ON AUG. 2, thousands of young people across the Philippines gathered in chapels, community spaces, and homes nationwide to experience Festival 2025: A Youth Concert hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
In Davao City, a special watch party and concert was held at the Waterfront Insular Hotel with youth celebrity guests Nevin Adam Garceniego, grand champion of The Voice Kids season 6; Isabelle Cuevas, singer-songwriter and YouTube content creator; Chanty Videla, member of South Korean girl group Lapillus; and Xia Vigor, young actress and TV host.
Festival 2025 is a worldwide celebration that invites youth “to experience the joy of being a disciple of Jesus Christ.”
According to the festival website, it is designed to be held anytime in August, which is usually when summer concerts happen in the Americas and Europe. Target participants are young people ages 14 to 18.
Local churches in different parts of the world organize the gatherings according to what will be appropriate and fun in their respective local communities.
As described in the festival brief, usually, there are Watch Parties and Sing-Along wherein young people participate in one of the prerecorded concerts filmed in the United States, Mexico, and Brazil. These concerts are published in their respective languages (English, Spanish, and Portuguese), featuring songs from recent “Strive to Be” albums and singles.
Locals can also organize their own concert, inviting local singers to perform the same songs featured in the prerecorded concert, just like what they did in Davao City.
More than just a concert, the festival “transformed ordinary spaces into vibrant gatherings of testimony and praise,” which served as “a powerful reminder of the strength, light, and potential of the rising generation.”
Founded by Joseph Smith in 1830, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is estimated to have more than 17.5 million members worldwide with temples across 67 countries. The Philippines has more than 860,000 members, ranking fourth highest globally. Davao City anchors the Church’s presence in Mindanao.
