Nightlife: Smaller clubs, deeper connections

If 2025 was a year of peak nightlife decline in Singapore, marked by closures of many of the city’s long-running and celebrated venues, what can consumers expect for 2026?

- Teo Kai Xiang

The short answer: smaller clubs, changes to one of the city’s most storied institutions and nightlife that will likely feel increasingly niche and subcultural.

THE FUTURE IS SMALL

One of the clearest signs of shifts in Singapore's nightlife culture is how its nightclubs have shrunk over the years. Gone are the days of super clubs like Butter Factory (8,000 sq ft when it was at One Fullerton, before closing in 2014) and St James Power Station (70,000 sq ft before its nightlife era ended in 2018).

One of Singapore’s newest nightclubs is Chada by Tin Box. Located in Suntec City, the venue is just under 1,300 sq ft, and kicked off with an opening party featuring Dutch-Morrocan DJ R3hab in October.

"The reality is that Singapore’s nightlife has evolved, particularly in the wake of lifestyle shifts brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic," says Tinbox Group’s group deputy general manager Charmaine Wong.

"Today, many people value curated, comfortable and meaningful social experiences over large-scale crowds."

WHAT NEXT FOR THE NIGHTCLUB?

This trend towards a different sense of scale and intimacy is also reshaping one of Singapore’s longest-running nightlife institutions.

Nightclub Zouk is undergoing a revamp to turn it into more of a daytime and earlier-evening destination, with a greater focus on live music and events that go beyond the typical clubbing milieu.

"The future of nightlife isn’t just about bigger production, it’s about deeper connection. Guests want spaces where they feel like regulars, not just ticket numbers," says Mr Andrew Li, chief executive of Zouk Group.