December 7, 2018 would have been a memorable day for a lot of concert-goers as a day when they saw their OPM idols such as December Avenue, IV of Spades, Moira dela Torre, and Quest without spending even a cent; but as viral posts on social media currently show, the free concert to end this year’s Coke Studio became a disaster even before it has fully started at the Mall of Asia Concert Grounds. Now, the Coke Studio Christmas Concert has been rescheduled to the first quarter of 2019 to officially close the season.

It was a bummer, take it from someone who was there to witness everything first-hand. I waited hours just to see if the concert will push through and I’m quite glad it didn’t because no artist deserves to play in front of a disrespectful and undisciplined crowd! No exaggeration included. No words can fully express how disappointed I am with teens who disrespected up-and-coming campus artists – booing and shouting that they prefer to see popular artists, threw bottles in the air and threw away balloon condoms because “it’s cool”, and pushed other people just to get to the spot where they want to. It’s like World War Z! May this event be a reminder to everyone that it’s common courtesy to show some respect and discipline anywhere we go and that we cannot abuse FREE THINGS, lest these will be taken away from us. And you wonder why concerts are so pricey nowadays?

Before I go on rambling, here are nice photos from the Coke Studio Christmas Concert:

To give you an idea on what happened on the day of the concert, minus a Manila Millennial’s personal feelings, here’s Coca-Cola’s statement to the media issued immediately after the concert got cancelled:

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On December 07, 2018, the Coke Studio Concert organizers, Philippine National Police, the City of Pasay, and SM Mall of Asia decided to reschedule the Coke Studio Christmas Concert to early next year to prioritize the public’s safety.

The safety of everyone is of utmost importance to us. The unsafe behavior of portions of an estimated 15,000 spectators such as pushing, jumping on the barricades and throwing bottles, threatened the safety of the rest of the concert-goers, despite numerous reminders from authorities present.

There were some who sustained minor injuries and were immediately given medical attention. After careful assessment, and repeated requests for the public’s cooperation, Coca-Cola together with all the artists, PNP, the City of Pasay, and SM MOA, deemed it necessary to reschedule the concert to a later date.

We thank the PNP, the local government of Pasay, and SM MOA for their full support in helping ensure everyone’s protection, the artists for their passion and fully supporting the decision to prioritize their fans’ welfare, and lastly, to the concert goers for their understanding and support. We recognize that a lot of them have traveled far to see their favorite artists. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. Rest assured that we will continue to coordinate with the relevant parties to further tighten control measures in our next events.

Again, we thank everyone for their understanding and their continued support.

Coca-Cola PH

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Personally can’t wait for the next concert! I’m still hoping for a silver lining in all these happenings. Despite last Friday’s happenings, I’m thankful for Coke for continuously helping keep the spirit of OPM alive, and for that, they still have my full support.

Will we be seeing you in next year’s Coke Studio Concert? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment on Manila Millennial’s pages — Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For instant updates about the schedule of concerts and road shows, visit:

Facebook: COCA-COLA Philippines

Instagram: @cocacolaph

Twitter: @CocaColaPH

#CokeStudioHomecoming

#CokeStudioChristmas

READ MORE:

• 5 Things to watch out for in Coke Studio Season 2: Homecoming
• OPM is not dead: Here’s how COCA-COLA, fans continue to keep it alive