There’s a different energy in the air when a film begins at the stroke of midnight. On Sept. 3, 2025, Ayala Center Cebu gave horror fans exactly that — a chance to witness the premiere of “The Conjuring: Last Rites” when the clock hit twelve.
The film itself, billed as the darkest chapter yet in the long-running supernatural saga, promised to tie together years of scares in a finale designed to linger. Moviegoers arrived in groups, filling not one but two cinemas.
The midnight screening made the screening feel less like entertainment and more like a shared rite of passage, a ritual for the faithful who had followed the franchise for more than a decade. For the mall, it was spectacle and service. For the fans, it was a last haunting together, a farewell to a saga that had kept them awake for years.
***
At Shangri-La Mactan, the first night of Sabor Latino Fiesta at Tides opened with the scent of grilled meats and the warmth of Latin-American hospitality. Chef Pablo Ramirez of Sage Grill, Makati, brought flavors that turned the dining hall into a market of spice and color, with plates that traveled from bite-sized street fare to flame-kissed mains.
Glasses of wine clinked across tables as guests laughed over the generous spread. The lights were soft, the atmosphere easy, each detail working together to create the feel of a celebration rather than a simple buffet.
The fiesta continues until Sept. 13, with each night offering another chance to join the rhythm, the flavor, and the revelry. Better to reserve early—nights like these tend to fill fast.