Go to Asia’s biggest dog show
THE Philippine Circuit Dog Show 2026 is ongoing at the Smart Araneta Coliseum until Jan. 26. Now in its 12th year, it is headlined by the 2026 Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) World Grooming Competition, which highlights the skills and artistry in dog grooming. Dogs and their handlers from around the world showcase creative styling, breed-specific cuts, and technical expertise. Alongside this contest, there will be 12 All-Breed Championship Dog Shows, mediated by renowned international judges to ensure fair and healthy competition. There are 7,440 entries representing 91 breeds.
Listen to some jazz
THE year 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Philippines. To formally launch this landmark year, The Japan Foundation, Manila will present Harmony of Friendship: A Jazz Prelude to 70 Years of Japan-Philippine Ties. The concert series is headlined by the Tokyo-Manila Jazz & Arts Festival Group led by Filipino jazz vocalist Charito. They will be joined by the Philippines’ AMP Big Band, an organization of professional session musicians. On Jan. 22 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati City, the concert tour continues, free and open to the public, while a jazz workshop at De La Salle University-Dasmariñas will be organized by Lasallian Pop Band, with registration required through the organization. A third by-invitation-only concert will be held in Cebu.
Watch CAST’s staged readings
CAST PH’s (The Company of Actors in Streamlined Theatre) is once again presenting its annual staged readings. The theme of this year’s season (its 6th) is “RE-ORIENT — Narratives from Asian Voices.” As has been done every year during the CAST PH Staged Reading Series, the titles of the plays are not revealed beforehand. The season takes place over the course of four weeks (every Sunday), and Play #3 on Jan. 25, will be directed by Guelan Varela-Luarca. It will star Jenny Jamora, Zoë De Ocampo, Jam Binay, Frances Makil-Ignacio, Dolly de Leon, and Roselyn Perez, with stage directions to be read by Monty Uy. The season ends on Feb. 1 with Play #4 which will be directed by Caisa Borromeo. It will feature Jillian Ita-as, Kakki Teodoro, George Schulze, Yanah Laurel, Alfredo Reyes, and Miren Alvarez-Fabregas. There are only 100 seats per performance, priced at P500 each. For tickets, visit https://tinyurl.com/vrdfrfwm. All performances will be held at The Mirror Theatre Studios, 5th floor, SJG Center, Kalayaan Ave., Makati City. Performances are at 3 and 8 p.m.
Try out new fitness experiences at GH Mall
GH MALL at San Juan’s Greenhills Shopping Center, balances the overindulgence of the Christmas season by going healthy in January and offering a lineup of sports and wellness activities. There is the Table Tennis Academy, running until Jan. 31 at the 4F Tech Hub. Mallgoers can also play pickleball at the 5th floor until Jan. 31. The “Motion in Glow” Zumba sessions at the 6F roof deck run every Monday from 5 to 7 p.m. “Step & Groove” dance sessions occur in the same location and at the same time on Wednesdays, while yoga is available on Fridays.
Do not sing along with Les Miz
THAT is the plea of GMG Productions which has brought Les Misérables: World Tour Spectacular, a reimagined staged concert production of the iconic musical, to the Philippines. “Let the cast tell the story,” it exhorts. That castincludesFilipinos: Lea Salonga and Red Concepcion as the Thenardiers, Rachelle Ann Go as Fantine, and Emily Bautista as Eponine. The expanded concert-like format features a new design and production enhanced with new set and lighting designs, bringing Cameron Mackintosh’s critically acclaimed production to life on a scale never seen before in Manila, with a company and crew of over 110, including an international all-star cast and a large ensemble of musicians. Les Misérables runs at the Theater at Solaire, Solaire Resort & Casino, Entertainment City, Aseana Ave., Parañaque from Jan. 20 to March 1, with no extensions possible. As of now, all 48 shows are sold out. But keep checking as you never know.
Enjoy a bit of timely satire
THE Corner Studio presents People v. Dela Cruz, a one-act satirical play that looks at online behavior by using the Philippines’ first-ever jury case as its frame. According to Theater Fans Manila, People v. Dela Cruz takes a country testing its new jury system and turns legal deliberation into a circus of ego, politics, prayer, hunger, and possibly Wi-Fi withdrawal. Written and directed by Eldrin Veloso, it stars Mark Aranal, Emlyn Olfindo-Santos, JP Basco, Althea Aruta, Pauline Arejola, Rain de Jesus, and Aaron Dioquino. The show has performances on Jan. 23, 7 p.m., and Jan. 24 at 3 and 7 p.m., The Corner Studio, J&T Building, 3894 Magsaysay Blvd., Santa Mesa, Manila. Tickets are priced at P800 and are available for purchase via Helixpay.
Get nostalgic with Bagets the Musical
BAGETS THE MUSICAL, a stage adaptation of the 1984 coming-of-age film Bagets, follows a group of high school friends navigating adolescence, family, friendship, and young love. This production by Newport World Resorts, The Philippine Star, and VIVA Communications, is directed by Maribel Legarda, with a book by J-mee Katanyag and music by Vince Lim. The five leads are played by Sam Shoaf, Milo Cruz, Noel Comia, Jr., Ethan David, and Andres Muhlach. They alternate with Jeff Moses, Migo Valid, Tomas Rodriguez, KD Estrada, and Mico Hendrix Chua. Also in the cast are Neomi Gonzales, Natasha Cabrera, Mayen Cadd, Ring Antonio, and Carla Guevara Laforteza. Bagets the Musical opens on Jan. 23 andruns until March at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Pasay City. Tickets, ranging in price from P1,000 to P4,000, are now available at the Newport World Resorts Box Office and via TicketWorld.
Glimpse artifacts of Philippine devotion at NCCA
THE National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) has opened the Balaang Bata exhibit, which explores the enduring Filipino devotion to the Santo Niño. On view at the NCCA Gallery in Intramuros, Manila, it features a diverse selection of Santo Niño images and sculptures from across the country, bringing together treasured works from private collections that reflect centuries of personal faith, artistry, and cultural tradition surrounding the Holy Child. Many of the pieces on display are more than a century old, carved from various types of wood and shaped by everyday devotion passed down through generations. The exhibit is open to the public.
Watch chimpanzee thriller Primate in cinemas
PRACTICAL EFFECTS in the new movie Primate, helmed by filmmaker Johannes Roberts,bring the character of Ben the chimpanzee to life. Billed as a shocking, bone-chilling tale, it follows a group of teens who are terrorized when their pet chimp suddenly turns on them. It combines visceral terror with old-school, in-camera special effects. Primate is now showing in cinemas nationwide.
Listen to Charlie Puth’s new single
AWARD-WINNING artist, producer, musician and songwriter Charlie Puth has released his latest single, “Beat Yourself Up,” from his forthcoming studio album Whatever’s Clever!, which will be out in March. Co-produced by Mr. Puth and BLOODPOP, the track is personal and explorative, accompanied by an official music video directed by Hunter Moreno. It is out now on all digital music streaming platforms.
Watch Abbott Elementary, 9-1-1: Nashville on Disney+
THIS JANUARY, several acclaimed and long-running titles are streaming new episodes on Disney+. One of these is crime-dramedy series High Potential, starring Kaitlin Olson as extraordinary and eccentric Morgan Gillory, a cleaning lady for the Los Angeles Police Department recruited as an investigative consultant. Another is the returning 9-1-1 and its newest spinoff, 9-1-1: Nashville, updating the drama franchise that follows different first responders in their day jobs. There’s also the critically acclaimed mockumentary Abbott Elementary, created by and starring Quinta Brunson, centered on a group of dedicated, underfunded teachers in a fictional public school in Philadelphia.
Listen to Cavetown’s new album
CAVETOWN, the moniker of UK-born artist Robin Skinner, has released his new album, Running With Scissors, via Futures Music Group. The record is emotionally expansive and aims to capture the disorienting threshold between youth and adulthood, braided together sonically through hyper-pop, heavy guitars, and dream-pop sounds. Alongside the album is the lead single and music video for “Cryptid,” which explores Skinner’s experience as a transgender person. The album is out now on digital music streaming platforms.