The Script's Danny O'Donoghue on finding a home in the hearts of Filipino fans
Danny O'Donoghue is back in the Philippines for the sixth time, but as he charms local audiences all over again ahead of The Script’s Manila tour stop, it still feels like we’re falling in love for the first time.
In a press conference on Monday, May 25, O'Donoghue shared the beautiful reason he keeps coming back: at their core, Irish and Filipino people share the exact same soul.
"We love drinking. We love heartbreak. We love songs. We love karaoke. We're kind of brothers from another mother," he said.
"I think it's because you're very like Irish people... You guys love to drink, you love to show your feelings, you're not scared of getting up and, you know, arm in arm you go to concerts with your best friends," the musician continued.
For O'Donoghue, it is a privilege to witness that trademark Filipino passion and authenticity up close. "You know, your hearts are open, your lives are open. And that's kind of what The Script are. We're an open book."
"You lay all your problems and troubles and hopes and optimism into song and art. And yeah, we're very lucky," he added.
Proving just how deep that connection runs, the vocalist also noted that the Philippines is the driving force behind the global TikTok trends for their songs. More than anything, he expressed how deeply honored he is that The Script’s music has found a home in Filipino hearts for the last two decades.
"It's a big honor. It's big responsibility, too, because these songs that have stayed around for so long. I now judge my new songs by the old songs So it's like, is it as good as this? Is it as good as that? So it can be a blessing and a curse at the same time," he said.
"But to even have one thing you say people remember is incredible. So we're very blessed," he added.
To tease their upcoming Manila concert, O'Donoghue shared that it will be a marriage of music and visuals.
"We're experimenting with micro dramas and we're experimenting with putting you know bringing a song to life," he said. "Every visual that you see is like you're in a live music video... So we're gonna double down on that for this tour," he added.
Presented by Wilbros Live and Midas Promotions, the band will stage their "Man in the Arena Tour" in Manila on March 18, 2027 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The tour's title takes after band’s single, Man in the Arena, which is heavily inspired by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt's 1910 "Citizenship in a Republic,” speech, which talks about honor and disregarding critics.
