GELLI HAHA - WHERE IN THE WORLD IS GELLI HAHA TOUR 2026
Written by Shelby Schulz | May 22 2026
Photos by Shelby Schulz
Gelli Haha is one of those artists you have to see live. Sure, her studio recording is great to listen to, but attending a live show presents an entire theatrical experience along with it.
The crowd quickly formed at Antone’s on the evening of May 10th, 2026. Excited fans chatted with each other in anticipation. One couple shared that they had traveled from Miami to see Gelli. One fan, a little girl towards the front of the stage, accompanied by her parents, shared that this was her very first concert.
Gelli Haha is the stage name of Angel Abaya. She is a Filipino-American musician based in Los Angeles, California. She has previously released music under her own name, before starting her latest project.
Gelli Haha released her first album, Switcheroo, in late March of this year. Her tour, appropriately labeled the “Where in the World is Gelli Haha Tour,” takes her to several countries outside the the US, such as Spain, Germany, France, and the UK.
The stage display was very intriguing even before Gelli Haha began her set. Props were everywhere: a bubble gun sitting at the edge of the stage, trampolines, giant cubes, and inflatable dolphins. Not long after the first act of the night finished their set, the lights dimmed and the audience cheered in anticipation.
At first, Gelli Haha’s band members ran onstage looking around in confusion. “Where is Gelli?” They called out to each other as they frantically searched the stage. It wasn't long before they gave up and one of them suggested, “maybe if we start playing a song she’ll come out!”
As the music began, heads in the audience started to turn and applause filled the air as Gelli pushed her way through the crowd. She hurled herself onto the stage and immediately grabbed her microphone. She dropped into a crouch at the front corner of the stage and began to sing.
The performance was a very colorful and theatrical event. Gelli Haha didn't just sing the songs from her new album, she put on a show. Backed by a couple dancers, Gelli put the props on stage to good use.
Photos by Shelby Schulz
Early on, the dancers created structures onstage with the giant cubes. Gelli stood behind them on a step stool, peeking out over the top of the cubes to see the crowd. During “Normalize,” the dancers covered themselves and Gelli in a colorful gym parachute. Gelli stuck her head through the top opening and each dancer stuck an arm out of one side. They snapped their arms into different positions along to the beat as Gelli sang. During “Bounce House,” Gelli and her dancers set up a few trampolines from which they danced and bounced around as she sang.
Photos by Shelby Schulz
The performers found many opportunities to interact with the crowd throughout the night. They threw inflatable dolphins out into the audience, making sure to knock them back to someone in the crowd if the dolphins found their way back to the stage. At one point, Gelli attempted to toss a ball through one of the giant cube props. She handed the ball off to the same young girl attending her first show so that she could have a try. Gelli and her dancers even jumped down from the stage and spent some time amongst the crowd during one song.
When Gelli left the stage at the end of her performance, the audience demanded more. Everyone began chanting Gelli’s name over and over until, finally, she submitted to the encore and reappeared on the stage for one last song. Before Gelli, her dancers, and her backup band left for the night, they all took a bow and waved multicolored streamers around at the crowd. It wasn't long before an extensive line had formed at the merch table.
Gelli Haha is an artist with a unique and exciting live show experience. Fans of her music and first-time listeners alike would certainly be remiss by missing her live set. What Gelli Haha will create and perform next will be intriguing, but listening at home will be equally worthwhile as we wait for her to visit us again!
