The Singapore Sports Hub is now officially The Kallang — in a brand refresh which includes plans for a revamped mall with new alfresco food and beverage establishments.

The move comes nearly three years after the Government took over ownership and management of the facility from a private consortium.

In a media statement on Friday (Nov 28), The Kallang’s operator Kallang Alive Sport Management — which has changed its name to The Kallang Group — said that the brand refresh honours Singapore’s sporting heritage.

"It embraces our collective memories while strengthening our belief that sport, entertainment, lifestyle and community form the pillars of a dynamic ecosystem," it said.

Beyond the name change, the group announced that the existing Kallang Wave Mall will undergo a three-year facelift, which they said will "elevate the experience of everyone stepping into The Kallang".

These include new alfresco food and beverage establishments, play areas for children and padel courts.

The revamp to the mall will start in phases from the second quarter of next year, with its completion slated for 2028, and will remain operational throughout.

National agency Sport Singapore took over The Kallang on Dec 9, 2022, ending a public-private partnership with then-operator SportsHub Private Limited (SHPL) which had been running the $1.33 billion facility since it opened in 2014.

The partnership was mired with SHPL running into initial issues with the National Stadium’s pitch and criticism over a thin programming calendar.

The Kallang Group, a wholly subsidiary of Kallang Alive Holding Co, was later incorporated by SportSG to oversee the entire Kallang Alive precinct, which includes the National Stadium, OCBC Aquatic Centre, OCBC Arena and Kallang Wave Mall.

The operator said that the precinct has hosted over 4,000 sports, entertainment and community events for around 9.5 million visitors in three years since the handover.

High profile concerts, such as Taylor Swift, Coldplay in 2024 and Lady Gaga in May this year raked up a total of $650 million in tourist receipts.

At the brand launch event at the National Stadium on Friday, Keith Magnus, chairman of the Kallang Group, said that the Kallang has also become a "true community space".

He cited how the precinct has played host to the National School Games, new year countdown events and the Pope’s Mass last September.

The National Day Parade in 2026 will also be held at the National Stadium for the first time since 2016.

"Even when we had marquee events, we specially curated community activations… to bring the community in,” said Magnus. 

"Cat 100  has become something of an iconic space for us. It reflects the importance of community."

 Cat 100 is a term used to describe the outdoor area outside the concert venue where fans without tickets congregate.

On the revamp to the Kallang Wave Mall, Magnus said that it will sit alongside the changes to the Kallang precinct previously announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

In his National Day Rally speech in August, PM Wong announced new developments in the next few years as part of the Kallang Alive masterplan, which include a new 18,000 capacity indoor arena, national training centre, as well as the Singapore Sports School moving its campus from Woodlands.

"Together, they reshape this precinct into a powerhouse for sport, entertainment and national pride," said Magnus.

[[nid:575681]]

chingshijie@asiaone.com