Singapore River Festival makes a splash with 100,000 visitors

SINGAPORE - Around 100,000 visitors turned up for the three-day Singapore River Festival 2015 which ended today (Oct 25), featuring local and international artists creating artworks and interactive installations along the riverside.

The annual festival aims to celebrate the rich history and heritage of the Singapore River, and Spanish theatrical group La Fura dels Baus was the headline act, opening the festival with their 'human net'.

Suspended 30 meters over the Singapore River from a 220tonne crane, 40 local volunteers were also part of the performance which was launched by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth on Friday (Oct 23).

A 10-day outdoor public exhibition called Urban Artery was also staged in the alleyways of Circular Road in conjunction with the Singapore River Festival, featuring temporary artworks by over 30 local and international artists based in Singapore.

The event also had a pop-up market with culinary talents and modern craftsmen plying their wares, while homegrown musicians entertained the crowds.

To pay homage to the street performers that used to entertain the early migrants along Singapore River, various performances were organised, such as a puppet show, storytelling, and Chinese opera dance.

The Singapore River Festival 2015 is by Singapore River One (SRO), a private not-for-profit company managing the entire Singapore River precinct - including Boat Quay, Clarke Quay and Robertson Quay.

"We hope that Singaporeans as well as visitors to our Little Red Dot have a new appreciation of the role the Singapore River has played in our history," said Michelle Koh, Executive Director of SRO.

grongloh@sph.com.sg