The Future Of Singapore's Nightlife

We speak to Andrew Li, CEO of Zouk Group, on what’s in the pipeline for Zouk, his biggest challenges to date, and some of his favourite memories at the iconic nightclub over the years

- Kimberly Ong

We’re finally at the third quarter of 2020. And with Singapore’s birthday having just passed us, what better way to commemorate than to look back at an iconic landmark of the nation. Namely, the pinnacle of Singapore nightlife, Zouk, which has very much shaped the scene for Singapore in the past two decades. But with nightlife remaining a near-distant past given the pandemic, it appears there may be trouble on the horizon for the local nightlife industry. Indeed, a recent survey conducted by the Singapore Nightlife Business Association showed that four out of 10 pubs, bars and clubs have stated the intention of shutting down permanently.

Even so, Zouk has other plans. They have pivoted to a new strategy – transforming their lounge space into a new dining concept, Capital Kitchen, introducing items such as their own canned cocktails, and focusing their efforts on Zouk Digital live streams. “If anything, the pandemic has propelled us into a global lifestyle brand,” says Andrew Li, the CEO of Zouk Group.

Ahead, we speak to Andrew Li on the future of nightlife in Singapore, how he has been coping during such challenging times, and of course, some of his favourite memories at Zouk over the years.

What has Zouk done to suit the current climate?

During this period, we found alternative ways to utilise the large space we have. We diversified our business model by transforming our clubbing space into a new dining concept – Capital Kitchen.

We have also introduced new initiatives and partnerships. For example, we have conducted live streams on Zouk Digital featuring guest DJs, and virtual events such as Zouk Phuturescapes, in collaboration with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).