Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Everyone’s busy nowadays, glued to their phones, and trapped in a social media bubble, which is the only place we get to interact and stay in touch with friends. It’s time to breathe, get off your screens, and get actual face time with friends! Nothing beats hanging out and catching up in real life. Here’s one event you should experience and share with friends. Get your barkada together and celebrate your friendship at San Miguel Oktoberfest, the country’s biggest and longest-running beer and music festival. Lots of events, parties, and promos are set to happen from August to October this year all over the Philippines. You have a choice to visit over 2,000 bars celebrating San Miguel Oktoberfest running San Miguel bucket promos and parties. These will bring diverse Oktoberfest experiences that cater to varied tastes, whether its beer, music, food, entertainment, and lifestyle. San Miguel Oktoberfest 2018 Starting as a radio-based sponsorship event way back in 1982, San Miguel Oktoberfest has grown to be the most-awaited beer and music festival in the country. This year’s San Miguel Oktoberfest kicked off on August 2, which was International Beer Day. Six events happened in South Cotabato, Nueva Ecija, Cebu, Eastwood, Maginhawa, and Poblacion that each featured one of San Miguel’s beer brands—Red Horse Beer, San Miguel Pale Pilsen, San Mig Light, San Miguel Flavored Beer, San Miguel Super Dry, San Miguel Premium All-Malt, Cerveza Negra, Gold Eagle Beer, and San Mig Zero. We’ve listed down reasons why going to Oktoberfest will be good for your friendships and why it should be in your barkada calendar: 1) Reconnect in Person and Bond Over Beers Some of San Miguel Beer’s most memorable taglines center on friendship, like “Iba ang May Pinagsamahan,” “Kahit Kailan, Kaibigan,” and “Kahit Kailan, Walang Iwanan.” So, it’s only fitting to bond with your friends over bottles of your favorite San Miguel Beer brand! Plan to meet and actually push through with it; hold each other accountable and show up. Bond, reconnect and reminisce over San Miguel beers. Put the phone down and post about it later. Be present at the moment and rediscover why your friends rock. 2) Walk Down Music Memory Lane Apart from the fact that most Filipinos’ first taste of alcohol was San Miguel Pale Pilsen, San Miguel Beer has been part of the country’s musical memory. San Miguel is brilliant at using memorable jingles for their ads that, even decades later, still have a high recall. Who can forget the catchy tunes “Bilmoko” and “Siboom” from the Apo Hiking Society from the San Miguel commercials of the late 80’s? Or the sexy rock song from Rizal Underground, Sabado Nights, featuring Inah Raymundo in the mid-90s? San Miguel’s support for OPM goes beyond using songs in their commercials. The brands consistently sponsored local music events over the years, with San Miguel Oktoberfest being their most prominent platform to showcase local talent. Chances are, you heard the anthems of your youth, by OPM heavyweights like The Dawn, Rivermaya, and Sandwich at a San Miguel Oktoberfest event. Sandwich frontman Raimund Marasigan Relive your youth with your friends while singing along with the bands that you grew up listening to. Rock out to their classics and reminisce about the good old days. 3) Discover New Acts San Miguel has supported both established as well as fresh OPM talent, giving them a platform to reach wider audiences. New artists like Tom’s Story, Munimuni, Three of Us, Carousel Casualties, and Lions and Acrobats got their time under the spotlight at last year’s San Miguel Oktoberfest. Carousel Casualties at Saguijo Discovering new things together also brings people closer. While it’s fantastic to see old OPM artists we grew up with rocking out to our favorite tunes, it’s also good to discover up-and-coming acts and see what the younger gen is listening to. Check out the fresh acts at this year’s festival with your friends. Who knows, you might find a new anthem. 4) Eat, Drink, and Be Merry Filipinos love to eat while drinking. San Miguel Oktoberfest has got your back (or stomach, in this case). San Miguel Oktoberfest is not only about drinks, as there are many events held in food parks. So you and your friends can munch on yummy grub while drinking beer and catching up, ensuring that you have a fun extended drinking session. 5) Go on a Barkada Getaway Around the Country Go on a barkada trip around the country! Taking out of town trips is a great way to strengthen your friendship and bring you closer together. You and your friends can hop around different San Miguel Oktoberfest parties around the Philippines, while bonding over beer and music, and discovering the beauty of our country. Do check out the schedules for La Union Surfing Break, Libero in Real, Quezon, and Uknwn Siargao. 6) There’s Something for Everyone With lots of events, parties, and promos, there is something for everyone. Beer and music are the focal points of the festival, but there’s also food and other activities you and your friends can bond over. In previous years, SMB Oktoberfest has incorporated pulutan battles, surfing events, pub crawls, and even a mixed martial arts competition in its events lineup. Titos and Titas who don’t want to party till late can still share bonding experiences at SMB Oktoberfest as some events start in the afternoon. 7) San Miguel Oktoberfest Merch Who doesn’t like free stuff? Drink beer and get free merch every Friday and Saturday of August (starting on August 23) to October. Buy six (6) bottles of any San Miguel Beer and get a shirt, five (5) bottles will get you a tote bag or beach mat, and four (4) bottles will get you a bucket hat. You and your friends can dress in San Miguel Oktoberfest merch at the end of an extended drinking session. Here’s a list of the locations for SMB Oktoberfest cluster parties, where you can avail yourself of San Miguel Oktoberfest merch items. San Miguel Oktoberfest merch items can be redeemed every Fridays and Saturdays from August 23 to October 26. The Pop UP, Katipunan, Quezon City;Victory Food Market, Baclaran, Pasay City;Fort Street, Bonifacio Global City; Party Central, Lucena; Inbox Food Hub, Imus, Cavite; Centro Mall Food Park, Cabuyao, Laguna; Dayton Food Park, Lipa, Batangas; M Plaza, Naga City; Pier 1 Boardwalk, Subic, Zambales; Nepo Quad Jr., Angeles, Pampanga; Yubenco Tetuan, Zamboanga; Locale Food Lounge, Sta. Rosa, Laguna; Central Park, Iloilo; IT Park Garden Bloc, Cebu; Tambayan sa Lacion, Consolacion, Cebu; The Palms, CCG Foodzone, and The Marketplace in Bacolod; Paseo de Santiago, Iligan; Venvi IT Food Park, San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte; Music Warehouse, Dagupan; Lifestyle District, Cagayan de Oro. Celebrating your friendship at San Miguel Oktoberfest will be fun and will bring you and your friends closer. Getting to hang out with some of your favorite people while drinking your favorite beer and listening to good music is a guaranteed good time and one of the pleasures of life. Have fun, rehydrate, eat, and look after each other. That’s what friends are for, after all. For more information and schedules of events for San Miguel Oktoberfest, go to www.facebook.com/SanMiguelOktoberfest.