MANILA, Philippines — More than two decades after becoming one of the most recognizable novelty pop groups of the early 2000s, the Viva HotBabes are officially returning to the stage—and they say their much-awaited reunion will bring more than familiar songs and memories.
The group is preparing for “Bulaklak: Viva HotBabes Reunion Concert,” scheduled for October 23, 2026, at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City, with filmmaker and veteran concert director GB Sampedro at the helm.
The announced lineup includes Maui Taylor, Katya Santos, Andrea del Rosario, Gwen Garci, Sheree, Jaycee Parker, Ella V. and Jennifer Lee, with additional names potentially joining the production.
But according to the women themselves, this isn’t simply an attempt to recreate the early-2000s Viva HotBabes era.
They’re coming back to celebrate the friendship, experiences and lives they’ve built over the past 23 years.
From “Bulaklak” nostalgia to something new
The Viva HotBabes became a pop-culture fixture in the early 2000s, with novelty songs including “Bulaklak,” “Kikay” and “Basketbol” becoming closely associated with the group’s identity.
Their upcoming concert will naturally revisit that era—but the production is expected to introduce elements audiences haven’t seen from the group before.
Director GB Sampedro, whose own directing career began during the Viva HotBabes era, said the show will not be purely nostalgic and will include touches that are new to the group.
That gives the reunion a different purpose: rather than simply reproducing the past, the women are looking to show audiences who they have become.
“This is not just an ordinary concert”
Maui Taylor has described the reunion as a celebration of the group’s 23 years of friendship.
She said the concert will give audiences a chance to experience what the members have gone through together and what they have accomplished individually over the years.
That perspective is particularly significant because the members have spent years pursuing different careers and personal paths.
Some remained active in entertainment, while others moved into different areas of professional and personal life.
Jaycee Parker, for example, admitted that she is among those who have been away from performing for years and described the prospect of returning to the stage with her longtime friends as both nervous and exciting.
Sheree likewise acknowledged the challenge of bringing everyone together after years of individual careers but said she was thrilled to finally perform alongside the group again.
The reunion almost didn’t happen
The comeback is particularly interesting because, earlier this year, Katya Santos had publicly said there would be no Viva HotBabes reunion.
At the time, the members had different priorities and commitments, making a reunion difficult to organize.
Then everything changed.
Katya revealed that in June, Viva Entertainment head Vic del Rosario called the group together and proposed that they reunite.
His message, according to Katya, was essentially: if they were going to do it, now was the time.
The members eventually agreed, rearranging personal commitments to make the project happen.
Katya described the opportunity as a chance for the women to grow as artists and open new doors in their careers.
SexBomb Girls aren’t the competition
The timing of the reunion inevitably brings up another iconic group from the same era: the SexBomb Girls.
The SexBomb Girls’ successful reunion concerts helped fuel renewed interest in early-2000s Filipino pop nostalgia, and comparisons between the two groups were almost unavoidable.
But the Viva HotBabes aren’t framing their comeback as a battle.
Maui said comparisons will probably always exist, but she does not see a reason for the two groups to be pitted against each other.
In fact, the Viva HotBabes acknowledged that SexBomb’s successful reunion helped inspire them to finally move forward with their own. Members of SexBomb also reportedly sent congratulations after learning about the planned concert.
Katya has similarly emphasized women supporting women, rather than turning different generations of female performers into rivals.
That could become one of the more meaningful themes of the reunion.
From early-2000s icons to women with different stories
The women returning to the stage today are not the same people audiences saw more than 20 years ago.
Andrea del Rosario described the reunion as an opportunity to celebrate where they started, where they are now as women and mothers, and the different dimensions of their lives and careers.
That evolution is likely to become a central part of the concert.
For Jennifer Lee, the reunion is also a reminder of how deeply the group’s friendship has survived despite the years apart. She expressed gratitude that the members remain close after so much time.
Gwen Garci, meanwhile, credited longtime fans for keeping their music and memories alive.
Why the comeback is attracting so much attention
The Viva HotBabes reunion comes at a moment when Filipino audiences are showing renewed enthusiasm for entertainment acts associated with the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The group’s return follows the highly successful reunion activity surrounding other established Filipino performers, helping turn nostalgia into a significant entertainment trend.
But nostalgia alone may not explain the excitement surrounding this particular comeback.
For longtime fans, the concert offers something increasingly rare: the opportunity to see members of a group that defined part of their youth share one stage again after more than two decades.
And for the Viva HotBabes themselves, the concert appears to be as much about looking forward as looking back.
The big night is set
“Bulaklak: Viva HotBabes Reunion Concert” is scheduled for October 23, 2026, at 8 p.m. at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City.
Tickets were announced for sale beginning August 29 through Ticketnet, with reported prices ranging from ₱1,500 for Balcony to ₱6,800 for SVIP. Some premium packages include perks such as soundcheck access and photo opportunities.
And while fans may be expecting “Bulaklak,” “Kikay” and other familiar favorites, the biggest question may be something else:
What exactly will the Viva HotBabes look and sound like in 2026?
After 23 years, they’re not simply reopening an old chapter.
They’re returning to write a new one.
WWC ONE MEDIA M.J.E
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