Esplanade, Singapore's Stage
The official channel of Singapore's national performing arts centre: world music festivals, theatre, dance and full recordings of local plays online.
What it is
The official Telegram channel of Esplanade — Theatres on the Bay, Singapore's national performing arts centre, the spiky-domed building on Marina Bay that locals compare to a durian. It's in English, has over 2,000 subscribers and posts a few times a week.
The centre writes the posts itself, with a light, cheeky touch. Expect festival line-ups, open calls for artists, backstage photo stories and links to Esplanade Offstage, the centre's online magazine and archive.
Why we picked it
It's a quick way to see how wide-ranging the Asian stage really is. In September 2026 Esplanade ran Crossing Borders, a free series pairing Arab music with jazz, Japanese taiko drumming, Cuban rhythms, the sounds of Okinawa and traditional Korean music mixed with techno. Next on the calendar is Kalaa Utsavam, an annual Indian arts festival running from Carnatic music to Bollywood. Before that came Baybeats, a festival of local alternative music.
The best part if you're far away: Offstage is streaming recordings of Singapore theatre classics, including Stella Kon's "Emily of Emerald Hill" about a Peranakan matriarch and Kuo Pao Kun's play drawing on the story of admiral Zheng He, available until 31 January 2027. There are photo essays too, like a set shot backstage at The Royal Ballet Gala.
Where to start
- Find the post about the Esplanade Archives recordings and watch at least one play.
- Open the Offstage photo stories linked from the feed.
- Read the Crossing Borders line-up for a quick tour of world music.
- Skip the ticketing and membership posts if you're not in Singapore.
Who it's for
Theatre, dance and world music fans, anyone curious about Southeast Asian culture, and travellers who want to know what's on in Singapore at night.
Quick answers
Is this the official channel? Yes. It's linked from esplanade.com.
Can I watch anything without being in Singapore? Yes. The archive recordings and Offstage articles are online.
Is it mostly ads? It promotes its own events a lot, but there's no third-party spam.
