Cebu’s creative scene is one of the most vibrant things about living here, and most of us walk past it every day without stopping to appreciate it.
As a frequent traveler, I tend to be drawn toward a new place’s creative scene. It’s where you find the real stories, a look into what living there is actually like. You find it in galleries and small shops, in theaters and restaurants with live music playing, in places where you walk away with a unique souvenir or an experience you’ll remember long after the trip.
Traveling has made me realize how spoiled we are with Cebu’s creative scene. Some places feel like everyone is just getting through the week. Cebu is different. You can feel the creativity everywhere, and perhaps we’re too used to it to fully appreciate the people behind it—those who have spent their lives refining their craft, sharing it with others, and keeping the community alive.
Bringing color through art and design
Traditional media still stops people in their tracks. There’s something about knowing that every line and every stroke of a massive painting represents hours of someone’s time and focus, hours of work into a canvas.
The Friday Group Sessionistas is a group of artists who started out gathering on Fridays to do live sketching and paintings at malls. From a hobby and a bonding ritual, it has grown into a full art group that does exhibits and workshops together, and they’re still going.
In photo: (Top) Happy Garaje founders and artwork; (Bottom) Friday Group Sessionistas
For something more modern, Happy Garaje brings color and whimsy through illustrations and handcrafted toys. In a world where you’re just a few clicks and prompts away from AI-generated images, their work is a deliberate slowdown, with characters and vibrant landscapes that make you want to pause and actually look. The kind of illustrations that bring back dreams you had as a kid.
To see more of Cebu’s visual artists, look out for the Tubo Cebu Art Fair, Cebu Art Book Fair, and Tops Art Fest, or visit the Qube Gallery in Banilad and the pop-ups at ATÚA Midtown and Cebu Making Space.
Seeing Cebu through a different lens
Anyone can take a photo. All you need is a phone in hand, right? But having the eye to find a different perspective and tell a story through an image, that’s something else entirely.
Hafid Caballes, also known as Pidography Studios, is a wedding photographer whose work stands out for exactly this reason. Each set of photos reads less like documentation and more like a retelling of a love story, as if you are viewing their own teleserye, revealing each couple’s unique dynamic rather than defaulting to the same glamorous aesthetic.
Photojournalist Aldo Banaynal tells a different kind of story. You may not know his name, but you’ve likely stopped scrolling because of his photos: the CCLEX juxtaposed against informal settlers in Pasil, a homeless man against the bright lights of Colon. He leads your eyes to things you might have otherwise overlooked.
In photo: (L–R) Aldo Banaynal, JAK Seventy-Three, and Hafid Caballes
JAK Seventy-Three goes wider. His drone footage of Cebu captures the city in a perspective most people never see: cityscapes that somehow manage to tell the stories of the people living within them. His footage of the failed flood-control projects and the 2026 Sinulog procession are among his most recognizable works.
The diverse sounds of Cebu
Still sleeping on the Cebu music scene, or did you just assume we didn’t have one? Sure, everyone knows Janine Berdin has been tearing up the timeline—and she’s incredible, I love her—but her sound is only a fraction of what this island is actually producing.
Cebu music doesn’t have a single sound. That’s the point.
We have so many popular musicians from Cebu, such as Urbandub, Karencitta, Missing Filemon, Franco, Kurt Fick, Wonggoys, The Sundown, Vincent Eco, and Lourdes Maglinte; every artist has a genre entirely their own. Newer names like IIICCCYYY, Sugarkiss, Jerico Streegan, Julia Quijano, Liana San Diego, Wiji Kun, Relden, and Dom Guyot are already carving out distinct sounds. Pop, R&B, even metal (check out Adamanta and Stab), whatever genre you’re after, Cebu has it.
You can find them on Y101 FM and Monster BT105.9, stream their work on Spotify and YouTube, or catch them live at gigs and music fests. The Fila Killa Shop at ATÚA Midtown carries physical copies and merch if you want to support directly. And if September Fever Music Festival is on your calendar, clear it.
Telling stories through cinema
Yes, Cebu has filmmakers, even internationally recognized ones.
Kenneth Dagatan, known for Sanctissima. Victor Villanueva, behind Patay Na Si Hesus, Bar Boys, and I Am Not Big Bird. Keith Deligero, Ruel Antipuesto, Remton Zuasola—all recognized far beyond Cebu for their ability to capture a uniquely Cebuano perspective and sense of humor.
Unfortunately, we don’t have a cinematheque in Cebu, and the works of Cebuano filmmakers rarely make it to cinemas here; if they do, it’s usually a limited screening. However, we do have film festivals that conduct annual film screenings.
In photo: (Left) Kenneth Dagatan, (Right) Victor Villanueva
The Binisaya International Film Festival has been showcasing their works and those of fellow regional filmmakers since 2009. This August, they’re partnering with NUSTAR Cinema, The Kabilin Center, and UP Lawak Sinehan, all worth checking out.
Experiencing the stories of Cebu through the lens of Cebuano filmmakers is such a unique and fulfilling experience. While there is always room for the usual Marvel hero movies or cheesy romcoms, experiencing the fantastic tales of Cebuano creatives and seeing familiar faces and locations can surely make you feel things from beyond the screen.
READ: 5 Reasons ‘Cinebuano’ Should Be on Your Watchlist This Buwan ng Wika at Kasaysayan
Showcasing talent through theater
Cebu has a theater scene, and it deserves more attention than it gets.
Seeing a play live is simply a different experience from streaming something at home. There’s a dedication to craft visible in every performance that doesn’t translate any other way. Groups like 2TinCans, Vaudeville, and the long-running Siddhartha Theater Ensemble are keeping it alive. 2TinCans has a play coming at The Kabilin Theater at the end of August.
If you want to get into theater yourself, the Young Thespians of Cebu and the Broadway Youth Club run workshops worth looking into.
Spaces for thriving creatives
Creatives thrive in community. No matter what medium of art you enjoy, there is a space for you in Cebu with its thriving creative scene.
The Kabilin Center hosts creative talks, workshops, plays, and music gigs, positioning itself as a hub for Cebuano culture. Cebu Making Space is for creatives looking for workshops, tools, and a dedicated space for their craft. ATÚA Midtown keeps the community going through a rotating mix of stores and pop-ups. The Cebu Sunday Market is a good reason to get outside on a Sunday morning.
For workshops to try with friends, Makers Muses, Project Tapuk, and Camp Sikulo run approachable, fun sessions that make for a great afternoon.
Cebu has always had creatives. Cebu will always have creatives. And no matter the medium, they keep evolving. Even as AI changes the landscape, the work that comes from real people with real passion is still what stops you mid-scroll. Take a closer look at the things you see every day. Someone made them.
