LIST: Free musicals, new exhibits, and community events to join this Museums and Galleries Month

You can always explore museums and appreciate art, but make this October the month you finally geek out on history and culture.

This is because October is officially Museums and Galleries Month in the Philippines. Established in 1991 through Presidential Proclamation No. 798, the annual celebration spotlights the vibrant Filipino culture and heritage.

This year's theme, “Resilient Museums and Galleries: Educating for Preparedness and Recovery," highlights that museums and galleries aren’t just about history and art; they're also a platform to "teach us how to be ready, respond, and recover as a community."

From free musicals, festivals, and exhibits to interactive activities, there's something for everyone to enjoy. Check them out below.

Ayala Museum

Ayala Museum offers something for everyone, whether you like attending lectures, marveling at exhibits, or shopping for anything artsy.

Learn more about Juan Luna's life and works and join historian Ambeth Ocampo's lecture on Oct. 11, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.. On the same day, join the "Mezcla: A Collector's Walkthrough" with Veronica Duran.

You can also get a chance to chat with the museum's veteran conservator, Stephen Bonadies, on Oct. 8 and 15 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., or get the free digital guide and have a self-guided tour around the museum.

There's also a film screening and a talkback session for the award-winning film, Song of the Fireflies, on Oct. 11, 12, 17, and 18.

While you're at it, grab the chance to see Juan Luna's one-object exhibition, Hymen, oh Hyménée! one last time from Oct. 7 to 16. Details are yet to be announced.

Check more activities on their social media pages.

National Commission for Culture and the Arts

Several activities await art lovers this month. NCCA shared the list of activities happening across the country. There's the Museums and Galleries Month opening in Baguio on Oct. 7, Dayaw 2025 in celebration of the Indigenous Peoples Month in Bacolod City from Oct. 7 to 9, Likhang HABI Market Fair in Makati City on Oct. 10, or join the photowalk in "Lakad-Lente: Stories of Ginhawa" event in Sto. Tomas, Pampanga on Oct. 11.

For music and theater lovers, you might want to check out Itong Daigdig, Sa Kaniyang Dulang Astig staging at UE Manila on Oct. 9, intimate performances at "DILAAB: A Candlelit Tribute to Filipino Music" event at RCBC Plaza, Makati City, from Oct. 11 to 12, and the Parokya ni Among: The Musical Redux in Angeles City on Oct. 12.

There are also several events happening in universities and colleges from across the country, as well as festivals, like the Tam-awan International Arts Festival in Baguio City on Oct. 11 and the Panagkakararua Festival in Bauang, La Union on Oct. 31.

National Museum

National Museums across the Philippines have a bunch of events and activities. NM - Batanes is holding an "Echoes of Ivatan Tradition" until Oct. 4 and a month-long "Larawan ng Lahi: Celebrating Culture amidst Diversity," from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Meanwhile, those in Iloilo may check out the "Baybayin: Liham sa Sarili" lecture-workshop on Saturday, Oct. 4, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

There will also be a free comprehensive tour of the museum galleries in Tabon Cave Complex and Lipuun Point until Oct. 5.

Metropolitan Museum of Manila

If you’ve checked out all the galleries, spend a chill afternoon with saxophonist Roxy Modesto and guitarist Tim Cada at The M on Oct. 18 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

You may book an All Access Pass via this link or purchase the ticket onsite for P550.

You can also bring your kids, or your favorite nephews and nieces, for a fun workshop on making Halloween masks made of recycled materials. Creepy Cardboard Creations: A Hands-On Halloween Workshop will be led by artist Baste Cacho, on Oct. 25, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 3/F M Art Studio.

The workshop fee is P2,500, inclusive of workshop materials and access to exhibits. Register here.

Ateneo Art Gallery

Fresh from the Ateneo Art Awards 2025, learn more about artists Lesley-Anne Cao, Lui Gonzales, and Jel Suarez on Oct. 16, Thursday, 2 p.m. at the Ben Chan ArtSuite, 2F Ateneo Art Gallery, Soledad V Pangilinan Arts Wing, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University.

The “Memory and Materiality” session will delve into the artists’ respective processes with their own mediums and subjects in making art that “serve as a means to preserve and create memories.”

The event is free and open to the public. Register here.

Modeka Art 

Explore masterpieces from local artists and check out the "Made of Stone" exhibit at Modeka Art. The show, curated by Lena Cobangbang, will "attempt to dissect the extent of influence of celebrity culture in and how it governs the macro and micro aspects of our everyday life, probing into the very psyche of its origins and modern mythmaking."

It also aims to present a wide range of perspectives on this social phenomenon—from K-pop fans, documentarians, filmmakers, writers, and a media professor to portrait artists, musicians, advocates, local celebrities, and even fictional characters.

The show will run from Oct. 11 to Nov. 8. Learn more about it here.