Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD
Get unlimited access to 10,000+ magazines, newspapers and Premium stories for just
Try GOLD - Free
Illusion takes centre stage at Singapore's first magic bar
The Straits Times
|April 04, 2025
Tucked away in an industrial estate in Ubi is one of Singapore's most unusual watering holes: a speakeasy where illusion takes centre stage.
The Magic Bar, which opened in 2023 at Oxley BizHub, is Singapore's first bar dedicated to magic performances.
The small 215 sq ft space accommodates up to 15 guests, though the venue's weekly Tuesday to Saturday night shows are typically limited to fewer than 10.
"The magic gets better the more you drink," quips magician Kai Emmanuel, who co-founded the Theatre of Wonder events group. He performs behind the bar two nights a week and his shows blend sleight of hand, cocktails and storytelling.
For first-time visitor Sathya Prakash, 29, who works in pharmaceuticals, the experience of crawling around an industrial estate to find a magic bar was odd, but intriguing.
"There was some whiplash when I wandered in from the industrial complex outside," he says. "It's a little far out, but it makes sense considering the price of rentals these days."
This story is from the April 04, 2025 edition of The Straits Times.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM The Straits Times
The Straits Times
MAIA WELCOMES MAIDEN KOREAN GROUP WIN ABOARD MUNHAK BOY
Ex-Kranji-based Brazilian hoop lands the Kookje Shinmun Cup
3 mins
October 28, 2025
The Straits Times
Chinese H-6K bombers fly near Taiwan ahead of Trump-Xi meet
A group of Chinese H-6K bombers recently flew near Taiwan to practise “confrontation drills”, Chinese state media reported late on Oct 26, publicising the action just a few days before the US and Chinese presidents are due to meet in South Korea.
2 mins
October 28, 2025
The Straits Times
Pentagon frets over Kathryn Bigelow’s nuclear doomsday film
The plot of A House Of Dynamite, the new thriller from Oscar-winning American director Kathryn Bigelow, hinges on US missile defences failing to knock down a nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) headed for Chicago.
3 mins
October 28, 2025
The Straits Times
Kohli, 36, fights an age-old battle: Talent v time
This is an old story. A story about talent, longevity and defiance. A story about how, for all the shining confidence of champions, time humbles them all. A story which starts by clarifying an untruth.
3 mins
October 28, 2025
The Straits Times
'MASSIVE WIN' MOST VALUABLE FOR ARTETA
Gunners overcome difficulty of beating Palace while on a tough stretch of games
3 mins
October 28, 2025
The Straits Times
IT'S ONE WEEKEND AT A TIME: NORRIS
Relaxed Briton to focus on himself as he leads by 1 pt from Piastri, with 4 races left
3 mins
October 28, 2025
The Straits Times
The 'sleeper issue' at the heart of Trump's trade war
How his govt decides the origin of goods could blow up laboriously negotiated deals
4 mins
October 28, 2025
The Straits Times
Not another work e-mail with exclamation marks!
It turns out there is less to worry about than you might think.
3 mins
October 28, 2025
The Straits Times
Anti-scam probe • S’pore firm sanctioned
Khoon Group, a Singapore investment holdings firm, has been sanctioned by the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control over its links to Cambodian national Chen Zhi.
1 min
October 28, 2025
The Straits Times
Sweeping 4 golds is 'incredibly special' for Kai
With a four-title sweep at the FlySpot Polish Open of Indoor Skydiving, Singaporean teenager Kai Minejima-Lee emerged as the most successful athlete of the Oct 23-25 event in Katowice.
2 mins
October 28, 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size