BINI, IV of Spades, Gloc-9, Ben&Ben, other music acts headline ‘Coachella of the South’

June 9 ------ Fresh from their historic performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, BINI performed once again at “Coachella” — this time in the South.

Dubbed the “Coachella of the South,” the Nation’s Girl Group captivated Bicolanos with their vibrant performance on May 30 at CamSur Uptown in Pili during the “Kaogma Festival 2026: The Hottest Festival in the World,” which drew more than 150,000 attendees.

Clad in their colorful, stylish outfits, BINI members Aiah, Colet, Maloi, Gwen, Stacey, Mikha, Jhoanna and Sheena opened their set with their hit Pantropiko followed by Bikini, Blush, Unang Kilig and Salamin, Salamin. It was also a special moment for Maloi, as the crowd and her fellow members sang “Happy Birthday” to her and surprised her with a cake on the main stage. The grand stage was beautifully crafted with a world-class design. Dazzling fireworks display and water effects are added to the festive atmosphere.

Gwen and Mikha, who both have Bicolano roots, greeted their kababayans in the Bicolano language, delighting fans who had camped at the campground, traveled from nearby towns and taken advantage of the free transportation provided for the event. Children were also in attendance, accompanied by their parents and dressed up like their beloved idols.

Boy band New: ID and music group Six-Part Invention also performed on Day 5 of the week-long festival before BINI took the stage.

Camarines Sur Governor Lray Villafuerte shared that organizers began talks with BINI in 2023 about headlining the event, years before the group made its highly anticipated Coachella debut. “We’re fortunate na nakuha natin ang BINI from Coachella to CamSur,” he said.

This year’s celebration was “definitely bigger and better,” he added. “With BINI here, they are a global icon, sikat na sila internationally. So, that’s a challenge for us next year. How can we make Kaogma a global standard in terms of everything. If you look at it, our stage is already at a global standard. But we will make it a more global standard next year, bigger and better. Expect that.”

Ben&Ben and Lola Amour delivered their respective acts during the festival’s opening night. Day 2 featured performances by Sponge Cola, Earl Agustin, El Manu and Jessy Kang, while IV OF SPADES and Dilaw energized the crowd on Day 3.

Headlining the “Rap Night” on Day 4 was Filipino rap icon Gloc-9 who electrified the crowd with his popular songs such as Upuan, Simpleng Tao, Hari ng Tondo and Sirena. He was joined by Paul N Ballin, HELLMERRY, and Uncle Dags. The festival concluded with performances by RCK Global and Kate Torres Band on the last day of Kaogma.

Source: philstar.com