At the University of the Philippines (UP), music is never just about entertainment. And at UP Fair 2025, the rhythm of resistance roars louder than ever. More than a festival, it’s a week-long platform where art and advocacy collide which brings people together not just to revel in melodies but to rise in solidarity. 

Set against the backdrop of the UP Sunken Garden, this year’s fair, true to its core, pulses with purpose, shedding light on the struggles of urban poor communities, women, peasants, and national minorities. With each night dedicated to a different cause, UP Fair 2025 echoes that while everything is political, resistance can still dance, sing, and take the stage. 

Kalye Tunes: UP Fair Wednesday

Wednesday’s Kalye Tunes resonates with the struggles of the urban poor. Featuring a powerful lineup of local bands, rap artists, and spoken word performers, the night turns the spotlight on the plight of informal settlers, workers, and underprivileged communities. 

Headliners include Gloc-9, O Side Mafia, Flow G, Abra, Loonie and more.

Through their lyrics and fiery anthems, performers articulate the realities of poverty, gentrification, and labor exploitation. On-ground activities include art installations depicting urban displacement and community-led dialogues on the fight for housing rights.

Quests 2024: UP Fair Thursday

Thursday’s Quests 2024 puts women and gender issues front and center. The night celebrates feminist resistance and gender equality, with a lineup of women-led acts and queer performers taking the stage. Through raw, empowering sets, the festival amplifies calls to end gender-based violence, fight discrimination, and promote LGBTQ+ rights with headliners Cup of Joe, Ben&Ben, Yeng Constantino, Morisette and more.

Elements 2025: UP Fair Friday

Friday’s Elements 2025 stands in solidarity with Filipino farmers and peasants, whose struggles are often overshadowed. Folk and grassroots musicians, along with socially conscious bands, take the stage, weaving narratives of landlessness, agrarian reform, and rural poverty into their performances. 

The night becomes a moving tribute to the resilience and resistance of the rural sector with December Avenue, Sponge Cola, Gloc-9, Adie, Lola Amour, Zild and more.

REV Music Festival: UP Fair Saturday

Closing the festival with a powerful message, REV Music Festival on Saturday celebrates and uplifts national minorities, spotlighting the struggles of Indigenous Peoples and Moro communities. Honoring cultural heritage while voicing calls for self-determination, ancestral land protection, and resistance against displacement, the event features 6cyclemind, Kitchie Nadal, Imago, Maki, TJ Monterde and more. 

As the night skies fill with music, the grounds of UP Sunken Garden become a testament that the fight for justice will always have a rhythm, and the people’s struggle will always have a song.