Esplanade Theatres on the Bay

Esplanade Theatres on the Bay is Singapore's national performing arts centre, on the Marina Bay waterfront in the Downtown Core, and opened officially on 12 October 2002. Designed by DP Architects with Michael Wilford and Partners, its two glass domes are covered with thousands of triangular aluminium sunshades, which earned the building its local nickname, the Durian. Inside are the Concert Hall and the Theatre, along with smaller venues including the two-storey Annexe Studio and the 550-seat Singtel Waterfront Theatre, which opened in 2022.

Esplanade presents about 3,500 performances a year, and around 70 percent of them are free, many at the DBS Foundation Outdoor Theatre on the water's edge, which hosts free programmes from Friday to Sunday and on public holidays. You do not need a ticket to walk through the public concourse or along the waterfront promenade in front of the domes, and the outdoor stage looks across the bay to Marina Bay Sands. Ticketed shows in the main halls cover concerts, theatre and dance; the official site lists each season's programme. In October 2025 Esplanade completed a multi-year overhaul of its technical infrastructure. Esplanade MRT station on the Circle Line is the closest stop, and Merlion Park is a short walk away across the Esplanade Bridge.