The BTS Pop-Up Is Finally In Manila And Here's What To Expect

So you want to visit the BTS POP-UP: Map of the Soul Showcase in Metro Manila on the 3rd floor of the SM Megamall Fashion Hall? First of all, you need to make an online reservation here to get a ticket that allows you to enter the store.

Click the leftmost button and look for the Reservation tab. There, you'll see the available schedules.

Once you get one, they will send a confirmation message to the email address you have provided. On the day of the reservation, make sure you are at the venue 15 minutes or earlier before your allotted time to get a number from a counter by the side of the store. You just need to show them your confirmation email. If you don't have a reservation, you can ask the nice people at the counter and you might just get in as a walk-in guest. Remember that they have a limited number of allowed walk-in guests so please manage your expectations. Be there around 12:30 if you want to enter at 2pm. Luck might just be on your side.

You'll also need a MandaTrack QR code to enter Megamall. MandaTrack accounts are free. All you need to do is sign up via their website.

Before going to the store, make sure you have a battle plan. We'd like to share ours since we've already been there. There are photo zones and we suggest that you have your pictures taken there before you shop (you're allotted 30 minutes for shopping and 15 minutes to pay for your purchases) as everyone else will go to the merchandise first. As soon as you enter, head to the photo zones on your right side.

Now it's time to shop! the pop-up has over 400 products, from apparel, stickers and TinyTAN items. A section of the store is dedicated to merchandise that feature two singles off the album, namely “Black Swan" and “On.”

The tapes, stickers and gel pens are the most affordable expensive items in the store. We love the Tiny Tan key rings (Php680) and slides (Php1,640), which, unfortunately, come in one size only.

The clothes are the most expensive items in the pop-up. To give you an idea, the t-shirts start at Php2,270 and the prices for the hoodies, jumpers and the cardigans are even higher than that.

But if you're a BTS fan and you're on a tight budget, there's no need to buy anything. You can go there and enjoy the music videos on the big screen. They also give each shopper a snap bracelet and a postcard so even if you don't buy anything, that can be your souvenir from the pop-up, which closes in August.

Also, here's an additional tip: In case you see some of the gel pens out of stock, wait for a few minutes because they always replenish. You just need to be patient. Also, the merchandise is changed every two weeks so you can always come back.