S’pore’s World Aquatics Championships Arena to reopen in 2027

SINGAPORE – The World Aquatics Championships (WCH) Arena in Kallang is targeted to reopen in the second quarter of 2027, national agency Sport Singapore (SportSG) announced on Oct 7.

In a media statement, a SportSG spokesperson provided an update on the timeline of the WCH Arena, which was originally slated to reopen in the second quarter of 2026. The spokesperson added that the latest reopening date is due to the need for additional reinforcement works to “address unforeseen ground conditions identified during construction”.

Built at a car park next to the Leisure Park Kallang mall, the WCH Arena hosted the swimming and artistic swimming events of the World Aquatics Championships in 2025.

SportSG said the facility was opened for public use in end-2025 and in January 2026, it was closed for enhancement works to meet regulatory requirements and support its extended use as a public sport facility.

The spokesperson added: “In the first quarter of 2026, engineering assessments identified ground settlement issues due to the underlying soft marine clay.

“Following further technical studies, it was determined that additional reinforcement works were necessary to strengthen the foundation supporting the pools and ensure the long-term integrity of the pool structures.

“Carrying out the necessary reinforcement works now is essential to ensure that the facility is safe for our users. The reinforcement works are underway, and we are working closely with our contractors and relevant agencies to complete all the works safely and in accordance with the required standards.

“When it reopens in 2027, the WCH Arena is expected be an important venue for community use and major aquatics events.”

Last October, then Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo announced that the WCH Arena will not be removed but will be open for national athletes and public use until 2030.

The decision to keep the arena was made following the completion of a feasibility study.

The WCH Arena will complement existing ActiveSG swimming facilities, and also be open for both public use and national team training.

It may be used to host future events such as the SEA Games and Asean Para Games when the Republic stages the biennial regional meets in 2029 with the nearby 3,000-seat OCBC Aquatic Centre also capable of hosting international events such as the World Para Swimming Championships.

The WCH Arena features Olympic-sized competition and training pools and the same red OSB11 starting blocks used at Paris 2024.

Deepanraj Ganesan is a sports correspondent at The Straits Times focusing on football, athletics, combat sports and policy-related news.