Coldplay: The Concert of a Lifetime

I don't care, go on and tear me apart ♪♬♫
I don't care if you do, ooh-ooh, ooh ♪♫♬
'Cause in a sky, 'cause in a sky full of stars ♫♬♪
I think I saw you… oh oh ♪♬♫

Eight months have passed, and every time I hear this line from A Sky Full of Stars by Coldplay, I can't help but relive the moments we shared during their concert. People jumping, singing their hearts out, and jamming to this song still give me goosebumps, even now!

Day 2 of their concert at the Philippine Arena, and we woke up super early to make it to the meeting place on time. We took turns in the shower and packed only the essentials—wallet, power bank. Big bags weren’t allowed, and we couldn’t bring food or water, so we left our trusty aquaflasks behind.

After getting ready, we left our accommodation early and headed toward SM Mall of Asia, where we were meeting in one of the outdoor parking lots. But first, we searched for a place to have breakfast nearby.

We ended up grabbing a quick bite at Chowking, while Chiarra and Mylbon were on their way, staying with a friend. Mylbon brought friends from Cebu, and they were on the same van as us, along with @iamcjestrada's work friends, Crystal and Niño. The van was practically full of people from Cebu!

As we headed to the parking lot, we ran into Chiarra and Mylbon looking for breakfast, so we joined them since we still had time. A few minutes before the meeting, we headed to our van, where the driver was waiting for the others. We made a quick stop at McDo Panay, Quezon Avenue to pick up the remaining joiners.

Once we were all aboard, the driver took a group picture as proof for the travel organizer that everyone was there.

We were off, with the goal of getting to the arena early for a good parking spot. Along the way, we stopped at a gas station in NLEX, Marilao, Bulacan for lunch. The line at the cashier was insane—I’m pretty sure most of those people were headed to the concert too!

Lunch secured, we continued to the arena, arriving around 1 PM. I was blown away by how huge the place was. After a few minutes of searching, we found a parking spot near some trees with a great view of the arena.

The place was packed with people waiting for the gates to open. There were tents and food stalls everywhere to cater to the hungry crowd.

The gates opened at 3:30 PM, but we waited near the entrance for two hours since there were no spots to sit. Even before the gates officially opened, long lines had already formed on both sides of the arena. The excitement was building!

Finally, the lines started moving. We passed through the ticket validation and security checkpoint, where we received a pin and a Xyloband (such a cool souvenir! Just kidding, we were supposed to return it afterward, which we did).

We waited outside the main entrance for a while longer, and when it finally opened, we walked inside.

There were even more food stalls and a food court where you could buy snacks to bring into the arena.

After grabbing coffee, we headed straight to the line for our seats. Entering the arena, I was wowed again by how humongous (LOL, yes, humongous) it was inside. The seats were mostly empty, waiting to be filled.

And of course, we had a little photo session since it was our first time at the Philippine Arena, and hopefully not the last!

Around 7:30 PM, the front act, local performer Jikamarie, kicked things off with a 30-minute set. Coldplay was supposed to start at 8 PM, but they must’ve gotten stuck in traffic because they joked about it later! LOL.

Finally, 44 minutes later, the lights dimmed, our Xylobands lit up, and Higher Power started playing. Chris Martin took the stage, and the energy in the crowd was electric!

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Everyone was jumping and singing, as if the hours of standing had been wiped away. It felt like we were watching the Milky Way come to life with the lights flashing in sync with the music. Absolutely surreal!

In the middle of the concert, a surprise guest, local band Dilaw, took the stage near the crowd to perform their hit song Uhaw in front of 55,000 spectators. The energy was off the charts!

Coldplay continued with their hits, and the crowd went wild. Even @iamcjestrada, who just tagged along (he’s not as die-hard as us LOL), had the loudest shout of the night. That’s how epic it was!

When they played Yellow and Fix You, the arena turned into one giant karaoke party. People sang until their throats hurt, and I was trying so hard not to cry (spoiler: I failed). Haha, I shed a tear during Yellow, but I let it slide, not wiping it away so no one would notice. Meanwhile, Mylbon and Chiarra cried during Fix You without a care in the world. Good for them, LOL. I thought I’d cry during Fix You, but it turns out Yellow got me instead. Maybe because I’m not as heartbroken as I used to be.

After two hours of non-stop karaoke fun, the concert ended with Biutyful.

All good things must come to an end, they say—but I didn’t want it to. Huhu.

We rushed out of the arena to beat the traffic, but even then, what should’ve been a one-hour ride turned into two hours.

Still, it was worth every second. It’s an experience I’ll never forget, even if you call me O.A. No other concert will ever top it—at least for me.

And guess what? Our adventure in the capital isn’t over yet! We still have one more day to explore, so stay tuned!