Taylor Swift’s Filipino fans gather at the MOA Amphitheater to celebrate ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ together
MANILA, Philippines – The last time pop superstar Taylor Swift lit up the Mall of Asia (MOA), it was inside the arena in 2014, where she played to a sold-out crowd on the Asia leg of her Red Tour. Since then, she’s moved on to stadium-only shows, with her record-breaking Eras Tour, the highest-grossing of all time, skipping the Philippines entirely in its nearly two-year run.
But on Friday, October 3, at the night her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, dropped, Filipino Swifties showed up and showed out at MOA once again, as though the pop sensation had never left.
Embodying the “showgirl” spirit, Filipino Swifties attended the listening party, rain or shine.
On the very day of the launch, Severe Tropical Storm Paolo made landfall in northern Luzon and brought steady rains down to Pasay. Hosts Wendel Lazaro and Aila Ilagan expected a thinner crowd because of this, especially since the MOA Amphitheater was open-air and had no tents.
Instead, fans came in waves, umbrellas in hand and shoes caked in mud. Clad in the album’s signature orange, they carried with them tokens of their devotion: cardboard lyric signs, Eras Tour tote bags, and friendship bracelets ready to be exchanged. Some fans traveled as far as Cavite and Pangasinan to meet fellow Swifties in the pouring rain.
“Siguro kulang-kulang lang din ng 1,000 ang mga tao ngayon,” Ilagan observed. (I guess there’s more or less 1,000 people here today.)
T-Party Philippines, an organizer dedicated solely to Taylor Swift events, typically draws crowds in the thousands. Their biggest turnout hit 7,000 during the Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) listening party at the MOA Atrium in 2023.
Between songs, the night came alive with performances from Swift and Sabrina Carpenter drag impersonators, local cover artists, and even fans themselves, who joined onstage for a lip-sync battle. Midway through the festivities, the MOA Globe was bejeweled with the album’s visuals in celebration of the release and the launch party.
Ilagan and Lazaro say it didn’t start out this big. The founders of T-Party Philippines aimed for a simple fan gathering upon the release of Swift’s 10th studio album Midnights in 2022. They scouted event spaces like cafés and clubhouses before South Park Center reached out and offered to host.
The turnout exceeded expectations. “Wala pa kaming promotions, Facebook page lang, pero ang daming tao,” Ilagan said, estimating around 1,000 people attending their very first event. (We didn’t have much promotions, just a Facebook page, but there was already so many people.)
Filipinos’ penchant for the pop sensation is undeniable. In 2023, they topped global Google searches for her, and in 2024, Klook reported they were the biggest buyers of Eras Tour tickets in Singapore, the tour’s only Southeast Asian stop.
The desire for Swift to return to the Philippines pushed many fans to organize and attend these listening parties.
“Super important ng mga events na ‘to para ma notice din [tayo] ng team ni Taylor na she should come back here,” JFour Menda, a long-time Swiftie and frequent listening parties attendee, said.
(These events are super important to convince Taylor’s team that she should come back here.)
For the MOA event, Menda made her own costume to wear, replicating a look from Swift’s album cover. She’s one among many who took their time to dress up for the listening party.
“Sobrang fulfilling sa loob. Maliban sa nakikinig ako ng music ni Taylor, nakikinig ako with them, the Swifties. Sabay sabay kami kumakanta…ineenjoy ko rin yung show,” added Menda.
(It’s super fulfilling. Aside from the fact that I’m listening to Taylor’s music, I’m also listening with them, the Swifties. We’re singing along together…I’m also enjoying the show.)
For the organizers and performers, these events are a labor of love. “Dapat may passion talaga. Yung demand ng fans, kailangan namin ma meet,” Lazaro said.
(You should really have a passion for this. You need to meet the demand of the fans.)
Listening parties like these are how Filipino Swifties turn from passive consumers of Swift’s music to active producers of joy and connection.
The Life of a Showgirl may have led them to the MOA Amphitheater, but what truly defined the night were the fans who kept dancing under lightning strikes. – Rappler.com
