“There’s love in this room,” was one of the first things that Andrea Corr said when she greeted the crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Feb. 16, the second night of The Corrs: From Manila with Love shows. Thousands of fans celebrated their Valentine’s weekend with the Irish band and filled the coliseum with sweet nostalgia and timeless music.

The last time that Andrea, Sharon, Caroline, and Jim visited Manila was in October 2023, when they held two-night sold-out shows at the Big Dome. This time, Andrea even joked that they’d have to move to Manila. “We were here just over 14 months ago. We might just have to move, but you’ll get bored of us.” Of course, the crowd answered a resounding no. The fans’ love for the band was undeniable.

When the siblings took the stage and started their set with “Only When I Sleep,” it was already shaping up to be one of the best shows so far this year. And boy, did the band deliver.

They followed up with “Give Me a Reason” from their 2000 album In Blue.

In between songs, Andrea took some time to acknowledge and thank their Filipino fans.

“Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat …” which made the crowd cheer even louder.

“Thank you so much for the welcome you’re giving us tonight and the love we feel every time we come to the Philippines. You’re the most beautiful audience. We are so blessed, and we really appreciate this. It’s remarkable how we are treated here …”

Andrea’s short but important message was probably one of my favorite moments that night.

“… I think that the news and everything in this world, I’m so aware of the promotion of hate in the world and kind of saying that, that is the essence of who we are as people. But every night I see the contradiction to that. This is who we are. There’s love in this room. Let’s have the most amazing night together because we don’t know when we’ll have it again.”

It was such a powerful and heartfelt statement, and it made me want to look around the coliseum and appreciate that fleeting moment with the band and thousands of fellow music fans.

“Forgiven, Not Forgotten” was next during that night’s set, while everyone sang along when the band played “Summer Sunshine.” Andrea knew the Filipino concert choir was always ready, so she sometimes removed her in-ear monitors to listen to the crowd and let them sing.

The Corrs also performed fan favorites like “What Can I Do” and “Don’t Say You Love Me.”

It was such a pleasant surprise to experience “Love to Love You” and “All the Love in the World” live. Andrea mentioned that they haven’t performed “Love to Love You” in such a long time. It was also unmistakable that the band appreciated the incredible voices of their fans who still know all the words to “All the Love in the World.”

“Radio,” “Queen of Hollywood,” and their beautiful cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” were also part of the night’s set.

It was so cathartic to shout “I never really loved you anyway!” with thousands of people, and it was also fun to see the band have fun performing this song. Everyone was on their feet when “So Young” played, and Jim encouraged the crowd to dance.

“Runaway” is a Pinoy videoke staple, and the crowd that night proved that every Filipino knows this song by heart.

For The Corrs’ encore, they performed “Breathless, with the crowd dancing and singing along, and “Toss the Feathers.”

That night, Andrea kept thanking their Pinoy fans in Filipino, and she also said, “Mahal kita, Manila.” I can confidently say that the feeling is mutual. Filipinos can’t get enough of these talented Irish siblings and their songs that have been part of our personal soundtracks.

More photos here.

The Corrs: From Manila with Love was presented by PULP Live World.

Words by Ava S.
Photos by Seth Valenzuela