Olivia Rodrigo at the Nashville leg of her “Guts” world tour. Image: Instagram/@oliviarodrigo
Olivia Rodrigo pleasantly surprised her Filipino fans after revealing that tickets to her upcoming show at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan will have a flat rate of P1,500, but concerns were rife about the possibility of scalpers purchasing the tickets in bulk then reselling them at a higher price.
The Filipino-American Grammy winner announced on her X (formerly Twitter) page that she will hold a special “silver star show” on Oct. 5 at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan as part of her “GUTS” world tour.
“MANILA!!! I’m soooo excited to visit the Philippines for the 1st time for a very special Silver Star Show on the ‘GUTS’ world tour on October 5th,” Rodrigo said on Tuesday, Sept. 10.
MANILA!!!⭐️i’m soooo excited to visit the Philippines for the 1st time for a very special Silver Star Show on the GUTS world tour on October 5th, presented by @AmericanExpress. https://t.co/FGllYiR0LN pic.twitter.com/QyczIIAOdI
— Olivia Rodrigo (@oliviarodrigo) September 10, 2024
But the catch is that seats will be assigned at random. Seat locations will be revealed once it will be picked up in person.
According to Rodrigo, this will be her first time in the Philippines, and proceeds will be allotted for her charity, Fund 4 Good Organization. Her official website said the non-government organization is an initiative aimed at “building an equitable and just future for women and girls.”
The singer-songwriter’s announcement led to netizens showing excitement for its cheap price since it’s a “rare case” for concert tickets. Some referred to the upcoming show as Rodrigo’s “homecoming,” while others said it’s proof of her being “proud” of her heritage.
Olivia Rodrigo one of the biggest popstars right now doing a concert for only Php 1500?????? most local concerts aren’t even this cheap omg 🥹💜 pic.twitter.com/T7xBjscJYC
— ari 🌸 (@donkissfics) September 10, 2024
olivia’s first show in the philippines being one with P1500 tickets and all proceeds going to a fund that prioritizes helping women’s education and rights….
welcome home olivia, we’re so proud of u 🥹 https://t.co/sVk6aqHYEz
— ً (@snoopjeans) September 10, 2024
in filo terms this silver star show is basically that one grand family outing arranged and sponsored mainly by your balikbayan relative, where all you have to do is show up. literally the only thing you need to figure out is your availability on that said date KSHSKSGS https://t.co/eTUs7QHeah
— s (@roswifany) September 10, 2024
locals praising olivia for the silver star tickets initiatives 🥹 it’s the first time this happened. artists come here knowing they’re gonna profit easily. liv could’ve made a fortune out of this but she just wants her kababayans to come to her show & have the best time ever ☹️
— vee (@livrgo) September 10, 2024
Just when concert events in the Philippines are at an absurd price point, having to pay additional charges for sound checks and whatnots, Olivia Rodrigo beg to differ and flexed on all of them. Love her so much. https://t.co/M6PcqWZ5ca
— JA (@jacarrelyn) September 10, 2024
olivia rodrigo is selling tickets for her show in manila for ALL sections for ONLY 1,500 PESOS. that’s 26.56 USD INCLUDING TAXES by the way!!!! she really said “pasok mga suki, presyong divisoria, presyong kababayan” 😭😭😭 https://t.co/7xm3fBuZDj pic.twitter.com/cZFk6azY6g
— -r- (@swiftsabscriber) September 10, 2024
Meanwhile, some @ciiwyw and @yoncesomi appealed to international concertgoers to allow Filipinos to “have this one” chance to see Rodrigo perform, given the cheaper ticket rates.
PLEASE LET US FILIPINOS HAVE THIS ONE FOR ONCE. do not fucking fly here to the philippines just because the tickets are cheap. this is olivia’s first time performing here and we deserve to see her more than anyone. https://t.co/qaOKmFKteH
— via ✮⋆˙ (@ciiwyw) September 10, 2024
If you’re not Filipino don’t fucking buy tickets for the Olivia Rodrigo concert here in Manila just bc they’re cheap. This concert is for us. This is literally Olivia’s homecoming.
— soda (@yoncesomi) September 10, 2024
Scalping, other remarks
Ticket hoarding in the Philippines is nothing new, especially with foreign acts, thus the apprehension of concertgoers that scalpers might “hijack” the tickets and seller them to foreign fans or those willing to shell out more.
sana hindi makasecure yung mga scalper na oa mga presyo ng tickets. mawawalan din kasi ng sense yung gusto mangyari ni Olivia na mura amg con and for a cause.
— lalalalalala saw laufey ఇ◝‿◜ఇ (@aisleha) September 10, 2024
grabe con ni olivia rodrigo🥹 ang kalaban na lang talaga ng fans diyan is yung mga scalper na maghohoard ng tix sabay benta sa mas mataas na price pag nalaman na kung ano tier🥴
— liah\⁷ saw dreamies🤙🏻 (@bangwoolarmyy) September 10, 2024
Image: Screengrab from Facebook/Philippine Concerts
Image: Screengrab from Facebook/Philippine Concerts
i hope foreign fans doesn’t hijack olivia rodrigo’s ph concert just because it is priced way lower than usual. it’s obviously a homecoming show meant for her filipino folks and fans. pls don’t ruin the experience for us.
— on your mark (@markantonygreat) September 10, 2024
Filipino heritage
Born Olivia Isabel Rodrigo, the singer-songwriter’s Filipino heritage comes from her grandfather and great-grandfather, who moved to the US on a boat as a teenager.
Rodrigo said in an October 2018 Caam interview, that she grew up following Filipino traditions, as influenced by her family. “My great-grandfather migrated here from the Philippines when he was just a teenager.”
“He’s my grandma’s dad, and my grandpa is also Filipino as well,” she was quoted as saying. “My dad grew up in a house where they were always making Filipino food, his grandpa always spoke Tagalog. All of those traditions have trickled down to our generation.”
The “vampire” hitmaker also told Rolling Stone in September 2023 that she always wanted to perform in the Philippines.
“People there are so welcoming and hospitable and awesome… Filipino people ride for other Filipino people,” she said.