Firsthand look: 7107 music fest grounds

Photo by Ellen von Unwerth

CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Philippines — Assuming that you have secured your tickets and booked a hotel, there are three more essentials you need to do to enjoy the biggest outdoor concert to be held in the Philippines in recent years: bring a mat; withdraw enough cash for food and drinks; and pray hard that it doesn’t rain, unless you’re ready to rough it up just like people do in other countries.

The 7107 International Music Festival unfolds this weekend, Feb. 22 and 23, at the sprawling Global Gateway Logistics City grounds in this former US Air Force base in Pampanga province. Mike Pio Roda, one of the concert promoters, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the venue can accommodate 35,000 people.

Photo by Pocholo Concepcion

Asked how many tickets have been sold so far, Roda said, “Can’t say exactly [how many], but we’re ranging about 70 percent. I don’t look at the numbers every day, to be honest… [We’re just] just trying to produce the best possible show for everyone, first and foremost.”

Last Wednesday we took a leisurely trip to Clark to have a look at the concert grounds. These are what we found:

There’s a nice view of Mount Arayat at the venue’s background.

The two big stages were being erected, along with the artists’ holding areas and the fence that would block off the venue from freeloaders.

We were glad to see grass on the field where the audience would watch the shows; some men were trimming it down with a grass mower. But the audience is advised to bring a mat to have a comfortable viewing experience, especially after a few hours when the feet get tired from standing and dancing.

We also noticed a van belonging to Smart Communications, the concert’s main sponsor, setting up equipment to provide WiFi services to the audience during the event.

The entire field is open-air, and there is no sight of any place that would provide refuge in case it rains. An umbrella would come in handy, especially if you intend to maximize the value of your expensive tickets by catching the opening acts at 12 noon on Feb. 22.

Photo by Pocholo Concepcion

Main stage

The main stage will showcase the biggest acts in the lineup on Feb. 23: Red Jumpsuit Apparatus plays at 4:45- 5:45 p.m.; Up Dharma Down, 6-7 p.m.; Kendrick Lamar, 7:15-8:15 p.m.; Empire of the Sun, 8:45-9:45 p.m.; and Red Hot Chili Peppers from10:30 p.m. to 12 midnight. (We got word that the Chili Peppers will arrive Friday, Feb. 21, and will stay first at the Manila Peninsula hotel in Makati.)

Watching a music festival for two days will surely get you hungry and thirsty. We didn’t see any food and drinks concessionaires’ booths yet last Wednesday; better withdraw enough cash so you won’t starve, unless you are preparing to bring your own food.

Camping out in the grassy field “is not an option,” says the 7107 website, 7107imf.com, which has also recommended five hotels—Lewis Grand, The Penthouse, Best Western The Mint, Savannah Resort Hotel, and Hotel EuroAsia—that will provide shuttle service to the venue. But what about the rest of the audience who certainly won’t fit in those five hotels?

Photo by Pocholo Concepcion

During our visit, we saw around 10 more hotels that were at least 500 meters from the venue. These hotels may give you the best option, that is, if they’re not fully booked by now.

Otherwise, it’s better to just watch the second night and travel back to Manila after the Chili Peppers’ set.

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