Rejuvenating Entertainment and Nightlife Sectors, and Attracting High-profile Concerts to Singapore
Ministry of Trade and IndustrySpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin’s inquiry into the Singapore Tourism Board’s (STB) support for local nightlife businesses and its strategy for attracting high-profile, culturally diverse concerts. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong highlighted STB’s collaborations with stakeholders, such as the Orchard Road bar hopping passport and support for free events like iLight Singapore. He noted that businesses can leverage events like Grand Prix Season Singapore, while STB utilizes Singapore’s infrastructure and regional connectivity to attract world-class shows. STB also partners with the National Arts Council and others to curate diverse cultural programs, including South Indian folk art at Pongal Festival 2025 and Chinese opera at the Five Foot Way Festival. These initiatives aim to inject precinct vibrancy and maintain Singapore’s reputation as a safe, premier global destination for both international entertainment and local cultural heritage.
Transcript
4 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what are the Singapore Tourism Board's (STB's) efforts to support local businesses in the entertainment and nightlife sectors in rejuvenating Singapore as an attraction hub; and (b) how can STB enhance its outreach to attract high-profile concerts and cultural performers in various languages catering to Singapore’s diverse communities and tourists.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) collaborates with industry stakeholders to curate different types of programme offerings to inject vibrancy in our entertainment and nightlife sectors. For example, STB partnered the Orchard Road Business Association to introduce a bar hopping passport experience for consumers to visit nightlife establishments around Orchard Road at accessible prices. STB also supports free-to-public events that enhance precinct vibrancy in the night-time, such as iLight Singapore and Light to Night Singapore. Entertainment and nightlife businesses can leverage these and other STB-supported events, such as Grand Prix Season Singapore, to create promotions or special experiences to attract local consumers and visitors.
Singapore's excellent infrastructure, good connectivity to the region and reputation as a safe and vibrant business and lifestyle hub make us a prime destination for international shows and world-class events. STB works closely with concert promoters and partners, such as the National Arts Council and the Singapore Repertory Theatre, to curate a diverse line-up of cultural performances with local and international appeal. For example, Pongal Festival 2025 saw performances by folk artists from South India. The upcoming Five Foot Way Festival will include performances by Cantonese and Teochew opera groups, a roving Chinese opera exhibition, a talk on the Hokkien dialect, dialect singing performances and wushu performances.