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  Quirino Grandstand Location within Rizal Park Show map of Rizal Park_location_map.svg) Quirino Grandstand Quirino Grandstand (Manila) Show map of Manila | |
| Former names | Independence Grandstand |
|---|---|
| Location | Independence Road,Rizal Park,Ermita,Manila,Philippines |
| Coordinates | 14°34′47″N120°58′29″E / 14.57972°N 120.97472°E /14.57972; 120.97472 |
| Capacity | 10,000 |
| Record attendance | 6,000(2015 Papal Mass) |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1946 |
| Renovated | 1949 |
| Architect | Juan Arellano Federico Ilustre |
| Tenants | |
| World Youth Day 1995 2005 Southeast Asian Games Papal Visit Concluding Mass 2015 National Rally for Peace | |
TheQuirino Grandstand,formerly known as theIndependence Grandstand,is agrandstand located atRizal Park,Manila,Philippines.
Contrary to popular belief, the first Independence Grandstand was not originally located on the present site of the Quirino Grandstand but on the area close toDewey Boulevard right across theRizal Monument and the flagpole. It was completed in 1946 for the ceremony of thedeclaration of Philippine independence from theUnited States on July 4, 1946.Juan Arellano designed the original grandstand in theneoclassical design with ornate elements added to the structure such as a triumphal arch at the top with two "wings" that shaded the main galleries, a stage in the form of a ship's bow with a carved figurehead of a maiden representing freedom, and two other figures, representing a Filipino and a Filipina, that stood about 10 meters (33 ft) tall behind the stage and the central gallery.[1]
The grandstand was later demolished and a new one was built further away from the old site towards near the breakwater andManila Bay where it stands to this day. Designed byFederico Ilustre, supervising architect for theBureau of Public Works, the new Independence Grandstand's design was patterned after the Arellano-designed grandstand, (including the triumphal arch) with a simpler design (without the ship bow stage and the statues) and someArt Deco influence in the canopy compared to the original. The structure was completed in 1949, in time for the inauguration of PresidentElpidio Quirino. Years later after his death, the grandstand was renamed in his honor.[2]
Quirino Grandstand was expanded over the years to accommodate more people, and the triumphal arch was eventually gone. Work in the 1990s brought about a return to the structure's neoclassical roots with the addition of some neoclassical elements in the expansion area.[1]
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The Quirino Grandstand has been the traditional venue for annual Independence Day activities as well as that of many Philippine presidential inaugurations since the1949 Quirino inaugural. In addition, the grandstand has also been a site for many civic, religious, sporting, and political gatherings. It served as the main venue of theWorld Youth Day 1995 closing liturgy, the 2000 Gregorian Millennium New Year Celebrations in the country, the2005 Southeast Asian Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and the concluding mass ofPope Francis'svisit to the Philippines in 2015. It is also used yearly forJesus Is Lord Church Worldwide's anniversaries since 1989. It was also the main venues ofEl Shaddai (movement) during its early years and yearly used during their anniversaries from 1988, 1993-1994, 1998-2001, 2003-2009 and 2023-Present
Since 2006, every January 9, theTraslación of the replica ofBlack Nazarene starts at the grandstand.
SOP held a special episode celebratingGMA Network's ratings victory at the grandstand on October 10, 2004. Eight years later, on January 22, 2012,ASAP of the rival TV networkABS-CBN also held a special episode at the grandstand to celebrateChinese New Year.
The grandstand grounds were also the site of the 2010Manila hostage crisis, which strainedrelations between Manila andHong Kong for a time.
From 2020 to 2022, during theCOVID-19 pandemic, the grandstand was made as a make-shift drive-thruCOVID-19 testing facility and later as a drive-thruvaccination site by theManila city government.[3][4][5]
In 2024, the launch of theBagong Pilipinas political movement took place in a venue where 3,100 attendees, including members ofCongress, government employees, heads of government agencies, and P30K club members, were present.[6]
In February 2025, the grandstand hosted the firstWaterbomb festival in the Philippines, featuring manyK-pop personalities.
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