Juan Arellano designed the original grandstand in the neoclassical design with ornate elements added to the structure such as a triumphal arch at the top with two "wings" that shaded the main galleries, a stage in the form of a ship's bow with a carved figurehead of a maiden representing freedom, and two other figures, representing a Filipino and a Filipina, that stood about 10 meters (33 ft) tall behind the stage and the central gallery.

[1] The grandstand was later demolished and a new one was built further away from the old site towards near the breakwater and Manila Bay where it stands to this day.

It served as the main venue of the World Youth Day 1995 closing liturgy, the 2000 Gregorian Millennium New Year Celebrations in the country, the 2005 Southeast Asian Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and the concluding mass of Pope Francis's visit to the Philippines in 2015.

SOP held a special episode celebrating GMA Network's ratings victory at the grandstand on October 10, 2004.

[6] In February 2025, the grandstand will host the first Waterbomb festival in the Philippines, featuring many K-pop personalities.