LUBAO, Pampanga –– It’s a banner year for the Lubao International Balloon and Music Festival (LIBMF) 2019 as twin exhibitions are set on April 5-7 at the Pradera Verde, Barangay Prado Siongco here and another one at the Clark Freeport Zone a week later.
Noel Castro, LIBMF chair, also said 31 hot air balloons will join this year’s main event at the Pradera Verde including 10 new special shape dirigibles.
Castro said 18 countries will join this year’s festival with Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, India and the Philippines from Asia; France, UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Latvia, Switzerland and Belgium from Europe; Brazil and USA from America; and Australia.
Tethered flights and a night glow exhibition will also be featured at the sprawling Clark Global City (CGC) behind SM City Clark at the Clark Freeport Zone a week later.
During a press conference here over the weekend, Castro said the 10 special shape hot air balloons will be their first time to fly in the Philippines.
He said the festival is also an opportunity to showcase the town of Lubao and the province of Pampanga as well as its people, culture and even its food to the world.
Castro said LIBMF also aims to promote tourism as thousands of thousands of tourists gathered here in previous events.
Bernie Bituin, LIBMF launch master, said both events are a photographers’ haven. The early morning launch and the night glow are expected to present a myriad of colors, he said. “As launch master, I give the go signal for them to fl y,” he said. “I will hold them as long as possible so that all the photographers can take pictures, selfies and even for the children,” he assured.
Bituin said depending on the wind condition, tethered flights will also accommodate spectators. For the first time, he said, the LIBNF will have a Filipino pilot.
Rambo Ortega, Forthinker, Inc. head organizer, said the music festival was the result of “crowd sourcing” which meant that they asked the crowd, through social media, who they wanted to watch for the music fest.
The Night Glow will be the backdrop for the music festival, he said.
Ortega said among those who will perform are I Belong to the Zoo, JK Labajo, Ben & Ben and December Avenue on the first day; Al James, Shanti Dope, Gloc-9 and Apl De Ap on Saturday; and This band, Moira Dela Torre and Bamboo will cap the main event with a fireworks display.
This explosive lineup will surely have everyone looking for more, Ortega said.
The Lubao IBMF 2019 will also off er some of its most loved activities such as Rallycross, Off Road, Ultralight, Motoparagliding, Motocross and Zookobia which are among many more entertaining ventures.
Tickets are available now at SM Ticket sales https://www.smtickets.com.Ticket while prices are at P350 for General Admission valid for any one day from April 5-7.
The Lubao International Balloon and Music Festival 2019 is organized by LIBF together with Forthinker, Inc., in cooperation with the Arts, Culture and Tourism Office of Pampanga (ACTO) and with support of Provincial Government of Pampanga and the local government of Lubao.–
