BETTER VIEW, BETTER QUEUE: Dinagyang 2027 gets new stage roofs, online ticketing system

ILOILO CITY — The Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc. (IFFI) will adopt a new stage-roof design and an online ticket queue for the 2027 Dinagyang Festival after complaints about obstructed views and heavy website traffic during ticket sales for the 2026 edition.

Dinagyang, held every January in Iloilo City, honors the Santo Niño and features tribes that perform before judges at stages across the city. IFFI organizes the festival.

IFFI President Dr. Ronald Latap acknowledged complaints from spectators whose view of the Dinagyang tribe performances was blocked by the stage roof.

“The slope of the roof was going toward the front, so if you were seated at the higher part of the stands, you could not see the performances. What you could see was the roof,” Latap said.

He said the roof would be redesigned in a V-shaped or triangular configuration so spectators in the upper sections would have an unobstructed view.

Allan Ryan Tan, chairman of the IFFI Stage Committee, said returning the judging areas to the City Proper district is also a strategic move.

“I think the majority of the concerns last year came from the Iloilo Sports Complex because of the low roof of the stages. This time, we brought it back to the streets,” Tan said.

Tan added that the stage roofs would be higher and follow a uniform design to improve the viewing experience.

“As you notice, our stages are located near establishments with proper toilet facilities and nearby restaurants where spectators can eat. We also prioritize the comfort of our spectators,” Tan said.

IFFI announced five judging areas for the festival: the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand, the Iloilo Provincial Capitol, Quezon-Ledesma streets, Mabini-De Leon streets near the Iloilo Terminal Market, and Iznart Street near the Iloilo Central Market.

Online queue for ticket sales

Tan said IFFI will introduce a queuing system, similar to those used for concert tickets, to manage ticket purchases and seat selection.

“Last year, we had a challenge with our online ticketing because of the traffic. It was similar to when tickets go on sale, where there was heavy queuing because we did not expect so many individuals to purchase at the same time,” Tan said.

“This year, we are implementing a queuing system similar to other platforms. If you want to buy a ticket, you will be placed in a queue so our website will not be overloaded,” he added.

Tan said the queuing system would also help discourage ticket scalping.

With the increase in judging areas, Tan said IFFI would likely remove the PHP 300 and PHP 500 tickets sold for the 2026 festival for seats at the Iloilo Sports Complex.

Tan said IFFI has yet to finalize the number of seats for the 2027 festival because capacity will depend on the configuration of the five proposed judging stages.

He estimated the total number of available tickets at 3,000 to 4,000, subject to final approval.

He added that once the five judging areas are approved, IFFI will determine the corresponding ticket prices.