PAYDAY Friday meant heavy traffic around Cubao, one of the busiest areas in the metro, with commuters inching their way through buses, jeepneys, and long MRT lines. But inside the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Aug. 15, the slow crawl outside was replaced by a crowd of excited fans, their cheers filling the venue for Viva One Vivarkada: The Ultimate Fan-con and Grand Concert.
The three-hour show gathered Viva One’s rising stars and casts from its most popular digital series, including the University Series—The Rain in España, Safe Skies, Archer, Chasing in the Wild, and Avenues of the Diamond—and other Wattpad-based series, Seducing Drake Palma and Ang Mutya ng Section E. It was a chance for the fans to see their favorite love teams and characters live onstage. For the artists, on the other hand, the show was an opportunity to step out of the streaming screen and into the live spotlight.
The show began with songs from Miia Bella and Kylu, followed by lively sets from P-pop groups RAYA and GAT. Energy rose even higher when the “Univerkada Girls”—Heaven Peralejo, Krissha Viaje, Hyacinth Callado, Aubrey Caraan, Bea Binene, and Nicole Omillo—performed Donnalyn Bartolome’s “Kakaibabe,” drawing screams from the crowd.
Other highlights came one after another. The “Univerkada Boys”—Marco Gallo, Jerome Ponce, Gab Lagman, Lance Carr, Wilbert Ross, and Jairus Aquino—performed with their fellow heartthrobs.
Aubrey returned to the Big Dome stage, impressing everyone inside the venue with her performance of “How You Feel,” one of the official soundtracks of her series, Avenues of the Diamond.
Popular pairings such as MarVen (Marco and Heaven), HyGab (Hyacinth and Gab), KrisshRome (Krissha and Jerome), LanceBrey (Lance and Aubrey), WilBea (Wilbert and Bea), and JaiNicole (Jairus and Nicole) gave fans kilig moments through duets and fan-service interactions onstage.
The show also showcased performances from the upcoming Viva film I Love You Since 1892, which brought cultural flavor with folk dance and kundiman songs, while Angela Muji, Rabin Angeles, and Dylan Menor, along with their fellow cast members of Seducing Drake Palma, pumped up the crowd with dance numbers and surprise entrances.
Atasha Muhlach drew attention with a strong performance of “Handa Na Ako,” the theme song of Bad Genius: The Series, while Ashtine Olviga moved the audience with her heartfelt version of “Sa Bawat Sandali.”
The loudest cheers, however, were for “AshDres”—the team-up of Ashtine and Andres Muhlach. Their duet of “Minamahal,” from their upcoming film directed by Jason Paul Laxamana, brought the arena to its feet. Fans screamed even louder when Andres kissed Ashtine on the forehead and shared a touching message of support onstage, a moment that quickly spread online.
The kilig extended beyond the performance when Viva released the second teaser for Minamahal: 100 Bulaklak Para Kay Luna. The movie opens nationwide on Sept. 24, and the concert served as an early push for the film.
Before the finale, fans were also treated to previews of upcoming Viva One shows based on popular Wattpad stories, including Golden Scenery of Tomorrow, Project Loki, My Husband Is a Mafia Boss, Hell University, Ang Mutya ng Section E: The Dark Side, Dating Alys Perez, and Our Yesterday’s Escape. The announcements added even more excitement for the months ahead.
The night ended with the full cast returning for a final performance of GAT’s “Daleng-Dale.”
