The Script to return to Manila in 2027

FOLLOWING concerts in Manila in 2011, 2013, 2018, 2022, and 2025, Irish rock band The Script will be back for more in 2027, unable to stay away for long from the Philippines, a country that has always welcomed them warmly.

They are slated to bring their Man in the Arena tour to the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City on March 18, 2027. The concert will be presented by Wilbros Live in collaboration with Midas Promotions.

Songs the likes of “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved,” “Breakeven,” “Hall of Fame,” and “Superheroes” are always beloved by the Filipino crowd, according to lead singer and frontman Danny O’Donoghue.

“I think Filipinos are very like Irish people. You love to drink, show your feelings, go to concerts arm-in-arm with friends. Your hearts are open; your lives are open,” he said during a press briefing in Ortigas on May 25.

“That’s kind of what The Script are. We’re an open book. It’s very Irish to do that, to lay all your problems, troubles, hopes, out into song,” he added.

The Script, with over 14 billion streams and 5 million album sales worldwide, announced the world tour upon the release of their new single, “Man in the Arena.” The track is the first taste of their upcoming album, The User’s Guide To Being Human, set to drop in August.

Their previous album Satellites came out of grief from losing their bandmate, Mark Sheehan, in 2023; the new record emerged after they concluded their Satellites global arena tour which was dedicated to him.

According to Mr. Donoghue, User’s Guide was born from a period of “being energized and inspired,” with songs written and recorded with frequent collaborators Andrew Frampton, Steve Kipner, and Jimbo Barry.

“I’ve done my growing around [the loss] now and can finally see a little light at the end of darkness,” he said.

Teasing one song from the new album, he added, “The Philippines loves ‘The Man Who Can’t Be Moved,’ and we have a new song called ‘Living Life Without You,’ which is basically part two of that, though I didn’t realize it while I was writing it.”

As for what he thinks is the main difference between their old hits and their new music, Mr. O’Donoghue replied: “We get older and wiser. We made music as young men who didn’t have much, and the level I’m at now is where you can look back on it all because you’ve made it through.”

Having families of their own also means being able to “move on to different worlds … and look back at the old songs fondly.”

Mr. O’Donoghue added that the Philippines is the best place to do that, because — aside from having the most The Script fans in the world outside of Ireland — it’s where their songs are used for various TikTok trends due to the algorithm favoring Filipinos’ love for them.

“We used to be drowning and now we’re treading water,” he said, of their success. “But people keep throwing more water … Like AI.”

Recorded in Topanga Canyon, Los Angeles, the new album, The User’s Guide to Being Human, emphasizes “real, emotional, soul-deep connection,” which they know their fans expect of them. It was conceptualized after Mr. O’Donoghue witnessed a delivery robot trying to get over a homeless man’s legs on the street, after which two Teslas passed them by.

“It made me realize, we’re in the future now. So I went to the studio and we talked about things like, what are we doing if we’re not human beings being human?” he said.

As for what audiences can expect from the Man in the Arena tour in terms of bringing the old hits and new songs to life, he explained that they will try to “marry visuals with the sound.”

“We’ll take some elements and put that into the stage show,” he said. “Every visual you see will be like in a live music video.”

Tickets to Man in the Arena Live in Manila are available via SMTickets.com and SM Tickets outlets nationwide. — Brontë H. Lacsamana