Bad weather sends Ultra Singapore indoors; headline acts remain
After fans were shocked by the sudden decision to move the Ultra Singapore dance music festival indoors, organisers have told The New Paper the reasons for the move.
Bad weather forecast for the upcoming weekend forced the decision to move.
Responding to TNP’s queries, a spokesman for the festival said weather had always been on their minds and the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Marina Bay Sands (MBS) had always been part of their contingency plan.
“We were notified of the last minute availability of a large suite of rooms totalling 17,000 square metres and took the opportunity to engage our fans with a fully immersive indoor experience.
“Our guests will be able to enjoy the full production of Ultra from the moment they arrive, rather than waiting for the sun to set to experience the lasers and pyro shows.”
The spokesman added that the move had been under review since Saturday (June 1).
On Monday night, festival-goers were up in arms after they found out from e-tickets that the venue for the two-day event – to be held this Saturday and Sunday (June 8 and 9) – was moved to the MBS Convention Centre.
Since its first edition in 2016, the festival has been held in the open field next to MBS Tower 1, referred to for the festival as Ultra Park, which is about 60,000 sq m in size according to Google Maps.
One of the biggest EDM festival brands in the world, the annual music festival is run here by executive producers Alex Chew and Raj Datwani.
It drew 41,000 revellers last year though there had been talk online that this year’s event was on the verge of being cancelled.
Ultra Singapore issued a statement on Tuesday (June 4) confirming the change in venue.
HEADLINERS UNCHANGED
In its statement, Ultra Singapore said: “The logistics of moving venue at such a late stage takes time and therefore we regret not having addressed our fans sooner.
“Rest assured the show goes on and event organisers are working tirelessly to deliver the Ultra experience we are renowned for.”
Ultra Singapore’s spokesman said the smaller indoor venue will mean a re-shuffling of the staging but assured festival-goers that the headlining acts this year — which include Dutch star Martin Garrix, Swedish DJ Axwell and Grammy-winning producer Skrillex — remain unchanged.
But the number of local and regional talents originally set to perform this year will be reduced.
Remaining unsold tickets will also be limited due to the smaller capacity, though the spokesman did not reveal how many tickets have been sold so far and how big of a crowd is expected to turn up.
The spokesman also confirmed that Ultra Singapore have secured necessary permits and licences for the upcoming event.
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