The Smashing Pumpkins Brought the 90s Back to Manila

The Smashing Pumpkins returned to Manila on September 29, 2025, and filled the venue with a sound and energy that felt like a time capsule cracked open. A Monday night turned into something closer to a holiday as fans young and old gathered to see a band that shaped an era.

The last time the band played Manila was August 2012 during the Oceania tour. Thirteen years later, the wait ended. This time, the original trio stood side by side again. The performance wasn’t only about reliving the 90s but showing how that spirit had aged into something heavier, sharper, and more deliberate.

From the opening lights the Coliseum was alive with voices. Songs like “1979,” “Tonight, Tonight,” “Disarm,” and “Bullet With Butterfly Wings” turned into full sing-alongs. People in every section stood and sang. Seeing the original lineup together gave the night an added sense of importance. Whenever the band stopped, the crowd kept the sound going with chants and shouts.

One of the highlights came when Billy Corgan greeted the crowd with “Magandang gabi, Manila.” The audience roared the greeting back, waving and lifting phones in the air. For a moment, the barrier between stage and audience seemed to fall away.

As the house lights rose and the final notes faded, the energy spilled into the aisles. People clapped until their hands hurt, sang until their voices cracked, and walked out with smiles, dazed stares, or quiet embraces. Some stopped for photos by the posters, unwilling to let the night end.

The Smashing Pumpkins didn’t just play a show. For a few hours, they turned Manila into a place where the 90s were alive again—loud, raw, and unforgettable.

This event is brought to you by PULP Live World