Mariah Carey surprises Manila crowd with first tour performance of All I Want For Christmas Is You

Christmas came early for Mariah Carey fans in the Philippines. The award-winning songstress, who is currently in the midst of her Celebration Of Mimi world tour, surprised Lambilys at her Manila stop on Tuesday (Oct 14) with a performance of her iconic hit All I Want For Christmas Is You to end the concert.

The show marked the very first time that Carey performed the song live in the Philippines. It is also the first time that the song found itself on the setlist of The Celebration Of Mimi world tour.

Her previous Singapore concert on Oct 8 saw Fly Like A Bird as the last song she sang.

As seen in videos uploaded by fans who were in the SM Mall of Asia Arena, the crowd erupted into cheers and jumped for joy as the first few notes of All I Want For Christmas Is You began to play.

Carey then emerged onto the stage, dressed in a sequined gown and accompanied by her backup dancers, who were decked in red T-shirts and Christmas hats. She then led the crowd in what could best be described as a mass karaoke session.

Filipino fans have since praised Carey for the surprise, with one fan stating: "Mariah has officially opened Christmas season in the Philippines."

Another joked that the special performance was apt, given how "the Philippines celebrates Christmas as early as September".

Released in 1994, All I Want For Christmas Is You has since become a holiday staple and is one of the best-selling singles of all time. The Associated Press estimated in 2023 that the song has earned about US$100m (S$129.5m) in royalties. 

The enduring popularity of All I Want for Christmas Is You has also led the public to call Mariah Carey the Queen of Christmas – with memes of her "thawing and defrosting" hitting the internet as the holiday season approaches.