‘Night at the Theater’ Gives Fans a Preview of 2026’s Upcoming Productions
Manila’s theater community gathers early in the year for a one-night-only event designed to celebrate—and preview—the local stage. Night at the Theater happens on February 6, Friday, at 7:30 PM at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater, bringing together 12 production companies for an evening of performance excerpts, teasers, and community gathering.
Presented by Ayala Land, Make It Makati, and Circuit Makati, in partnership with TheaterFansManila.com and TicketWorld, the event is mounted in support and celebration of Arts Month and Art Fair Philippines, both hosted in Circuit Makati this February.
Designed as a one-night showcase of 12 production companies, the event will feature preview performances from shows running—or soon to be announced—between January and June. Participating groups include Areté, Barefoot Theatre Collaborative, CAST PH, Encore Theater, Idea First Live, NWR Musicals (Newport World Resorts), PETA, Repertory Philippines, The Sandbox Collective, Scene Change, Tanghalang Pilipino, and Theatre Group Asia.
Audiences can expect glimpses of major titles and original works already generating buzz within the community, many of which were highlighted in TheaterFansManila.com’s State of the Stage 2026 report on Manila’s upcoming theater scene. Depending on the participating companies’ lineups for the night, unconfirmed previews may draw from the season’s announced slate, including Bagets The Musical, Spring Awakening, About Us But Not About Us, Mabining Mandirigma: A Steampunk Musical, A Chorus Line, REP Unplugged: Staged Readings Reimagined, Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 4: Oh Sh*t! It’s Live sa Cheter!, and Man of La Mancha. From large-scale musicals to intimate plays, the evening offers a snapshot of what theatergoers can look forward to in the first half of 2026.
Beyond the stage, the celebration continues at the JZA Hall Lobby, where all 12 companies will host tables and booths offering tickets, merchandise, and opportunities to meet fellow theater fans—and possibly some favorite theater artists—making the night feel like a rare, free theater convention.
Night at the Theater is free to the public, with tickets available through TicketWorld starting Friday, January 16 at 6 PM. For theater and art lovers, it is a chance to gather, discover upcoming shows, and celebrate Manila’s theater scene.
Update, January 15, 8:48 PM: The number of companies have been changed from 13 to 12.
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