MANILA -- Bobapalooza, the first big local music and art festival in 2023 after the pandemic, which featured OPM legends Jugs Jugueta of Itchyworms, Ebe Dancel, Kitchie Nadal, Kamikazee, and Parokya ni Edgar, is making a return next year.

Preparing already for next year’s fest, which will happen on February 24-25, 2024, Bobapalooza will also include local performers Crazy Moon and Inside City from Visayas and Mindanao. The two local bands won the festival’s contest BobaBrawl.

In an interview with the media, Rolling Gum’s co-founder and chief executive officer Gayle Oblea, the production behind Bobapalooza, said inclusivity is one of their top priorities. That’s why they decided to include lesser known bands to showcase their musical skills.

“Bobapalooza started with this massive urge to help innovate platforms that showcase the talented artists we have in our country. And given the success of Bobapalooza 1, and the passion we saw from up-and-coming bands, we decided to extend our platform to all aspiring musicians, equally and inclusively,” Oblea said.

The executive added: “This is why we personally made an effort to travel to Cebu and Davao, so that we can also accommodate those who are based in the Visayas and Mindanao regions. We made sure to go to the center of each region to make it easier for artists to showcase what they’ve got.”

Promoting local bands, the festival wants to give its attendees a total music experience — from well-curated visuals, stage design to artists’ unique sound.

“This festival is for the people who love live music. The energy, the crowd, the noise, the music — we can’t wait.”

Apart from the BobaBrawl Visayas and Mindanao legs, 10 finalists coming from Luzon will battle in November, for the chance to win P25,000, showcase their music skills in the grandest stage, and represent Luzon next year.

“There’s so much talent that is yet to be discovered. This is our way to emphasize how inclusive we are at Bobapalooza and Rolling Gum,” Oblea told ABS-CBN News.

Next year's festival will also feature international acts.