First PH government-led music delegation makes strong debut at Bangkok Music City 2026

PRESS RELEASE

Music fans filled venues across Bangkok’s Charoenkrung Creative District as the first Philippine music delegation, organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions, through its creative industries banner program CREATEPhilippines, took part in Bangkok Music City 2026. This marks a strong international debut for a Filipino delegation at one of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic regional showcases and industry gatherings.

Held last January 24 to 25, Bangkok Music City is an annual showcase and conference that spotlights emerging Asian talent while strengthening industry networks across the region. Organized by LiveNation, Fungjai, and NYLON Thailand, the event continues to position itself as a hub for Asian indie music discovery, collaboration, and cross-border exchange

The Philippines’ participation represents a milestone. It marks the country’s first coordinated presence at the festival, designed to position Filipino artists and music enterprises within Southeast Asia and other global markets, open performance and collaboration opportunities, and deepen industry relationships. Across the festival’s multiple stages and venues filled with attendees, six Filipino artists delivered performances that highlighted the diversity and export potential of contemporary Original Pilipino Music (OPM).

Though there is still much to do and learn, the country takes pride in joining the roster of global partners, alongside the Culture and Entertainment Industry Promotion Association (CEIPA), the Music Way Project, the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea (MCST), the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), Sounds Australia, BEEEF, TuneCore, The Great Escape, and the Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires étrangères, signaling that the Philippines is ready to take its place on the global stage.

Two of the headlining Filipino groups took the spotlight at some of the festival’s most prominent venues. ONE CLICK STRAIGHT delivered a golden hour performance on the Singha Life Stage at River City Bangkok, bringing their genre-blending sound and energetic stage presence. Meanwhile, Delinquent Society delivered a high-spirited set at the Royal Orchid Sheraton Riverside Hotel Stage, weaving multilingual verses and trap-driven beats into a performance that kept the venue packed.

In another corner of the Charoenkrung district, Filipino acts activated intimate and discovery-driven spaces central to the festival’s programming. At Corner House, bird.mnl and Pedicab each took the BMC Studio Stage in separate timeslots and offered distinct sonic experiences, from dreamy atmospheric textures to synth-driven high-energy rhythms. 

In the venue’s upper floor, PLAYERTWO gave the Small World Stage attendees an energetic set that encouraged fluid audience movement between acts. At the Grand Postal Building, August Wahh delivered a solo performance marked by smooth, introspective tones, owning the stage with effortless charm as the crowd swayed and danced along.

The strong audience turnout across all these venues indicated how Filipino artists were able to compete for attention despite the festival’s packed multi-stage lineup. Audiences often stayed throughout an entire set and engaged with the musicians after the show. 

Beyond the stage, the Philippine delegation gained additional international visibility through interviews conducted by Thai music media. All six acts received multiple inquiries for potential collaborations and bookings, and early discussions already included opportunities for future festival appearances, regional touring circuits, and collaborative releases with artists from neighboring markets.

In addition to the live showcases by participating artists, the Philippine delegation maximized its time at Bangkok Music City by actively engaging in the festival’s trade and industry platforms. With a clear focus on strengthening regional ties and expanding market access, CREATEPhilippines approached this year’s participation not only as a cultural showcase but also as a strategic industry mission. 

Across two days, artist managers and delegates took part in private discussions, business-to-business meetings, pitching sessions, speed networking activities, and industry talks. These engagements created multiple opportunities to connect with regional stakeholders and opened conversations around collaboration, market access, and the cross-border movement of Filipino music within the wider Asian landscape. Representing the Philippine delegation in the pitching sessions were Jigger Divina of Locked Down Entertainment, artist manager for August Wahh, Pedicab, and bird., and Andhie Salutin of Black Star Entertainment. Their participation placed Filipino acts directly in front of festival programmers, promoters, and music executives from across the region.

Among the key engagements tailored for the delegation was a private discussion moderated by Py Muenprasertdee, co-founder of Fungjai, AXEAN Festival, and Bangkok Music City, which brought the delegation into focused dialogue with prominent industry leaders. The delegation also joined panel conversations, including “Asian Music Export Alliance: Connecting Asia’s Gatekeepers,” where Sonik Philippines Music Marketing Manager Trisha Villegas shared insights on exporting Filipino music. She highlighted both the structural challenges and the emerging opportunities for local artists seeking to reach international audiences.

Beyond the two-day festival proper, CREATEPhilippines conducted an exclusive market sensing program for non-performing delegates. The initiative provided firsthand exposure to Thailand’s music ecosystem, offering insight into artist development pipelines, live venue operations, label systems, and audience-building models. This deeper understanding equips Filipino stakeholders with practical knowledge on how local acts can better navigate and compete within regional circuits.

The program began with BMC-organized studio visits to established Thai music companies such as Go On G and Parinam Music. Following the festival, the delegation visited several key institutions across Bangkok, including Mahidol University, one of Asia’s leading music institutions; Lido Connect, a multidisciplinary venue that supports independent music and cultural programming; and UOB Live, a large-scale entertainment venue that demonstrates the technical and production requirements of regional touring.

The delegation also met with major Thai industry players, including GMM Grammy, Thailand’s largest entertainment and music conglomerate; MCT, a music licensing company; and Studio28, a full-scale recording and production facility. These exchanges fostered discussions on talent development, publishing, distribution strategies, and cross-border collaboration, further strengthening pathways for Filipino music within the regional market.

The success of the Philippines’ debut participation reflects the growing international interest in Filipino artists and underscores the value of structured export programs in expanding OPM’s reach. Early outcomes, from audience engagement and media visibility to concrete business leads, point to meaningful opportunities for touring, licensing, and cross-border creative partnerships. The experience also demonstrated how curated delegations can strengthen the Philippines’ positioning within regional music networks and create clearer pathways for Filipino artists to enter new markets.

These developments align with CREATEPhilippines’ long-term goals of strengthening the country’s creative industries, particularly the music sector, through sustained international exposure, market intelligence, and cross-border collaboration. Building on initiatives such as Navigating the Touring Circuit and Sonik Sessions, it is now working on the Manila International Performing Arts Market and the Sonik Music Festival, slated for September 2026, which aims to position the Philippines as both a source of export-ready talent and a regional hub for creative exchange. 

“The debut at Bangkok Music City signals the start of bigger, more coordinated efforts to bring Filipino artists and OPM to global audiences,” CITEM Executive Director Leah Pulido Ocampo says. “It creates a good foundation for the Philippine music industry’s next phase of international growth.”

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The Philippine delegation to the Bangkok Music City is organized by CREATE Philippines, the country’s flagship trade promotions program for the Philippine creative industries, done in partnership with Sonik Philippines, with support from the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Bangkok.

CREATEPhilippines is a trade promotions program that supports the institutionalization and growth of the creative industries as a driver of economic growth and major contributor to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), employment generation, and export revenues. It brings together diverse creative fields such as game development, animation, communication design, music, and performing arts to showcase innovative, world-class content ready for licensing and global distribution.

Want to connect with the artists in our participating delegation? Get in touch by filling out the Connect with a Creative form. Want to be part of our creative community and have the chance to be featured on CREATEPhilippines? Sign up and register for our Directory of Creatives here.