Filipino boy band SB19 announce new Dubai concert date

The five-member group is performing at The Agenda on April 24, and tickets are now available

This is not SB19's first performance in UAE, which is home to a significant Filipino population. Ruel Pableo for The National

Popular Filipino boy band SB19 is going ahead with their planned Dubai concert on April 24.

The five-member group previously cancelled a performance at Sheikh Rashid Auditorium in Oud Metha that was set for November last year. Now, much to the delight of their UAE fans, there is a new date for the concert, as well as a new venue – The Agenda in Dubai Media City.

"We appreciate your patience and understanding," the band's label, 1Z Entertainment, said in an Instagram post. "We can’t wait to share our music with you once again."

The Dubai concert is part of the group's Pagtatag world tour, as part of which they will also perform in Japan later this month. Last year, SB19 toured some cities in North America for the first phase of the concert series.

The boy band is made up of members Pablo, Stell, Ken, Josh and Justin, with Justin releasing a solo track in February. They made headlines last year for breaking into international music charts with their take on Philippine pop, known as P-pop. In May of last year, for example, they cracked the Billboard World Digital Sales top 10 chart with their song Gento.

They were the first Filipino act to be nominated in the Billboard Music Awards for Top Social Artist and the first South-East Asian act to enter the top 19 Billboard's Social 50 charts.

Borrowing influences from K-pop, which has been dominating global pop culture, SB19 is known for their explosive choreographies, modern fashion style and upbeat music. Fans in Dubai can expect the group to perform their hits such as Go Up, Gento and Mapa.

The group has come a long way since its formation in 2016. They were originally selected to be performers for company events, but an executive at entertainment company ShowBT saw their potential and turned them into a fully fledged boy band.

In an earlier interview with The National, Pablo, the group's leader, said their “transition … from being 'nobodies' to being well-known was fast”.

"We were thinking about giving up before, but overnight, everything changed."

SB19 have performed in the UAE before, first in March 2022 at Expo 2020 Dubai and then returning months later for their WYAT tour.

Tickets available at platinumlist.net