo by Daniel Ramos

The Filipino-American singer-songwriter kicked off his show with his 2016 smash hit “24K Magic.” Thunderous applause greeted his entrance onto the stage, and in typical Philippine concert crowd flair, the audience immediately took charge and joined in with the singer’s singing. The show’s start time was rescheduled from 7 p.m. to roughly 7:50 p.m. as a number of people were delayed getting to the arena on the first day of the back-to-back shows.

Nonetheless, the enthusiasm continued to permeate the crowd as Bruno Mars performed a setlist that was equal parts party-like, nostalgic, and hard-hitting. Following his “24K Magic” opener, he got the crowd moving more with “Finesse,” and “Treasure,” and then picked up his guitar for an uninterrupted set of “Liquor Store Blues” and “Billionaire.”

With his seductive and funny interval, “Calling All My Lovelies” became more entertaining. “Hey, baby. I’m in the Philippines right now. It’s been a while. Has it been four, five years since I went here? But I still feel the same about you. And it’s still… miss na kita, mahal. I said, miss na kita, mahal. You don’t believe me yet? Watch this,” he said, proceeding to sing miss na kita, mahal. He followed his monologue by singing a portion of “Wake Up in the Sky,” his 2018 collaboration with Gucci Mane and Kodak Black.

Bruno Mars
Photo by Daniel Ramos

Bruno Mars evidently enjoyed the concert, as his smiles lingered throughout. The crowd felt and amplified his energy and attitude, ensuring that the Philippine Arena reverberated with their enthusiasm. In addition to singing along, the audience had a good time dancing and jumping along with the singer during the almost two-hour performance.

With his powerful vocals, infectious energy, and endearing and humorous remarks, Bruno Mars gave an unforgettable performance. Additionally, it highlighted his band, whose members dazzled the audience with solo performances.

He sang “That’s What I Like” and “Please Me” before quickly changing into a different outfit. The Ronettes’ “Be My Baby,” “Marry You,” and “Runaway Baby” were covered by him when he came back on stage for “Versace on the Floor.” Challenging the concertgoers in the Philippines with the game of “if you know the song, sing along”, he performed a medley of “Fuck You,” “Young, Wild & Free,” “Grenade,” “Talking to the Moon,” “Nothin’ On You,” and “Leave the Door Open” while playing the keyboard. He amused the audience by saying, “Stop it, ladies. I’m shy. I’m shy. Nahihiya ako.”

Photo by Daniel Ramos

He went on to deliver a heartfelt and emotional performance of “When I Was Your Man”. Giving it to the crowd, the attendees poured their hearts into singing the bridge of the song. Following a keyboard solo by John Fossitt, the singer came back on stage for “Locked Out of Heaven” and “Just the Way You Are”.

“We’ve always wanted to play here. Thank you, guys, so much. This is so beautiful. I hope we can come back real, real soon. I’ll love to see you all again.”

Bruno Mars

Bruno Mars capped off the concert with “Uptown Funk”, turning the arena into a big party one last time that evening.

Bruno Mars
Photo by Daniel Ramos

BRUNO MARS Live at the Philippine Arena was presented by Live Nation Philippines. Special thanks to Live Nation Philippines.

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