Music fans dressed up as witches, ghouls, and other spooky and creative characters as they invaded the Mall of Asia Arena on Oct. 29 for Hallyuween 2022, a Halloween party like no other. Drag queens Lady Gagita, Lady Morgana, and Minty Fresh as well as P-pop group BGYO joined six K-pop acts: CL, Epik High, KARD, PENTAGON, Gaho X KAVE, and DJ Soda for a night of music and treats for their fans.
During the press conference before the show, BGYO said that they are very thankful and honored that they were invited to Hallyuween since they would be joining big K-pop artists and the iconic drag queens.
Lady Morgana also said that the queens want to show music fans, both local and foreign, the creativity of the Philippine drag scene.
K-pop co-ed group KARD wowed with their costumes. BM said that the group is happy to have another opportunity to see and interact with their Filipino fans.
Gaho X KAVE were also excited to see their fans in the Philippines. When asked what their message was to their fans, Gaho sang “Start Over” and dedicated it to them.
Yeo One from boy group PENTAGON said their fans, Universe, are their inspiration and that they have prepared fun performances for that night as their way to communicate with their fans.
DJ Soda said she loves the Philippines and that she is proud to perform as a DJ representing South Korea.
Epik High’s Tablo said, “We wanna make sure that you forget about all of the bad things going on in the world and your life, just for tonight. We know we can’t solve every problem, but for the time that we share together, if we can make you forget about things and enjoy yourself, maybe when you go back, you’ll be a lot stronger.” Of course, such wise words from the one and only Tablo. He also said he hoped everyone would have a safe trip back home because the weather was awful that weekend.
Fans faced severe tropical storm Paeng to see their favorites, but it definitely was a night to remember.
Baddest female CL dressed up as Cruella de Vil during the press conference, and she was gorgeous! She said she’s very happy to reconnect with her fans because she hadn’t been to the Philippines in years.
The show started with zombies running around the dance floor and spooked the crowd before the drag queens took the stage. Lady Gagita performed Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi,” 2009 VMAs style. Lady Morgana graced the stage with Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” and Minty Fresh was next with Ariana Grande’s “Break Free.” The three queens ended their set with a performance of “Bang Bang” by Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj.
Gaho X KAVE then took the stage and started their set with “Start Over” from the K-drama “Itaewon Class.” They performed “Running” from another hit drama “Start-Up.” Gaho said that because of the crowd’s energy, they want to come back to Manila for their own concert. They also sang “Beautiful Night” and “High,” and they covered Blackpink’s “How You Like That.” Gaho and band KAVE gave an explosive performance of “Right Now” as their last song for that night.
PENTAGON was next, much to the delight of Filipino Universe. The group, appearing on stage with six members, performed “Feelin’ Like,” “Sparkling Night,” “Beautiful Night,” “Call My Name,” and Shine.” They were happy to see a lot of their fans in the crowd.
Another Filipino act to join this year’s Hallyuween lineup is BGYO, and as expected, they didn’t disappoint. They started their set with a powerful performance of “The Light.” They also sang “Kundiman,” “The Baddest,” and “Magnet.”
When KARD appeared on stage, the crowd went wild. They first performed “Ring the Alarm,” and I am speechless at how amazing their performances were even though they were wearing costumes. They continued with “Oh NaNa,” “Don’t Recall,” “Bomb Bomb,” “Red Moon,” and “Dumb Litty.”
K-hip hop icons Epik High kept the crowd on their feet as they started their set with “No Thanxxx.” They also performed “Burj Khalifa,” “One,” and “Born Hater.” Before their last song, the group had a surprise. They signed and wrote “We love Manila” on a shirt before throwing it to a lucky fan. The group’s last song for the night was “Don’t Hate Me.”
2NE1’s “I Am the Best” started playing. And who else could it be but the queen, CL. She started with a hot performance of “Spicy.” The party didn’t stop as CL continued with her hits “HWA,” “The Baddest Female,” “5 Star,” “Chuck,” “Doctor Pepper,” “Lover Like Me,” and “MTBD,” with “Hello Bitches” rounding up her set for Hallyuween.
After CL’s unforgettable performances, she went on stage to announce the winners of the night’s major awards for Best in Hallyuween Costume.
But what would a party be without dancing? Wrapping up the night was DJ Soda, making everyone dance with the songs she prepared especially for the party.
It was one amazing performer after another, and what a night that was. The Philippines’ 1st KPOP HALLOWEEN PARTY: HALLYUWEEN is presented by PULP Live World.
See more photos from Hallyuween 2022 here
