A Marketplace Joins the Festival Scene
GENERAL SANTOS CITY - The soft opening of the Tuna Festival flea market adds a more casual shopping stop to General Santos City’s 2026 celebration. The market is situated at the Oval Plaza grounds, according to an August 19 report by Bombo Radyo Gensan, which also noted that the flea market had already opened while other festival plans were being adjusted. Rather than focusing only on large performances, a marketplace creates room for everyday transactions—people can walk around, browse merchandise, meet vendors, and spend time in the festival area. It gives the celebration a practical side where commerce and leisure can happen together during the Tuna Festival season.
More Room for Small Sellers and Shoppers
A flea market can bring a different character to a city celebration because its appeal comes from discovering items rather than following a fixed program. For General Santos, the market also fits the broader purpose behind the 2026 festival arrangements. The city’s August 18 executive order specifically authorized the Tuna Festival and the Bangon Gensan: Tuna Festival Recovery Night Market 2026 in support of earthquake-affected micro, small, and medium enterprises. That makes the market more than an additional festival attraction: it provides a setting where sellers can present products directly to visitors. For shoppers, meanwhile, it creates another reason to explore the festival grounds.
A Smaller Festival Still Has Something to Discover
This year’s celebration has been adjusted after the city reduced its festival budget, with Bombo Radyo reporting that several activities would not proceed in their previous form. Even so, the Tuna Festival remains scheduled as a five-day celebration, while activities such as Fish Fest and Sugbahan sa Dalan continue. The city’s official events calendar lists the 2026 Tuna Festival for September 5, while preparations and related activities are already appearing in August. Against that backdrop, the flea market offers something simple but worthwhile: a place to shop, wander, and experience another side of the festival before its bigger celebrations arrive.
