MANILA -- Pinoy music and gaming communities converged at Tier One Entertainment's "Blackout: The Kickoff," a vibrant festival held at the Bridgetown Central Park in Pasig City from the afternoon of December 15 to the wee hours of December 16.

The event was a dazzling fusion of P-pop and mainstream acts, with performances by Kapamilya star Sharlene San Pedro, SB19's Josh Cullen, Calista, Kaia, Yara, 6ense, New:ID, Victor Pring, Sigrid, Bandit, Rolf, Chavo, Xayah, Daniel, and OPM artists such as Paringit, Paham, As Far As We Know, AVI, Marvin Ivan, Android-18, and 1st One.

Beyond the stage, the festival offered a colorful range of experiences. 

Gamers were treated to a Beyblade arena, a Warhammer figure painting booth, a console fighting game area, and a meet-and-greet with Blacklist International's players -- blending online, offline, and tabletop gaming.  

Pocket tattoo parlors offered inkings, while a mini-carnival tent provided classic fun and games such as dart balloons and color game. 

Art stalls also showcased the creativity of local artists. 

In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Tier One Entertainment chief executive officer Tryke Gutierrez shared his vision for the future of the festival. 

"When we started this out right, nobody really expected or kind of imagined what’s going to happen because of music festivals and arts, like will it really be music, gaming, and arts, like what aspects of music, what aspects of arts, what aspects of gaming?" Gutierrez shared. 

He added: "When you fuse things together, sometimes it gets a little bit difficult, but for us, we focus on the communities so we can really bring the soul out, the passion that’s here. So with that being said, I think what people can expect from us next year is it’s going to be a really different flavor. Like we said, it’s not going to be the best artist lineup, but we want to make sure that it’s what we want it to be."

In a speech onstage, he expressed hope in attracting international acts for a "bigger iteration" of Blackout. 

Blackout: The Kickoff also marked a significant moment for women in esports, as Blacklist International unveiled its first all-women Mobile Legends: Bang Bang team, who are set to compete in the qualifiers for the Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia. 

Esports personalities, including members of Blacklist International's Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Honor of Kings teams, were also present.