Over 1,500 Filipino Arianators came together on Saturday, 5 April, at Ayala Malls Manila Bay to celebrate Ariana Grande’s new short film brighter daysahead at an official watch party hosted by UMG Philippines. The special event, which drew over 3,000 attendees in total, marked the local launch of Grande’s eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead—now streaming on all platforms—and the premiere of the short film, currently available on YouTube.
The Grammy-winning pop superstar showed her love for the Manila fans by responding emotionally to Instagram posts from the event. “Absolutely crying” and “oh my heart,” she commented on reels posted by the fan page @arianators.wildin, which captured heartwarming fan moments, including a crowd eruption during a key scene in the film. Grande also reposted several fan stories, adding a sticker to one reel that read, “I love you sooooo much.”
Her mother, Joan Grande, chimed in as well, replying to a clip of fans shouting “We love you Ariana from your Filipino Arianators!” with a sweet message: “How lovely!!! Love back to you !!!!! xoxox.”
The event was a full-on Arianator celebration. Fans were treated to a screening of the film on the country’s largest 4K 3D LED screen, along with interactive booths, including a self-shoot photobooth by A Studios, a claw machine filled with official merch, and snack stations to round out the watch party experience. The hashtag #ArianaBrighterDaysPH quickly gained traction as fans shared their excitement online.
@umgph☀️An Eternal Moment to Remember ☀️✨️ From fan gatherings to games, drag performances, and watching the film 🥳—everything was real and will become eternal memories for us!!! 🩵 😭🫶 A huge thank you ❤️ to everyone who joined us at the 'Brighter Days Ahead Official Philippine Watch Party' 💙 and to our amazing PH Arianators for making this happen 🫶☀️✨️💙 And lastly, to our dearest @arianagrande, WE LOVE YOU always! 🫶🩵 See you! Until the next event! 😉🫶 ✨️ #ArianaBrighterDaysPh#ArianaGrande @Ayala Malls Manila Bay ♬ twilight zone - Ariana Grande
Adding more sparkle to the celebration were performances by local drag queens M1ss Jade So (a Drag Race Philippines Season 2 finalist), Moonlight, and Izzy Xtra—each known for their Ariana-inspired routines. Grande had previously shared a clip of M1ss Jade So performing ‘we can’t be friends (wait for your love)’ on her own Instagram.
Social media personality AC Soriano hosted the lively event, which featured fan-favourite segments like “Ariana-oke,” where superfans sang tracks from eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead—with one winner taking home a limited edition Wicked vinyl featuring Ariana’s character, Glinda. The deluxe album, is currently topping charts in the Philippines, hitting #1 on both Spotify and Apple Music, with all tracks charting and ‘twilight zone’ peaking at #1 on Apple Music; Ariana Grande also became the #1 artist on Spotify Philippines for the first time.
With thousands of fans coming together, heartfelt moments shared online, and Ariana herself joining in on the celebration from afar, the Manila watch party became more than just a fan event—it was a powerful reminder of the connection between an artist and her listeners. For Filipino Arianators, the message was clear: brighter days are not only ahead—they’re already here.