Galantis, Porter Robinson, Subtronics, and Yellow Claw headlined the festival’s most ambitious edition yet, with over 60 artists across three stages.
&FRIENDS Festival, a Clouted experience co-presented by Collective Minds, wrapped its 2026 edition this past weekend at Okada Manila, with organizers estimating that over 12,000 fans attended across the two-day run on June 19–20.
Headlined by Galantis, Porter Robinson, Subtronics, and Yellow Claw, the 2026 edition marked the festival’s most ambitious to date, bringing together more than 60 artists across the Main Stage, Club Stage, and Friendship Stage. The Friendship Stage spotlighted label and collective takeovers from Orange Juice Asia, Planet Workshop, Contrast, RAW, and Sweet & Sour, with acts traveling in from Bangkok, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea, underscoring the festival’s continued commitment to platforming homegrown and regional talent alongside global headliners.
The two nights delivered standout sets across genres, from Subtronics’ bass-heavy mainstage takeover to Porter Robinson’s emotionally charged return to the Philippines, alongside high-energy performances from Adventure Club, ARMNHMR, Arcando, CHYL, and Bonnie X Clyde, among many others. Beyond the music, attendees moved through Okada Manila’s resort property throughout the weekend, in an experience organizers describe as setting a new benchmark for festival comfort in the region.
“What we saw this weekend is proof that EDM in Manila isn’t just alive, it’s thriving,” said Edward Cheang, Festival & Event Marketing Lead at Clouted. “We set out to build an indoor festival experience that didn’t ask fans to compromise on comfort to get world-class production and lineups, and the turnout this year tells us that vision is resonating. Seeing thousands of fans move between three stages over two days, discovering regional talent alongside artists like Galantis and Porter Robinson, is exactly the kind of community we set out to build.”
“&FRIENDS Festival 2026 really proved that the Philippines is ready for electronic music,” says Justin Banusing, Festival Director and CEO. “It’s taken multiple years of effort from both our team and the community, but everyone coming together this weekend really proved we’re on to something great, and it’s only going to grow from here on out. What we love about the Philippine scene is that it’s a collective effort from individuals, communities, and artists themselves.”
“Watching &FRIENDS Festival grow into what it is today has been one of the most rewarding things to be part of, and it mirrors exactly how far the music scene in the Philippines has come,” said David Viray, Chief Growth Officer at Clouted. “Using our core Clouted products to power the festival from the ground up is proof of what’s possible when marketing and live events truly work as one, and it’s a glimpse at where we’re taking the future of this industry.”
&FRIENDS Festival has built its reputation since debuting in 2025, having previously hosted headline performances from Zedd, Illenium, Seven Lions, and Knock2. The 2026 edition’s estimated turnout marks a continuation of that growth trajectory, with organizers pointing to the festival’s indoor, resort-based format, a deliberate departure from the heat and infrastructure limitations typical of outdoor festivals in the region, as a key driver of its expanding audience.
With another successful edition behind it, &FRIENDS Festival continues to position itself as the premier electronic dance music festival in Manila and a defining force in Asia’s broader EDM landscape. Organizers say more announcements on future editions will follow.
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