Music events are back in full force, at least in the meantime. While event organizers big and small are finding ways to bring back the magic of pre-pandemic events, a significant number of productions are coming in with a bit more foresight, which is to say that they comply with the “new normal”.

Case in point: Urban Gathering, a pop-up music event series focused on hiphop acts, is enjoying relevant  success — enough to warrant a third installment in the past two months. To satiate raving hiphop heads while employing a safe space, walk-ins are not allowed. Instead, tickets are limited and sold well before the event. People pay through GCash and receive a pass via e-mail after uploading proof of payment; no physical meet-ups is needed.

While not a novel idea, this deceptively simple setup ensures that no overcrowding happens throughout the event; the event organizer, artists, and the audience enjoy the music with a shared sense of security for a couple of hundred pesos (that comes with a free drink).

The third installment of Urban Gathering features an even mix of the familiar and the up-and-coming, including some notable names from the newer generations of hiphop, namely 8 Ballin and SLIZ. Urban Gathering 3 is set to go live this Saturday, May 7, at Overview Restobar in Quezon City.

If events like Urban Gathering are generating wider interest to attend live events, then something bigger might be in the horizon. In fact, international acts coming over are already lined up at the latter part of the year. That too, is a good sign.