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Full house as Singapore's largest nightclub Marquee reopens after two years

Singapore's largest nightclub, Marquee, reopened to snaking queues that spilt over onto two floors at The Shoppes Marina Bay Sands (MBS) on Friday (July 1).

The line started forming at 8.30pm, with those in it undeterred by the expected long wait - they knew those who snagged sold-out tickets to the reopening would be first through the doors from 10pm.

At the front of the queue was 27-year-old Singaporean Vicki T., who entered the club at 11pm.

This is her first visit to a club since the Covid-19 pandemic shuttered nightspots here.

"I know I'll have to keep my mask on throughout, and can take it off only when I'm drinking, but that's all right," said Ms Vicki, who is currently between jobs.

Inside the 2,300 sq m club, a packed dance floor awaits, the first time this is happening in 28 months.

But for many clubbers who got in, it was to the queue once again, to take a ride on the indoor eight-armed ferris wheel and three-storey-slides, old favourites from the time the club first opened its doors in July 2019.

Ms Low Kaiying, 26, is a Marquee returnee, so she knew what she wanted to do once past the doors.

"It was quite fun to go on the ferris wheel before the crowd filled," she said.

It was her first time at a club in two years too.

Although major nightlife players like Zouk in Clarke Quay and Ce La Vi, located atop MBS, reopened soon after nightlife establishments were allowed to do so in end-April, up until June 14, nightclub patrons needed to obtain a negative antigen rapid test (ART) result to enter nightlife venues, where there is a dance floor.

Ms Low, who saw the ART requirement as a deterrent, said the timing of Marquee's reopening was perfect, as she moved on to the dance floor.

As the crowd picked up, illuminated bottle trains dotted the three-level venue, as security guards stationed at entry points to the dance floor kept order by making sure that patrons were masked up and not carrying drinks.

Patrons entering Marquee on the nightclub's reopening night, on July 1, 2022. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

 

A spokesman for Marquee said of the club's decision to open in July: "Although nightlife could resume in April, we decided to give ourselves more time to refine our processes and prepare our team so that we can welcome guests back safely and responsibly this weekend.

"The further easing of restrictions in the past month also marks another step towards returning to normalcy for nightlife, and we hope this allows us to deliver the same great party experience at Marquee as before."

However, the requirement to remain masked up while on the dance floor remains.

There was a strong turnout on Friday night, with clubbers dressed to the nines joining the queue over the course of the night. A sign indicating that the club was at full capacity was on standby at the side of the entrance.

People queueing outside Marquee ahead of its reopening, on July 1, 2022. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

 

At its full capacity, The Straits Times understands that Marquee can hold around 2,000 patrons.

Before it closed its doors in March 2020, the club was known for hosting big name DJs and music acts on an almost weekly basis - including the likes of Swedish DJ Alesso, European DJ trio Above & Beyond and American rapper A$AP Rocky.

In the coming weeks, Marquee will welcome back international DJs, set to be some of the largest names to play here since the pandemic halted live shows.

The club is also open on Saturday and while online tickets are sold out, limited tickets priced at $40 will be available at the door.

The reopening of Marquee, the biggest nightclub in Singapore, at Marina Bay Sands on July 1, 2022. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

 

Clubbers like Ms Vicki are looking forward to Singapore's nightlife getting into full swing, and for her, Friday is likely the first of many club nights at Marquee, despite a rising number of Covid-19 cases in recent days.

She said: "It's herd immunity - almost everyone has got Covid-19 already so it's a matter of time.

"I'm not worried because I have (taken) the vaccines and booster already."

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