The Quest Of Manifest: These Promoters Are Amplifying The Pop-up Gig Experience

The madness of Manifest parties (Credit: All images courtesy of Manifest)

If your dream party could manifest, what would it look like? A Groove Garden near a sequestered horse stable? A rooftop pool party facing the infinite ocean? A housey jaunt in a shophouse-fronted social club? Or how about a techno escapade hidden inside a refrigerator of an izakaya? From the absurd to the ambitious, Manifest has dauntlessly promoted all of these events that’ve explored both soundscapes and landscapes through the years. Without a fixed nest, Manifest has mastered the art – and laborious battle – of the pop-up party experience, and by doing so, has transformed spots around the city into jubilant ravegrounds. Yet no matter its destination, its roots remain affixed to its credo of positive energies and musical diversification.

Golden hours are a sight to behold at Manifest’s new pool parties at 1Altitude Coast

With such an amicable and inclusive stance, Manifest has been a community builder when it comes to the scene. The event promoter garners success by eliminating a silo mentality, working with plenty of other venues and collectives to craft everlasting revelries. It’s amplified its vision with establishments like Mandala Club, Cafe Tailor Made, Marcello and SO Sofitel where it all began in 2019. And it’s also fist-bumped with units such as Therapy Room. Ke’lektiv, .KORSAIR and Chill Sessions Records. This collaborative open-door policy grants Manifest the liberty of curating genre-flipping programmes, from the house forte of Sivanesh and the deep textures of Jalpari, to the eclecticism of The Weatherman and the techno offenses of Amber H. It’s often a mixed bag of DJs behind the console, and that’s what makes Manifest’s antics full of delightful, danceable surprises.

Manifest’s first parties were thrown at SO Sofitel

But who is Manifest anyway? If you’ve ever touched down at a Manifest gig, chances are, you’ve already encountered her in some capacity. The manifestation of Manifest wouldn’t have been possible without the steely drive of Mary Arumeidas, the head honcho who’s kept the engine running and wheels in motion. She’s exported her expertise in marketing to build Manifest from the ground up, and it’s an unquestionable passion that comes through palpably in all of her events, no matter how big or intimate. It’s the same passion that kept Manifest afloat when the pandemic swept away the scene like a tsunami. But with grit and patience and an effervescent attitude, she’s now reaping the fruits of her labour in a scene that she helped revive. There’s no doubting that.

What’s next for Manifest? I speak to Mary herself about how her pride and joy can only go up from here.

Meet Mary Arumeidas, the maestro behind Manifest

Hi Mary. With parties now back in full force, do you see it as a reawakening for the Manifest brand? How does it feel to be up and running again?

It feels incredible to be doing what I love best, to the point where it truly feels surreal most times. I definitely lucked out when it came to venues rendering me tremendous support, from Mandala Club to 1Altitude Coast (the new home of our pool parties) and of course, my homeboys at Café Tailor Made who did the first techno party after COVID and have essentially now made Turf Club a party stop (we didn’t see that coming!).

Manifest has always been eclectic in its curation of parties. What makes an event a Manifest event?

The vibe, I’d like to think! I’ve always been a firm believer that you cannot fake a vibe, and that comes from the energies that you put out and from the people around you; it’s such an important factor. Joyous, cheeky and inclusive parties with a spice of variety are what Manifest always strives for.

Vinny Sharp and James Selva rocking the decks

You’ve been a promoter for quite some time now. What was the catalyst that drove you to form Manifest in the first place? How has your experience influenced the way you run things at Manifest?

I’ve always labelled myself an accidental promoter. It started at SO Sofitel when I was working there full-time running their events and marketing, and I also managed the pool parties with Eyes to the Front. About six months after I left, they reached out to ask if I wanted to throw a party at the rooftop as an independent contractor, and I approached Erwin Linden to work with me under the .KORSAIR brand.

Shortly after, I sustained an injury that left me debilitated for about seven months, and got another call from SO asking, “Can you walk yet?”. I decided to give it a shot by myself – just to see if I could – and Manifest was born overnight, limp and all. I did realise that I am a bit of a maverick when it comes to work, and I prefer to do things by myself (control freak!).

Have you been running Manifest as a full-time gig? How do you keep it sustainable and exciting for you?

Yes, it’s my full-time gig and my registered business. I’ve been really fortunate to have the best in the business as my allies, in terms of DJs, my vendors, and venues that place their trust in me. Manifest doesn’t exist without them, and I am eternally grateful that they are the reason I have been able to sustain this business successfully.

Manifest has always been a nomadic entity. What do you look out for in a perfect venue? And what can you tell us about the difficulties of finding and coordinating with new ones?

First thing is always addressing noise complaints and how to avoid them! So a venue that isn’t exactly smack in the middle of residential areas helps, and a venue team that doesn’t shy away from protecting the party. The right staff and management make a massive difference as well. If they haven’t been exposed to parties, or a slam bar as we say in the industry, it can be quite jarring which in turn affects bar sales (which is what we need to keep these parties going, so please don’t forget to the support the bar!). A bar team that understands this is a pot of gold. Another element that’s a major plus would be a fantastic view (1Altitude with the sunsets and those fireworks) that really sets the mood.

Ever since COVID, it’s been really quite disheartening to see a massive shortage of venues, but it’s encouraging to see fellow promoters do the hard work and put in effort to find new spots. I know it’s not an easy task, which is why I have plans to share some of the venues I have with some of the respected promoters in due time. It’s such an insurgence that I genuinely hope gets better.

Manifest has a knack for finding memorable venues

“Please don’t forget to the support the bar!”

The vibe of a party is hugely influenced by the behaviour of its revellers. What can local partygoers do to protect rave culture in Singapore?

I genuinely feel the electronic crowd here is so well-behaved, and polite! I say keep doing what they’re doing.

What are your future plans for Manifest in this new renaissance of local parties?

Manifest has always focused on our infinitely talented local talent pool, however I have been given opportunities to book some international acts of which I have embraced. They may not be the much-bigger names (I leave that to the bigger promoters here!), but they do come recommended by other DJs that I trust, and that’s part of our new trajectory along with some overseas collaborations.

Also as I’m getting older (welp!), I gear towards daytime parties and will focus more on those for the future.

Follow the events of Manifest on their official website and Instagram page.