Why Singapore is betting on K-pop to drive tourism

Why Singapore is betting on K-pop to drive tourism

SINGAPORE — On a lively weekend afternoon beneath Marina Bay Sands, there is no stage, no spotlight and no audience in the conventional sense. Still, familiar music fills the underground concourse. A group of teenage girls moves in sync to rookie K-pop girl group Hearts2Hearts’ “Focus,” counting beats under their breath. A few meters away, another dance team rehearses choreography to TWICE’s “Feel Special,” adjusting their formation as shoppers pass by. No one appears surprised. Scenes like this now unfold routinely across Singapore, not only in landmark spaces but near everyday malls and underground transit corridors. During a recent visit, pop-up stores dedicated to K-pop operated by major Korean labels like SM Entertainment appeared alongside cafes, fashion and lifestyle brand stores, drawing steady foot traffic. What emerges here is not a city hosting a temporary cultural event, but one in which K-pop has settled into daily life. As that presence becomes more visible across shared urban spaces, it has also begun to shape how Singapore positions itself as a destination

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