Wakas at Simula: The Trilogy Concert Finale

(Sun Apr 26 2026)

It’s been aound a year since I became a fan of SB19. #noregrets

1. Pre concert hype

SB19 casually walked in front of me during check in 👀

This has confirmed what I always knew was true about myself—that if I ever get a chance for an encounter I would just simply malfunction. What’s crazy to me is how we were supposed to check in on Friday but decided last minute to arrive a day before. It’s as if we were meant to see the boys that day.

My husband (AJ) was checking us in and I was seated in the lounge area just next to where he is. He kept on chatting me that the men waiting next to him looked like body guards. He heard them say “pababa na sila.” 2 girls also arrived who looks to be their staff or PA. AJ told me (repeatedly) it might be the boys. I was trying not to get my hopes up.

We were about to go to our room and then there they were, the five of them, in the flesh 🚨🆘. They were on their way to the venue for rehearsals.

I was visibly shocked. I did not call their names. I did not say hi. I did not get to capture the moment. I held on to AJ’s hand tight and didn’t realize I sat back on my seat. The world slowed down but it was also very very fast.

Justin looked back a bit maybe he felt that some girl was malfunctioning on the side (I hope he saw me though so that he can tell Ken I was wearing my 7sins jacket). Stell took out his phone to take a photo, I think it was the jeepney installation they passed by. SB19 posted that day and Ken was wearing only a sando, but he was actually wearing a dark colored hoodie.

Moments later I looked at my left to find the hotel staff were laughing at me and my reaction 😆. They then started being chatty with me, giggling about the boys. Barely checked in and I already had my favorite moment 🖤.

Fan projects

When fanbases started announcing their fan projects, it was so overwhelming for me. There were so many. It was like the fans had this sense of responsibility to make it a good time for others too. A reminder that we are a community.

There were some that are very intentional (Jeep and bus wraps with free sakay, airconditioned MaPa lounge for senior citizen attendees, free water, free snacks, confetti with sb19 quotes). There were some that are very filipino (free taho, free ice cream, marching bands, drum beats, motorcade) and it was so nice because so many foreigners came to our country for this concert. One of SB19's long term goal is to promote our culture, and it is happening at this very moment. There were some meant to surprise the boys (project nebula). I was in awe with how this was organized because it was supposed to be a secret. Personally, I was too shy to send a dm to ask what the project was 😆, I waited until the very last minute to announce I still don't know what it was. There were some to promote the boys (lamppost banners, ad billboards, bus wraps), I like these a lot because it felt more personal and intimate. I even went to Parqal 1 day before just to see some of them. And then there was one that was very grand (drone show).

Not to mention so many individual fans prepared freebies. I personally got busy to prepare for what I wanted and just gave away house chips and official photocards that I have that are either extra or are not my biases. I may not be able to line up for fan zone (the line was impossibly long), we still went home with a lot of fan made anik-anik. Other than the usual photocards and pins, I went home with a fidget keyboard clicker, a pen, and a notepad. Not bad for an introvert.

May it be grand or small, it was an expression of how much SB19 is loved. I am glad to have witnessed this.

Outdoor venue rehearsals

So I accidentally got spoiled when we went for a walk one day before the concert 🙉.

What was that? Did they invite a PPOP girl group to the event? Could it be G22 or KAIA? But no it wasn’t. It clicked in my head when I heard there’s “tabi” in the lyrics. This is their (1z) girl group that is yet to debut. This was meant to be a surprise but now I know it 😭.

After, I contemplated if I want to continue spoiling myself. I can either stay outside and listen to my favorite voices or go back to our room with the view of the venue. If we use our phone cameras to zoom in, we were able to see what’s happening on the stage.

I’ve had several moments of weakness, but overall I avoided it. I even had to play my phone loudly because I (at the 17th floor) can still hear their full rundown rehearsals that started at 10PM.

But first, trading photocards

Because I am with my kpop fan bestie (Yey / Jokentin bias) who is more extroverted than me, I got to experience trading for the first time. The best part about it are the screams 🦅🦅🦅. One of those moments where I really enjoy the unapologetic feminine energy. From Pablo and Ken, we now have Ken and Ken. We can now go inside to find our seats and buy merch.

While walking though, Yey very casually told me maybe she needed Jah's pc instead of Ken's. At that very moment the set of girlies seated heard her and told her they can trade. Right then and there she got her Justin pc 💅🏼.

2. Wakas at Simula: The Trilogy Concert Finale

If I’d get to have one wish, it is to feel exactly what I felt during that intro. I was overwhelmed with emotion. Proud of how far they’ve come (SB19 and 1Z). Overjoyed from the fireworks. Goosebumps from the procession outside the venue that flashed on the LEDs. Giddy from knowing they will start performing in just a few moments. Satisfied (already) that I get to witness this, that I am here. And, of course, panic too because I don’t wanna miss anything.

There was an urge to cry it all out.

It felt like a celebration (the fireworks, the procession, the flags), for the kings are being welcomed back 👑. And this was all before the 5 of them shows up.

The White Parade

My fit was all white inspired by Ken's mama mary outfit during their 2026 new years performance.

And then…

What do you mean SB19 came out in white too???? This was their best look for the night. And the best part? The design of their jackets are similar to My Chemical Romance’s The Black Parade but in white 🏳️.

I could not believe my two worlds are colliding tonight. It was like my very own Simula (My Chemical Romance) at Wakas (SB19). My Wakas (SB19 concert - April 2026) at Simula (MCR concert - November 2026) too. It was like a reminder that this falling back into music (at this intensity) is for the little Gwe who found comfort in music when the world didn’t make sense. 🫂

Performances

I really loved how after showing us their most ambitious production for DAM, we didn't see the fireworks again until the last song. The way I see it, even though they wanted to overwhelm and wow us with these gimmicks, the quality of their performances is still a priority. That it was a decision. It is still their skills I'd like to talk about with anyone who'd listen. If there’s a day 2 for this concert, for D2 I’d be more than happy to just stay outside the venue and listen👂🏻.

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There were so many moments that were mine and mine alone, way before I got to watch any fancams.

One of my struggles of the night were to stop time and grasp the creative LED visuals at the back. Because what do you mean the DAM tree is on fire 🔥? I need to analyze this first 🔍 but unfortunately, time could not stop for me and it's the next song already. For GENTO there was 3D stone SB19 🗿. For Emoji there were skull SB19. For 8TONBALL someone's headbanging 🤘🏼. For DUNGKA the dungkrab had a makeover (iirc it was uglier). For Quit there was a phoenix, what does that mean? What came to me at the moment was the ending of Aang: The Last Airbender 🐦‍🔥🔥. For Wakas it was a live feed of who's singing in black and white with a slow and blurred effect. It perfectly captures when you are starting to forget the details of someone's face, it is exactly what it's like to grieve.

There were so many moments of my favorite introverts (Ken and Justin). It was like watching 2 magnets constantly being pulled next to each other 🧲. My favorite was when they were at the opposite ends of 3 wide stages trying to talk to each other.

I remember asking during Emoji interlude—the one where it was very low so I thought it should be Ken, "Was that Stell?" And a few moments later, I got to actually hear Stell harmonizing in high notes 😵‍💫. Turns out it was Justin and I am still puzzled why I did not recognize 1/2 of my biases. This specific part is now my hyper fixation.

My bestie (jokentin bias) and I, even though our delusions are different, we both aren't into thirst traps. I was wondering why she was not jumping as much during CRIMZONE, turns out she was locked in on Pablo after I told her he was in a sando 😆. He was so shy trying to keep his angas.

I am also just happy to have finally witnessed Liham live even though I hated that the 5 of them were so far from each other during this song.

And then there’s Wakas. I have never been more nervous in my life than when Justin started their long heartfelt speeches. I was scared of an announcement that will change everything. After him it was Ken. I still felt the same fear. When it was Stell’s turn I was already tearing up. My only complaint was that no one hugged Stell. They deserve that group hug 😡.

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Wow did I just yap that much about their performances???

I will be watching SB19 again in 2 weeks for Aurora in Clark (my province). I have no idea what songs I want to see on that setlist. My only nonnegotiables are DAM and CRIMZONE.

Stage and production

How do you hype up a crowd already in high energy? They’ve done it very well. It’s not just fireworks for the sake of fireworks. It complimented not just the music but also the lights. I am now in my happy little corner of the internet watching fancams from different angles because every seat saw a different story.

It feels lacking to thank only SB19 and 1Z Entertainment for this. So many creatives were woken up to showcase what they have to offer. I even want to thank the security marshalls and seat ushers because I didn’t encounter any who were disrespectful.

And this is another way I view SB19, they are here to raise the standards. The quality just shines that I can’t help but talk about it.

Our seats in SVIP W

The biggest question for the night is, what is the best seat? This personally took me so long to decide. I ended up choosing SVIP W. It is a bit far from the main stage but we’d still be close to them when they go to the satellite stage.

The only down side—and there has been no way for us to know this—was that Ken kept staying on the opposite side (right) of where we were (left). We gave up the first set of tickets we bought in VIP J (right side). It seemed we would've seen Ken more if we didn't upgrade to SVIP 😆. A classic case of the grass is greener on the other side.

In comparison with Simula at Wakas kick off

For both concerts, the time stopping intro were the ones to watch, to experience, to remember. I still don't know which one I liked better. The same feeling, executed differently 🙌🏼

During Wakas at Simula Finale, the intro was not done yet when my bestie started saying this was "the best intro" she's ever experienced. She's said it multiple times that night. She might just be overwhelmed at the moment but it is a big statement coming from her, who is a long time KPOP fan, and has watched so many concerts already. On the other hand, my husband preferred the intro for Simula At Wakas but he could not pinpoint why. At this point I don't want to overthink it, I am just happy to have experienced both.

For Simula at Wakas Kick Off in Philippine Arena, the biggest advantage was that it was indoor and all the convenience that comes with it.

There were a lot of struggle that came with the outdoor venue. The very elevated stage and zero elevated seats, masakit sa batok! And this made every seat obstructed in a way, unlike in an arena where the stage is always visible because we are looking down. The heat and the uncertainty of the weather. The one that scared me the most are the portalets 🚻. All complaints about the venue (both hypothetical and experienced) were valid. It actually overwhelms me that despite the complaints, the fans all over the world still showed up for SB19.

What was true for both concerts though, that I really appreciate, were the princess treatment 👸🏻. I only learned later on that fans also had many complaints about the kick off venue (PH Arena) but SB19 proved their worries wrong. And the same thing happened this time in SMDC. There were a lot of assist outside and inside the venue. There were water stations—which I heard never ran out. They were actively giving out water even during concert proper. The portalets had aircons (now I wish I got to experience it). All tickets had fans 🪭, cooling wipes, and raincoats. There were available seats at the standing sections for seniors and PWDs. All of those tiny details were SB19's love for the fans.

3. Post concert depression

Now that I had time to think, just two complaints for me: 1.) I hate when the 5 members are stages apart. 2.) Where's Ikako and Nyebe??? 😭

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Aside from this renewed obsession with fancams, I also enjoyed reading the good reviews of casuals and random stories of the concertgoers. From how impressive the older generation fans were compared to us trentahins (30 year olds) with so many complaints. To those who broke down from overwhelming emotions during MaPa, Quit, or Wakas (including Stell). They said the portalets had aircons 🌬️ and air fresheners. They said that at the very back some fans were selling pizza while dancing through the crowd 😭. They said that ATIN’s claygo initiative was so successful that random people’s water bottles (that they still plan to use) are gone the moment they look away 😆. They said some casuals bought tickets when they heard the rehearsals the day before. They said so many people were outside without tickets hoping for a chance.

Despite the heat and the very long walk, it was a day filled with so much kindness. Something that has become rare on the internet. A short break from the toxicity. Look at the community you have built, SB19. This is how I will remember it for the rest of my life. ☀️

It feels like a disservice to call it (just) a concert. It was also a reunion for fans. It was also a festival. It was massive and historic. Forever greatful to have met the 5 of them right on time. I SaW it; I WaS there.