After the success of LAVO Italian Restaurant & Rooftop Bar Singapore, Marina Bay Sands and TAO Group will team up for another collaborative effort—MARQUEE Singapore. Revellers and nightlife zealots will be familiar to this nightclub brand which has a celebrated presence in New York City (MARQUEE Nightclub), Las Vegas (MARQUEE Nightclub & Dayclub at The Cosmopolitan) and Sydney (MARQUEE Nightclub at The Star).
Taking up a former theatre space at the iconic Marina Bay Sands, MARQUEE Singapore will feature a full-sized, eight-armed Ferris Wheel(!) and harmonious fusion of design, technology and cutting-edge sound for an immersive nightclub experience.
The MARQUEE brand remains a favourite destination for premier music talent, featuring residencies of renowned entertainers and DJs like Kaskade, Dash Berlin, DJ Khaled, and Travis Scott. Game on for the best nightlife establishment in Singapore.
Update: For its opening weekend, MARQUEE Singapore brought on DJ Tiësto, Afrojack, and A$AP Rocky to entertain the crowd. Missed it? Make a date with the confirmed line-up of legendary mix meisters like Above & Beyond, Steve Aoki, Kaskade, and Showtek through April 2019.
Esquire caught up with TAO Group founder and partner Jason Strauss to discuss the expansion of the MARQUEE brand in Singapore and what lies ahead for the nightlife culture.
ESQ: What does nightlife mean to you?
Jason Strauss: Nightlife is the convergence of great music, a unique atmosphere, premiere hospitality and quality cocktails. It is an escape from work, a celebration, and a reason to meet up with friends. Nightlife is what we do best and we can’t wait to continue to expand on our nightlife offerings in Singapore with the opening of Marquee.
ESQ: What separates MARQUEE Singapore from its peers?
Jason Strauss: MARQUEE Singapore will not be a direct replica of what we have done in Las Vegas, New York or Sydney.MARQUEESingapore sits in a unique space—it takes over an existing theatre space with ceiling heights that soar nearly 70 feet. The infrastructure allowsMARQUEE Singapore to create a very unique and fully immersive nightclub experience that will span three different floors. A key feature that sets it apart from the other nightclubs is a full-sized, eight-armed Ferris Wheel, with a photo booth located within each of the eight pods for guests to ride and take in a spectacular view of the nightclub.
ESQ: One of the main highlights in MARQUEE Singapore is the eight-armed Ferris Wheel. Whose idea was it and why?
Jason Strauss: The venue was designed to accommodate large-scale production and live performances as well as more typical DJ shows. The inspiration for the décor comes from various adult amusement parks and music festivals. Our goal with MARQUEE Singapore is to capture the energy of both but in a more intimate, indoor facility of the future. The Ferris Wheel has become an icon of festivals like Coachella and Electric Daisy Carnival and after visiting those, we came up with the idea of building a permanent one inside MARQUEE Singapore.
ESQ: As a multi-concept dining and entertainment destination, what can we expect in terms of cuisine and will there be any exclusive creations for this outpost?
Jason Strauss: We have recognised the importance of developing a strong speciality cocktail program for our venues in Singapore. So, this will be a top priority for MARQUEE Singapore. More details on the additional concepts as part of this multi-concept dining and entertainment destination will be announced at a later stage.
ESQ: The nightlife industry is extremely competitive. How do you plan to keep the brand fresh and get the customers wanting more?
Jason Strauss: The best way to stay relevant and competitive is by having great partners that support the brands you have worked so hard to develop. We have done just that with our partnership with Marina Bay Sands. This partnership has afforded us the ability to introduce our working concepts into a new market in the best way possible.
ESQ: What fuels this passion to be in the nightlife industry and to expand the brand overseas, especially Singapore?
Jason Strauss: Opening a new venue is like the birth of a child. You never forget its opening date. The pride you feel in seeing a concept come to life is indescribable. It’s that feeling that continues to drive our passion to expand our brand overseas. After seeing LAVO open in Singapore, we cannot wait to watch the rest of our concepts follow suit.
ESQ: Tell us some unique experiences with past Marquee revellers.
Jason Strauss: Since opening in 2003, we have shared some truly memorable experiences with our guests at MARQUEE. MARQUEE Las Vegas’ New Year’s Eve grand opening with JAY Z, Beyonce, Coldplay, Rihanna and Kanye West is one that sticks out in my mind!
ESQ: What is in a typical day in the life of Jason Strauss?
Jason Strauss: I'll have to say that there is no typical day for Jason Strauss! I commute between Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York weekly and make it a point to stop into our venues nightly. When working in hospitality, there is no start or end to your day. We work tirelessly during the day to ensure we can deliver the best in entertainment and hospitality each night.
ESQ: First there’s LAVO, then MARQUEE, are there plans to have a TAO Singapore or to expand your foothold in Singapore with a brand-new concept?
Jason Strauss: MARQUEE is just one of the dining and entertainment concepts that we will be launching in collaboration with Marina Bay Sands next year. You can definitely expect to see something new, unique and exciting from us—more details will be shared at a later stage.
ESQ: Where do you think the future of nightlife is headed with the rise of the millennials? What upcoming trends can we expect with clubs and after-hours entertainment?
Jason Strauss: Millennials are definitely looking to capture the moment when they are out. The rise of Instagrammable moments has definitely dictated a lot of the design details we are adding to Marquee Singapore. The Ferris Wheel alone will most certainly draw a lot of attention—and we have hopes that it will become one of the most Instagrammed nightclubs in the world!
MARQUEE Singapore is located at Marina Bay Sands, 2 Bayfront Avenue, #B1-67, Singapore 018972
