The Southeast Asian Games return to Bangkok with a sense of renewal, history, and regional pride as the 33rd edition prepares to unfold in the city where it all began. Later today, December 9, the Games officially open at 6:30 p.m. at Rajamangala Stadium, setting up a night designed to honor tradition while ushering in a new era for Southeast Asia’s biggest sporting event.

This year’s Opening Ceremony carries the theme “We Are One,” a concept Thailand has shaped into a five-part spectacle woven with grand visuals, performance technology, and cultural storytelling. Organizers describe the show as a “Back to the Origin” moment—an intentional return to the roots of the old SEAP Games founded in Bangkok in 1959, but delivered with the polish of modern production. As Thailand’s Sports Authority governor Gongsak Yodmani noted, “The opening ceremony might not be as grand, but it will be elegant and dignified,” an approach meant to frame the night with confidence rather than excess.

The ceremony opens with a sweeping retelling of how the Games began, bringing the audience through decades of growth and reinvention. That transitions into a cultural segment that highlights Southeast Asia’s depth and diversity—its textures, traditions, and creative languages—interpreted through choreography and digital stagecraft. Another sequence celebrates the athletes themselves, capturing the intensity, resilience, and shared competitive spirit of the region’s competitors.

The show’s emotional peak centers on friendship and “shared victory,” a theme underscored through music, large-scale projections, and athlete cameos. The entertainment lineup is led by Thai-born K-pop star BamBam Kunpimook, who prepared a performance exclusively for the Games. He is joined by Jeff Satur, Opal Chuangsri, Proxie, LYKN, BNK48, Butterbear, and several Thai athletes in performance roles, building momentum toward the ceremony’s finale: the reimagined lighting of the SEA Games cauldron, expected to be the defining image of Bangkok 2025.

For the Philippines, the night doubles as both a competitive declaration and a cultural moment, with 1,600 athletes and officials arriving in striking new looks.

Fashion designer Avel Bacudio’s “Laro ng Lahi” modern barong ensembles will debut tonight, featuring sleek navy and cream silhouettes embroidered with childhood Filipino games like piko and tumbang preso, paired with flag-colored buttons and patterned vests that merge heritage with runway polish.

For the rest of the Games, athletes will wear blue PEAK-designed tracksuits featuring icons such as Taal Volcano and the coconut tree, creating a unified visual identity throughout Bangkok and Chonburi.

Meanwhile, rising tennis star Alexandra Eala and men’s volleyball standout Bryan Bagunas were chosen as flag bearers, with Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino saying, “Popularity aside, Alex and Bryan have made impacts in the global sports community and that makes them the best choice to carry the flag in the SEA Games.” Their selection reflects a delegation that arrives eager and ambitious across 50 medal sports.

Team Philippines enters with medal hopes led by Olympic champion Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo, tennis headliner Eala, and a deep roster of rising talents in swimming, football, boxing, and track-and-field.

Under the spotlight too is Gilas Pilipinas. The men’s national basketball team has finalized its 2025 Games roster under head coach Norman Black. The squad mixes professional and collegiate players led by Jamie Malonzo, Matthew Wright, and Thirdy Ravena. The Philippines men’s team has long dominated basketball at the SEA Games—historically winning most men’s titles.

Adding to the Philippine delegation’s ambitions are the Alas Pilipinas men’s and women’s indoor volleyball teams headed by Bagunas and Jia De Guzman, respectively. Both are hoping for a gold-medal finish.

Across the region, stars like Indonesian weightlifter Rizki Juniansyah, 2021 badminton world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore, and Singaporean swimmer Quah Ting Wen—who is chasing the SEA Games all-time gold record—add competitive firepower to a field of 13,657 athletes.

Tonight’s ceremony marks the start of 11 days of competition across Bangkok and Chonburi, formally opening the 33rd Southeast Asian Games for athletes from 11 nations.