Ruby Ibarra and The Balikbayans blend hip-hop, jazz, spoken word and Filipino musical traditions in a performance rooted in identity, resilience and community.
Ruby Ibarra and The Balikbayans play the Epstein Family Amphitheater on Thursday, May 13, 2027. The show is presented by ARTPOWER at UC San Diego, and it falls during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which fits the evening's focus on Filipino culture. The set will pull from fan favorites alongside new work, so you'll hear some of the songs she's known for and some things she's still working through.
Ruby Ibarra is a Filipina American rapper from the San Francisco Bay Area. She won the 2025 NPR Tiny Desk Contest with Bakunawa, a piece that got the judges' attention for its multilingual lyrics and its intergenerational band. That's the core of what she does with The Balikbayans: she blends hip-hop, jazz, spoken word, and Filipino musical traditions into a performance she describes as rooted in identity, resilience, empowerment, and community. She uses multilingual lyricism and live arrangements to explore stories of heritage, belonging, and hope.
The evening is meant to celebrate Filipino culture while welcoming audiences of all backgrounds, and the set will mix those fan favorites with new material. Cashless food and drink vendors will be on site, so keep that in mind if you're planning to eat or drink before or after the show.
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Tickets are $30 to $45, and UC San Diego students can get a limited number of free tickets through SSO. The show starts at 7 PM, with gates opening at 6:30 PM. The venue is the Epstein Family Amphitheater at UC San Diego, 9480 Innovation Ln, La Jolla, CA 92093.
Date
Thursday, 13 May 2027
19:00
Price
Paid
Recommended Age
+14 years
