Looking back at the lead-up to the inaugural ceremony in 2025

It’s been almost a year since the inaugural Michelin Guide Ceremony in the Philippines, and my phone is still carrying the evidence.

My best friend’s event company produced the show, and I had a minor role helping with peripheral activities outside the main program. That gave me a closer look at the lead-up than most people had.

As a former event planner, I notice the invisible work it takes to make something historic look easy Kitchen teams rely on pure precision and timing to get their food right, and the production crew has to match that same rhythm to pull off the show.

A massive event like this doesn’t happen by luc . It’s built over time: the crew and the equipment roll in, the room is construction-loud, and trolleys are packed with meals to fuel the people running the technical setup.

Then it transitions to the calm before the storm—the final sweep before the doors open.

Here are a few photos from backstage and preparation—some from about 36 hours before, and more from the final hours before the doors opened.