Esplanade - Theatres On The Bay, Singapore Overview

The Esplanade is a performing arts centre situated near the Marina Bay which focuses on international artists and has hosted over 37,000 shows. The Esplanade has had over 26 million guests for over 15 years and counting. It is a 60,000 square meter expanse dedicated just to theatre and arts. Situated right at the mouth of the Singapore River, it got its name from the Esplanade Park, in which Theatres by the bay is located. This performing arts centre has a concert hall with a seating capacity of about 1,600 and a theatre capacity of 2000 audience members for the performing arts. The Esplanade stages new shows every few months and believe in providing opportunities to the emerging artists and practitioners. The in-house programming team presents over 14 festivals and 20 ongoing series throughout the year.

Its primary mandate is to create a platform for professional live theatre that is affordable and accessible by the general masses, contributing to the regional economy by hiring performers and technical staff. Visitors have been inspired by the creativity oozing out of this place. The shows hosted here spread across cultures and genres, bridging cultural differences and stereotypes. There are also stores for shopping where you can shop for items as diverse as a customised cosmetic product or a musical instrument, making the Esplanade an option for the shopaholics too.

Architecture of Esplanade Theatres On The Bay

The Esplanade has aesthetics that resemble a durian and is fondly nicknamed so. The architecture of this is a marvel, designed as two glass domes fixed with over 7000 triangular aluminium sunshades, with glass elements that strategically balance solar shading. Interestingly, the structure was never supposed to look like a Durian, but the final construction turned out to be so. The Esplanade also has a meeting venue and other art and lifestyle related activities. The layout and architectural designs here are a wonder in itself.

The prominent highlights of the Esplanade are the Concert hall and Theatre, connected to the main concourse through a foyer. The concert hall is for concerts, recitals and other performances, and can comfortably accommodate over 1600 people. It has an orchestral platform that can stage 120 musicians over four levels. The theatre is an adaptation of a horseshoe from an Opera house of traditional Europe. The recital studio is a venue for intimate and small-scale musical performances, presentations and meetings. This fan-shaped studio can accommodate up to 220 members.

Esplanade Theatres By The Bay Shows

Shows in Esplanade are categorized into Music, Dance, Film, Theatre, Visual Arts, Senior, Youth, Family and Children. It also stages free shows, some of which are 'Emotional Things', 'Green is gold too', 'Blank' and 'Letters to Theo'. Some of the upcoming family shows are 'Music to my ears', 'Bunny finds the right stuff', 'Suraya Hassan', 'He is the man' and 'My unique mom'. Much awaited theatre plays are 'Leda and Rage', 'Enemy of the people' and 'Trick or threat'. Theatres on the bay also has public art installations at various spaces. The ones that catch quick attention are the 'Happy family of five', 'Makan Angin' and 'Seeds'.

How To Reach Esplanade - Theatres On The Bay

The nearest metro railway train station is the Bedok MRT Station which roughly takes about 20 minutes to reach Esplanade through a taxi.

The bus stops at the Esplanade are -
Bus Stop No. 02061 (The Esplanade)
Bus Stop No. 02111 (Esplanade Bridge)