MassKara Festival 2026 brings communities, sectors center stage

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — This year’s MassKara Festival is taking the celebration beyond the main stage and closer to communities, bringing together various sectors and barangays through activities that embody the spirit of #MassKaraForAll.

Guided by this year’s theme, “Share the Smile. Celebrate Gugma,” the festival is creating more opportunities for Bacolodnons to take part, showcase their talents, celebrate their identities and contribute to one of the city’s biggest and most anticipated celebrations.

The 47th MassKara Festival is scheduled from Oct. 1 to 18, with major festival highlights set later in the month.

From artists and women to children, persons with disabilities (PWDs), families, pet lovers and community organizations, the festival’s sectoral activities highlight the many faces of MassKara.

It is a celebration that welcomes everyone, providing different sectors with meaningful spaces to participate, connect and be represented.

At the heart of this year’s celebration is the active involvement of barangays and local communities.

By bringing festival activities closer to the people, residents are given the opportunity to move beyond being spectators and become active participants in shaping and celebrating the MassKara experience.

The visual arts sector will take the spotlight through the Erceflora On-the-Spot Mask Painting Competition on Oct. 3 at Robinsons Bacolod, where around 75 participants from different barangays and private institutions are expected to showcase their creativity through the iconic MassKara mask.

Carrying the theme “Bacolod Icons that best showcase the spirit of Gugma and the iconic smiles of Bacolodnons,” the competition gives artists an opportunity to interpret the city’s culture, identity and spirit through visual art.

The grand winner will receive PHP 17,500, while the first- and second-place winners will take home PHP 15,000 and PHP 12,500, respectively.

Five consolation prizes worth PHP 2,000 each will also be awarded.

The women’s sector will also have a major presence through Move and Groove with Manulife: ZumDigras 2026, scheduled Oct. 10 at the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC).

Thirteen participating barangays and municipalities will join the event, highlighting community representation through dance, fitness and performance.

Thirteen queens will also compete for the ZumDigras Queen crown, celebrating women’s strength, confidence, creativity, talent and community participation.

The ZumDigras Dance Fitness Contest offers PHP 50,000 for the champion, PHP 30,000 for second place and PHP 20,000 for third place, with special awards worth PHP 5,000 each and recognition for non-winning participants.

For the ZumDigras Queen competition, the winner will receive PHP 10,000, followed by PHP 5,000 for second place and PHP 3,000 for third place.

A Zumba party led by Cebu-based instructor Alex Estrada, together with local instructors, will follow.

The children’s sector will also have its own celebration through Kids Day Out: SuperKidsKara! — Where Every Child is a Hero, scheduled Oct. 11 at the BCGC.

Inspired by superheroes and the colorful spirit of MassKara, the activity provides children and families with a space for play, creativity, learning, friendship and self-expression.

SuperKidsKara! promotes kindness, confidence, teamwork and inclusion while reminding children that they each have their own unique strengths and “superpowers.”

Carrying the message “MassKara Is Where the Heart Is,” the activity also seeks to highlight the importance of creating a safe and accepting environment for children, where they can laugh without fear, make friends without judgment and feel accepted for who they are.

Persons with disabilities and the Special Education (SPED) community will take an active role in MassKara through PuWeDe G! 2.0 — PWD Day Celebration of MassKara Festival 2026, set Oct. 7 at the Ayala Malls Capitol Central Activity Area.

Now in its second year, the celebration is organized in cooperation with the Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO) and co-presented by HIRAYA Water Corporation.

The PWD Product Expo will feature 10 PWD cooperative kiosks selling handmade and locally made products, as well as two kiosks dedicated to blind massage services.

A SPED Mini Performance Show will also be held, followed by a magic show and gift-giving activities.

Participants will compete in PWD Got Talent Season 2, with PHP 10,000 for the champion, PHP 8,000 for first runner-up and PHP 5,000 for second runner-up.

The PWD Product Competition will also recognize creativity, craftsmanship and innovation, with PHP 5,000 for the champion, PHP 3,500 for first runner-up and PHP 2,500 for second runner-up.

PuWeDe G! 2.0 reinforces the festival’s commitment to providing the PWD sector with a platform where participants can be seen, heard and recognized and given opportunities to showcase what they can do.

MassKara’s sectoral celebration also extends to Bacolod’s growing community of pet lovers through Petskara, scheduled Oct. 10 at Robinsons Bacolod.

The activity will begin with Mini Me Zumba, held simultaneously with an Upcycle/Recycle Competition.

Furbabies and furparents can take part in parlor games, followed by an All-Breed Fun Match and the highlight of the event, the Fur Fashion Show.

The fashion competition will feature furbabies wearing outfits made from recycled materials, including dog and cat food and treat packaging.

The first 100 registered participants will receive loaded loot bags and a chance to win prizes from participating sponsors, including free pet grooming, pet boarding, sacks of dog and cat food, travel crates and cages.

Winners of the Mini Me Zumba will receive pet-themed loot bags, while Upcycle/Recycle winners will receive cash prizes and trophies.

All-Breed Fun Match winners will receive cash prizes, pet food and recognition ribbons, while Fur Fashion Show winners will receive cash prizes, pet food and trophies.

Bacolod Gugma Foundation Inc. President and Festival Director Rodney Mitz Ascalon said the growing lineup of sectoral activities is part of a broader effort to make MassKara meaningful to more people.

Ascalon said #MassKaraForAll reflects the foundation’s effort to make the festival more inclusive and participatory by giving different communities their own platforms within the celebration.

“This is how we make the festival matter—not only during the celebration, but in the lives of the people who become part of it,” he added.