Orchard Road has gone through some major changes in recent years; from the opening of local brands-focused Design Orchard and the ramped up return of the very first Starbucks in Singapore to the reopening of the Marmalade Pantry flagship, just to name a few. And we haven’t even talked about the banning of smoking on its streets.
And there’s much more to look forward to in the future. For starters, a monthly pop-up concept will be taking to the streets starting this May 3-5, and after which, will be happening across each first weekend of the month Taking place across different stretches of the shopping haven is Night At Orchard (NAO), an open-air nighttime event that plans to showcase the best talents across music, arts, and quirky craftsmanship, as well as host a variety of food and beverage stalls. The spotlight will be on the buskers that frequently serenade the masses in the vicinity with easy-listening pop acoustics and sweet, melodic vocals.
Hoping to further upgrade the shopping district into a sparkling lifestyle destination, the launch of NAO will take place over a one year trial period, in an effort to see how the initiative will fare. Other agendas have also been set, including plans to incorporate the arts in the conserved Tudor Court and the rehashing of the current Grange Road Car Park space to create a dynamic area for events to take place.
Visitors will also be able to get around town more conveniently after the upcoming implementation of the Thomson-East Coast Line that will link Orchard to the Tanglin precinct, as well as the construction of elevated link bridges over the busy Orchard-Paterson junctions.
Managing to stay in the forefront of consumer trends is no easy feat, especially against increasing competition. With this glimpse into Orchard’s future, we’re definitely excited to see what else the iconic shopping street will bring us.
The first Night At Orchard will take place May 3-5.
