FIFTH WALL Fest Turns ‘GIGIL’ Into a Four-Day Dance Party

Dance platform FIFTH WALL will present its seventh festivalFestivalA multi-act music event, often held over several days, where many artists perform across different stages. Festivals combine live music, food, art, and community, and they give audiences a chanceGo to Festival Glossary edition, “GIGIL,” from October 22 to 25, 2026, at NBS Park, Mandaluyong City. The four-day event brings together live performances, multimedia installations, and talks.

The “GIGIL” theme is founded with three Filipino expressions: pigil (restraint), ipon (buildup), and sabog (release). Seven artists will present their own takes on the theme: Al Garcia, Bunny Cadag, Ea Torrado, James Clar, Tarzeer Pictures, Timothy Axibal, and Japan’s Tohru Dance.

Featured works include James Clar’s Manila After Dark, a FIFTH WALL co-production inspired by Ishmael Bernal’s Manila by Night and choreographed by Madge Reyes, and Bunny Cadag’s The Singer, which gets its Philippine premiere. Ea Torrado’s Brown Madonna, Al Garcia’s Lore, and video installations from Tarzeer Pictures and Timothy Axibal round out the program. In partnership with the Japan Foundation, Manila, Tohru Dance will also lead Club “GIGIL,” a free artist talk and community jam.

Founded by dance artist Madge Reyes in 2020, FIFTH WALL began as a virtual platform. This will be the dance platform’s first time holding the festivalFestivalA multi-act music event, often held over several days, where many artists perform across different stages. Festivals combine live music, food, art, and community, and they give audiences a chanceGo to Festival Glossary at NBS Park.

Individual festivalFestivalA multi-act music event, often held over several days, where many artists perform across different stages. Festivals combine live music, food, art, and community, and they give audiences a chanceGo to Festival Glossary experiences will be ticketed online and onsite through HelixPay, while walk-ins are also welcome throughout the festival period.

Elijah Pareño

Music Writer

Elijah Pareño is the Music Writer of Rolling Stone Philippines. He writes daily music news, features, reviews, and radar stories of the website.

In addition to music writing, Pareño has written about the behind-the-scenes writers and producers from the P-pop scene, interviewed hip-hop artists like Shanti Dope and Zae, and featured up-and-coming artists for the Music Forecast 2026. Aside from music, Pareño has written about the state of affairs that affects pop culture. He wrote a movie review for 'Mortal Kombat II' and reported and interviewed photojournalists at the September 21, 2025 protests in Luneta and Mendiola.

Prior to working in Rolling Stone Philippines, Pareño was a freelance writer for 3 years and independent live music promoter

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