Marina Bay in Singapore

Marina Bay, Singapore is like a city within a city, with shops, bars, eateries, theatres, casinos, hotels and museums all within walking distance. This is the glamorous and glossy side of Singapore, visited by the rich and famous, and the place on everyone’s must-visit list. A site of recent development, you’ll find everything on Marina Bay is shiny, modern and state-of-the-art.

So, whether you want to find the biggest and best versions of your favourite stores, eat beautiful food or expand your mind at the bay’s many museums and exhibitions, let us introduce you to Singapore’s showcase region, Marina Bay.

High-end shopping

The Shoppes in Marina Bay is the jewel in Singapore’s shopping crown, a glistening mecca to the designer label, boasting no less than 170 famous-name brands, selling everything from high-end fashion and jewellery to street shoes and sportswear. Every designer you can think of is represented here, including Dior, Cartier, Gucci and Tiffany.

With polished glass and steel everywhere you look, plus water features and even a canal where you can bag a sampan boat ride through the retail district, this mall really is something else. Worth visiting just for the spectacle, it’s a great place to window shop and grab a bite to eat, and if you spot something you like, well that’s a bonus.

Museums and exhibitions

The ArtScience Museum is one of Marina Bay’s most striking landmarks, designed to resemble an opening lotus flower. Dubbed the “welcoming hand of Singapore”, it features a round base surrounded by ten fingers, each one a gallery space, with a skylight at each fingertip providing sustainable lighting. It has 21 curved art spaces, which play host to exhibitions from galleries across the globe, with subjects such as Salvador Dali, the Art of the Brick and Harry Potter. One of the permanent exhibitions is the Belitung Shipwreck Treasure, a hoard of Tang dynasty artefacts found in the Gaspar Strait in 1998.

Meanwhile, the Red Dot Design Museum on Marina Bay is filled with product designs, concepts and communication pieces, all winners of the prestigious Red Dot Design Awards. So, if you love to explore places where beauty meets functionality, the Red Dot is the place to see and be seen.

Take in the view or catch a show

For the best view in town, make time to visit Skypark on the roof of the Marina Bay Hotel. This 12,400-sqm entertainment plaza tops three hotel towers, 57 floors up, and boasts an infinity pool, bars and restaurants, a garden and observation deck. And the good news is, you can visit the observation deck as a non-resident.

It’s a great place to watch the Spectra light show across the waters of the bay, see ships come and go through the shipping lanes, or just take in the magnificent skyline. The hotel is also the place to catch the latest West End and Broadway shows as they tour Southeast Asia.

The Sands Theatre within the Marina Bay Hotel complex has hosted hundreds of famous-name productions featuring some high-profile stars, including Wicked, Evita and the Lion King. Exclusive red-carpet events give you a chance to mix and mingle with the stars, while Show & Dine packages make your evening out extra special.