The British Festival wows Manila anew with the best of Britain
Filipinos experienced another great weekend of the best of Britain at the third British Festival in Bonifacio Global City.
British Ambassador Asif Ahmad leads the ribbon cutting ceremony at the third British Festival in Manila.
Festival goers enjoyed a British-style weekend outdoors with family, friends and officemates for a truly great time. British Ambassador Asif Ahmad led the ribbon cutting ceremony that formally opened the festival, under a new archway inspired by the iconic London Eye that beckoned visitors to the festivities. He was joined by Shell Philippines’ Ed Chua and Ramon del Rosario, British Council Executive Director Nicholas Thomas and UK Education Ambassador Joyce Tan.
The Ambassador went around the festival area, with British excellence showcased in the entire stretch of Bonifacio High Street. Visitors had fun sampling the delicious assortment of British food & drink while completing the festival passport, which allowed them to go around the festival and see all the great activities and attractions. People of all ages took turns taking selfies by replicas of British landmarks and pop culture icons at UK in Miniature. Amateur sleuths tried their luck at the mystery game created by Escape Hunt especially for the occasion. At the Education Pavilion, British alumni shared how a British education can be a life-changing experience.
At the Main Stage British creativity melded with Filipino talent. The crowds cheered on their favourites as Rockaoke contest finalists belted out West End numbers in a bid to grab the top prize of round trip tickets to the UK courtesy of Etihad Airways. In the end, Richard Supat emerged victorious. British Embassy staff joined professional models as they strutted the catwalk in the latest summer trends of top British brands.
At the Shakespeare Pavilion, local groups celebrated The Bard’s life and legacy. Budding artists joined the children’s theatre workshop conducted by the Philippine Education Theatre Association (PETA). Other highlights were Everyday Shakespeare Talks by the Manila Shakespeare Company; excerpts of PETA’s highly-lauded Shakespeare rap-musical “William”, “William Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits” by Word of Mouth Theatre; excerpts from “A Comedy of Errors” performed by British School Manila students. Miriam College students surprised and delighted audiences with pocket live performances of Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night and Julius Caesar.
At the finale, Deputy Ambassador Nigel Boud thanked everyone who participated and came to the festival. Award winning a capella group Los Cantantes de Manila wowed the crowd with their stunning renditions of British and Filipino songs.
Organised by the British Embassy and its partners, the third British Festival in Manila proved to be an even greater showcase of the creativity, innovation, culture, heritage and knowledge that spell Britain’s success in fashion, music, sport, education and design.
You can find more photos at the British Embassy Manila Flickr page.