Madonna is no stranger to controversy, and six months ahead of the Manila leg of her Rebel Heart Tour, Filipinos are shocked at the price of her tickets. With prices ranging from P3,150 to P57,750, it now holds the record for the most expensive concert tickets in the country. While die-hard fans are willing to shell out that much for one night of partying, the rest are wondering, is it worth it?
We list down 10 awesome things more affordable than her SVIP tickets:
10. Books!
Who would want to mosh with sweaty Madonna fans when you can lock yourself in your room and cuddle with your favorite books? With P57,750, you can buy all the books you dream of buying, or 115 of them if they’re P500 each. If you want to splurge, you can get a boxed collection of your favorite series or maybe some first editions. If you’re a Madonna fan who’d like a piece of the Queen of Pop, you can purchase a copy of her limited edition coffee-table book SEX, which is available on eBay at a much, much lower price.
9. A commissioned painting
People are starting to realize the value and uplifting nature of art, and the proof is in the rising number of attendees at Art in the Park and Art Fair Philippines. But art can be expensive, so we improvise with mass-produced (not in the Andy Warhol kind of way) store-bought art, or creative alternatives like photo printouts, collages, and postcards. For less than P50,000, you can tap any young, talented artist to commission a painting for you. Replace those generic black-and-white portraits hanging on your wall and get a piece only you have. Feeling vain? Ask them to paint you.
8. New clothes from local craftsmen
You can use the P57,000 to update your wardrobe and boost your confidence. But instead of buying your favorite local or foreign fast-fashion brand, try something new and support local craftsmen. Homegrown brands are slowly rising, proving that Filipino design and creativity can compete with foreign labels. Whether you like heritage designs or cutting-edge looks, there’s one local name that’s right for you. Not only will you look good, you’ll have something not a lot of people have, and you get to help local businesses.
7. New shoes
It’s the rainy season so it’s time to update your kicks to something weather-friendly. Invest in a new pair of shoes that will last you a lifetime and can look well with most of your clothes. Or, you know, you can invest in Converse’s new Chuck Taylor sneakers, which was redesigned for the first time in almost a hundred years. It’s not rain-friendly, but hey, you gotta look good, right?
6. A good dinner
You can feed your entire family, plus all your neighbors, for P57,000. But we’re sure you don’t want to treat your entire clan, much less your neighbors, but we’re sure you can’t say no to a good meal. For less than P57,000, you can have a stellar one. In fact, the tasting menu at Noma (Rene Redzepi’s restaurant in Denmark that has the distinction of being the best restaurant in the world) can be had for $267 (roughly P11,481), plus $170 (roughly P7,310) for wine. If you can’t fly to Denmark tonight, Manila is home to a vibrant food scene that combines flavor and innovation. There’s a restaurant for every inclination, every budget, every sin, and every dietary restriction.
