How to survive 3 days of fun at the Malasimbo Music Festival
Starting this Friday, March 1, over 4,000 visitors are expected to descend on Puerto Galera on the island of Mindoro to attend the three-day Malasimbo Music Festival, now on its third year.
To sort out some of the confusion that ensued last year—overcharging tricycle drivers, attendees unsure of where to go—the organizers say they are better prepared this year to handle a bigger crowd.
Last year, festival-goers swelled in number to 3,500 from about 1,500 the year before.
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This year, security will be beefed up and 50 jeepneys manned by Festival-approved drivers have been contracted to take visitors to and from the Malasimbo grounds. Jeepney rides are from PhP200-400 per person.
In addition, the organizers have released the following reminders:
1. Don’t bring food and drinks inside the festival grounds. Nope, not even a bottle of water.
2. Wear the right clothes. Be prepared to take a hike to get to the venue, located at the foot of Mount Malasimbo, which has a grass-terraced amphitheater. Put on light, comfortable clothing and footwear appropriate for the hike. The weather is expected to be cloudy with temperature highs of 30 Celsius in the daytime and nighttime lows of around 23 Celsius.
3. Bring cash. The ATMs in Puerto Galera are limited.
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4. "Prepare" for the unexpected. It’s a festival; the organizers urge one's "adventurous spirit and a gung-ho personality" to come out.
5. Don't park at the festival grounds. Instead, vehicles can be parked at the Balatero Pier.
6. Don't take professional video and/or audio recordings.
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Plus, the organizers want attendees to practice common courtesies including keeping the place clean, not bringing illegal or dangerous substances and respecting the staff, the crew, the locals and other festival goers.
For those who want to camp on the festival grounds:
• A fee of P500 will be charged per day.
• Bring your own tent and gear.
• Cooking won’t be allowed for safety reasons. Bring packed food or buy from food vendors on the fest grounds.
• Running water and portalets are available on the camp site.
• Campers get a one-day free pass for the day program.
The schedules for Malasimbo’s day and night programs are somewhere on this page. To check out the DJ parties scheduled on the floating MalasimBOAT, go here.
The fest is top-billed by the nighttime performances of reggae legend Jimmy Cliff and blues and soul singer Joss Stone.
A few final words: Enjoy the music, make friends and be happy!
For more information, visit the Malasimbo Music Festival website, Facebook page and at Ticketworld.
