Tanjong Pagar Distripark to put outdoor music events on ice due to noise complaints

SINGAPORE – Tanjong Pagar Distripark will temporarily pause outdoor events that may cause noise disturbances to nearby residents, its management said in an Instagram post on Oct 30.

The venue said that it would be asking licensees and tenants to temporarily pause events that could cause disturbances to neighbours.

“We love bringing people together through our live outdoor events, but we also understand that the loud music may sometimes cause some disamenity to our neighbours and the surrounding community,” it said.

Located at 37 and 39 Keppel Road, Tanjong Pagar Distripark comprises two five-storey warehouse blocks managed by Mapletree. The industrial complex also houses the Singapore Art Museum and several private art galleries.

Nearby residential areas include the public and private housing estates within Spottiswoode Park and Everton Park, to the north of the Distripark.

Event organiser Ice Cream Sundays, a Singapore party collective, has been staging electronic dance events at Tanjong Pagar Distripark for over three years.

According to its co-founders, the collective typically holds two to four events a year at the venue, attracting around 1,000 to 1,200 eventgoers each time.

In an Instagram post on Oct 28, Ice Cream Sundays said it would no longer be able to hold events there “for the foreseeable future and without heavy restrictions”.

It added that it had been working closely with venues and government agencies for over a decade to hold legal, safe, and licensed events.

The event organiser said that it was looking for alternative venues for future events in 2027, and thanked fans for their support.

“We never set out to cause a disturbance,” it said. “Our intention has always been to unite people and create shared moments of joy through music.”

Ice Cream Sundays’ co-founders, Jake Camacho, 34, and Daniel O’Connor, 34, told The Straits Times that they were informed of the restrictions by Tanjong Pagar Distripark’s management through an e-mail sent on Oct 16, following the Rainbow Disco Club Singapore music festival on Oct 3.

Co-organised by Ice Cream Sundays, the festival featured an outdoor session at the Block 39 carpark from 1pm to 10.15pm, with performances by local and international electronic music acts.

According to the duo, the e-mail referred to repeated complaints from an individual about music events at the venue, including those organised by Ice Cream Sundays and other event organisers.

Camacho and O’Connor said that Ice Cream Sundays had taken steps to mitigate noise at its events and had complied with the relevant licensing requirements.

O’Connor said Ice Cream Sundays had moved one of its events about 60m to 80m further away from nearby residential areas, and submitted decibel readings every two hours to Tanjong Pagar Distripark as part of its noise mitigation measures.

“As far as we’re aware, we’ve been doing what is expected of us, and also what we have promised the authorities,” he said.

The duo said they were disappointed by the prospect of no longer being able to hold events at the venue, which they valued for its arts and heritage setting.

O’Connor said: “It wasn’t just about bringing people into an empty car park space. It was the context of the arts and heritage there that made it special for us.

“That’s why it’s a source of frustration for us, because we felt we were a small part of building something strong there culturally.”

Despite the restrictions, Camacho and O’Connor said they hoped to continue discussions with the venue’s management about the possibility of holding future events there.

“We would love, of course, if Distripark remained part of our calendar, but we’re also preparing for the reality that it might not be feasible for the foreseeable future,” said O’Connor, adding that the two would be open to more discussion with the venue.

On Oct 29, in a new comment on the Oct 28 Instagram post, Ice Cream Sundays clarified that the event organiser’s goal was “far from” mourning the death of Singapore’s nightlife.

It continued to thank fans for their support, and expressed its respect to fellow promoters “out there pushing on”.

Ice Cream Sundays added that any fans unsure if an event they are planning to attend is going ahead should check with the organiser directly.

ST has also contacted the police and the National Environment Agency for clarification on the regulation of outdoor music events and whether complaints or enforcement action were involved.