SINGAPORE: The Singapore Sports Hub pulsated with energy and excitement in 2023 as the Kallang Alive Sport Management (KASM) delivered a 30% growth in sports, entertainment, and community event days compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
Visitors to the Singapore Sports Hub were treated to a mix of events that ranged from the National School Games to global spectacles, such as the FIBA Intercontinental Cup, a first for Asia, and Hyrox’s adrenaline-pumping debut fitness race in Southeast Asia. From international superstars to beloved Asian acts, the Singapore Sports Hub came alive with pumped-up adrenaline as music lovers were treated to the sold-out Jacky Cheung 60+ Concert Tour, which set a new record for the most shows by an artist in a single Singapore leg.
The Singapore Sports Hub is a venue for sports or concerts. It celebrates festive occasions such as the Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Deepavali, Racial Harmony Day, and National Day celebrations. Such events strengthened community bonds, drawing over 200,000 participants to the venue.
December also marked a milestone for the Singapore Sports Hub. It is the first anniversary of the handover from the private consortium SportsHubPte Ltd to KASM, a corporate entity formed by the Ministry of Community, Culture and Youth. The occasion was celebrated with a festive light-up and three weekends of family-friendly activities. Minister Edwin Tong officiated the light-up and praised the ‘progressive transformation’, emphasising the Singapore Sports Hub’s role as a community icon.
Over the coming three weekends, the public can enjoy live performances and fun Christmas activities, including festive games like Peppermint Pool and Candy Cane Hockey. Santa Claus and Santarina will also have special appearances for that picture-perfect round-up of this joyous season.
“It is wonderful to see the progressive transformation that has taken place at the Singapore Sports Hub over the past year. We have introduced various offerings and programming as we work towards establishing the Sports Hub as a community icon that Singaporeans can identify with and be a part of. Singaporeans and visitors can look forward to even more in 2024, with the opening of the Kallang Football and Tennis Hubs, a stellar line-up of artistes scheduled to perform, new retail and lifestyle offerings, and more sport and community activities for all to enjoy,” shared Minister Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law.
The Kallang Football and Tennis Hubs are expected to be completed at the end of 2023. The 89-hectare site along the Kallang River and Kallang Basin is an expansion of the sporting facilities around the Singapore Sports Hub. There will be four sheltered football pitches and three outdoor pitches for an 11-a-side and futsal at the Kallang Football Hub. The Kallang Tennis Hub will have seven indoor and 12 outdoor courts. It was previously announced that the Kallang Football and Tennis Hubs will serve as a training centre for the national athletes from both the Football Association of Singapore and the Singapore Tennis Association.
(Photo Credit: FIBA)
Singapore Sports Hub Expecting 1 Million Visitors
Keith Magnus, KASM chairman, spoke of Singapore Sports Hub’s dual focus: building a team of excellence and raising the bar for sports and entertainment. He highlighted their commitment to inclusivity and community engagement, citing partnerships with local and international players that will bring world-class events to the venue.
“In the year ahead, we will continue to see a wide spectrum of community and school events, and we will be welcoming international artistes the likes of Mayday, Enhypen, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift, and sporting events and family entertainment including Singapore Smash, Disney on Ice, FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup and HSBC SVNS Singapore (rugby sevens). We expect to draw close to 1 million visitors to the Singapore Sports Hub based on these events alone. These events are testimony to Singapore’s position as a leading destination for live sports and entertainment in Asia,” said KASM chairman Magnus.
Apart from being a venue for sports, the Singapore Sports Hub will be marking another significant milestone in 2024. It will be hosting Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour”, making Singapore’s National Stadium the only venue in Asia outside of Japan that Taylor Swift will be performing at. Close to 300,000 fans from Singapore and Asia are expected to attend the concerts at the venue.