IN PHOTOS: One Direction plays first show in Manila

INQUIRER.net / 08:24 AM March 22, 2015

MANILA, Philippines–March 21 was a humid day for Manila, but this did not stop thousands of Directioners from lining up for more than 12 hours just to get the best spot in the first ever show of British boy group One Direction (1D) in the Philippines.

Though the quintet is one man short during the show as member Zayn Malik has withdrawn from the remaining Asian leg of the group’s “On The Road Again Tour,” the energy of both the ensemble and the crowd was simply over the top during the one and a half hour concert which started at 9 p.m.

1D played a total of 23 songs including chart-topping tracks “What Makes You Beautiful,” “One Thing,” “Little Things,” “Best Song Ever,” “Story Of My Life,” “Midnight Memories,” “You & I,” “Steal My Girl,” and “Night Changes.”

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Meanwhile, here are snippets from the first of 1D’s two-night show in Manila:

Directioners brave the humid weather to line up on March 21, 2015, for the first of One Direction’s two-night ‘On The Road Again Tour’ in Manila. JANINE VILLAGRACIA/INQUIRER.net

Directioners crowd the grounds of the Mall of Asia in Pasay City as early as 12 hours before the first of 1D’s two-night concert in Manila Saturday night, March 21, 2015. JANINE VILLAGRACIA/INQUIRER.net

The early morning sun greets early birds crowding for 1D’s Manila concert on March 21, 2015. JANINE VILLAGRACIA/INQUIRER.net

One Direction fans don’t mind waiting outside steel railings at the MOA grounds hours before the first of two-nights of the British boy band’s concert in Manila. JANINE VILLAGRACIA/INQUIRER.net

Directioners brave the sun and the long lines for 1D’s ‘On The Road Again Tour’ in Manila. JANINE VILLAGRACIA/INQUIRER.net

Security personnel hold Directioners back at an entrance for Titanium ticket holders as anxiety starts to show in the faces of some fans who have waited for hours to get inside the MOA Concert Grounds for the first night of 1D’s Manila concert, March 21, 2015. JANINE VILLAGRACIA/INQUIRER.net

Fatigue, stress and anticipation mix and cause some 1D fans to become emotional at an entrance for Titanium ticket holders at the MOA Concert Grounds. Some fans, mostly teens, are overwhelmed by the long wait, the crowd and the humidity with at least one passing out. JANINE VILLAGRACIA/INQUIRER.net

Some parents accompanying their teen kids to the One Direction concert on March 21, 2015, lose their cool as they get separated from their children in the crowd. JANINE VILLAGRACIA/INQUIRER.net

Parents watch out for their kids who are lined up by the entrance. JANINE VILLAGRACIA/INQUIRER.net

Celebrity sighting: Actress Carmina Villaroel-Legaspi lines up by the VIP entrance to watch ‘On The Road Again Tour’ in Manila with her twins. JANINE VILLAGRACIA/INQUIRER.net

Cassandra and Maverick Legaspi about to enjoy the ‘On The Road Again Tour’ in Manila. JANINE VILLAGRACIA/INQUIRER.net

Some foreign fans even flew in just to watch the concert. JANINE VILLAGRACIA/INQUIRER.net

Fans patiently wait some more for the show to start. JANINE VILLAGRACIA/INQUIRER.net

Fans patiently wait some more for the show to start. JANINE VILLAGRACIA/INQUIRER.net

Fans patiently wait some more for the show to start. JANINE VILLAGRACIA/INQUIRER.net

The stage setup for the On The Road Again Tour in Manila. JANINE VILLAGRACIA/INQUIRER.net

One Direction reminds fans to stay safe and behave through an animated video. JANINE VILLAGRACIA/INQUIRER.net

A VTR plays to officially open the show. JANINE VILLAGRACIA/INQUIRER.net

A VTR plays to officially open the show. JANINE VILLAGRACIA/INQUIRER.net