SINGAPORE – A year after the government takeover of the Singapore Sports Hub, its new operators on Dec 6 reported a 30 per cent increase in sports, entertainment and lifestyle event days as compared to before the pandemic in 2019.
Kallang Alive Sport Management (KASM) cited a strong pipeline of events in 2023 that included more than 140 National School Games and school sports events held at multiple venues, new competitions like basketball’s Fiba Intercontinental Cup and the ongoing Women’s World Floorball Championship as well as concerts from Asian artistes like Jacky Cheung.
KASM chairman Keith Magnus expects close to a million visitors in 2024 given the wide spectrum of community and school events plus international acts like Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift as well as sporting competitions like the HSBC SVNS, a revamped version of the World Rugby Sevens Series, and Fiba 3×3 Asia Cup.
He said: “These events are testimony to Singapore’s position as a leading destination for live sports and entertainment in Asia. As we celebrate our first anniversary, we reaffirm our commitment to excellence, inclusivity and the transformative power of sports and entertainment to our community and economy.”
In June 2022, national agency Sport Singapore (SportSG) and consortium Sports Hub Pte Ltd (SHPL) agreed to terminate the public-private partnership (PPP) that had seen the latter running the $1.33 billion venue since it opened in 2014. The PPP was to run until 2035.
The partnership, however, had been fraught with tension, with SHPL grappling with initial issues with the National Stadium’s pitch and criticism of what was deemed a thin programming calendar despite it hosting several marquee events.
The handover was completed in December and the 35ha site – which includes the 55,000-capacity National Stadium, OCBC Aquatic Centre, OCBC Arena and 41,000 sqm Kallang Wave Mall – handled by KASM, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kallang Alive Holding Co., which was incorporated by SportSG to oversee the entire Kallang Alive precinct.
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong said: “It is wonderful to see the progressive transformation that has taken place at the 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.”
