singaporecity360° Singapore nightlife, after dark
The clubs, the rooftop bars and the riverside at Clarke Quay — plus what a night actually costs, the one rule to know, and how to get home when the trains stop.
The drinking age is 18, so you’re in. Clubs cluster at Clarke Quay and Marina Bay; the rooftop views cost a "view tax" of S$25+ a drink. Just don’t drink in the street after 10.30pm, and plan a Grab home once the MRT stops.
Everything, in one glance
The view tax is real
Singapore levies one of the world’s heaviest alcohol taxes — around S$60 of duty per litre of pure alcohol — so a night out here hits the wallet harder than almost anywhere in the region. A rooftop cocktail with the Marina Bay skyline in your glass runs S$25–30 and up. Our advice: pay the view tax once — one drink at one great rooftop for the photo and the memory — then move down to ground level, or do what locals do and grab a cold Tiger at a hawker centre for a third of the price.
Happy hours (roughly 5–8pm) and midweek ladies’ nights are the other way to keep a night out affordable.
Nightclubs
The three that anchor the scene. Dress smart for the Marina Bay venues; Clarke Quay is more relaxed.
| Club | Where | Entry | The vibe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zouk | Clarke Quay (The Cannery) | ~S$30–40 | The flagship superclub — main room plus Phuture and the Capital lounge. EDM, hip-hop, Top 40. Wednesday is the big ladies’ night. |
| Marquee | Marina Bay Sands | ~S$30–50 | A vast club with an indoor Ferris wheel and slide, pulling big-name international DJs. Upscale, smart-casual dress. |
| CÉ LA VI | MBS SkyPark, 57th floor | from ~S$48 | Club, lounge and rooftop bar in one, on top of Marina Bay Sands. Tickets usually include a house pour. |
Ladies’ nights run midweek (often Wednesday) at many clubs — free entry and free or cheap drinks for women before midnight.
Rooftop & skyline bars
Cocktails here are S$25–30+. Worth it once, for the view — see the "view tax" above.
| Bar | Where | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| CÉ LA VI SkyBar | Marina Bay Sands, 57F | The classic MBS skyline-and-infinity-pool view. The postcard rooftop. |
| LeVeL33 | Marina Bay Financial Centre, 33F | The world’s highest urban craft brewery — house beers and a 180° sweep across the bay. |
| Smoke & Mirrors | National Gallery rooftop | An award-listed cocktail bar looking straight over the Padang to the skyline. |
| Lantern | Fullerton Bay Hotel | A pool-deck bar right at the water’s edge, with the MBS skyline dead ahead. |
| Mr Stork | Andaz, level 39 (Bugis) | Open-air 360° views and thatched cabanas — a slightly different angle on the city. |
Boat Quay, Clarke Quay, Robertson Quay
Three stretches of the same river, walkable apart — and each a completely different night.
- Boat Quay
Furthest downstream, nearest the CBD. A historic shophouse row of pubs — after-work drinks, casual, a bit touristy.
- Clarke Quay
The middle stretch and the main clubbing hub — loud, colourful, energetic. Zouk is here, and it reopened in 2024 after a big revamp.
- Robertson Quay
Furthest upstream and the quietest — riverside wine bars, brunch spots and a calmer, more local feel.
Drinking laws, quickly
- Age 18
Legal to buy and drink at 18. Venues ID at the door — carry your passport.
- No public drinking after 10.30pm
Illegal to drink in public places (and for shops to sell takeaway alcohol) from 10.30pm to 7am. Licensed bars and clubs are fine.
- Weekend-long zones
In Geylang and Little India, public drinking is banned all weekend, not just after 10.30pm.
- The penalty is steep
Drinking in public during banned hours can mean a fine of up to S$1,000 for a first offence — so keep it inside a venue.
The trains stop before the party does
The MRT runs until roughly midnight–1am — take it if your night ends early. After that, know this: Singapore no longer has night buses (they were withdrawn in 2022), so the move is Grab, Gojek or a taxi. Expect surge pricing between 2 and 4am around Clarke Quay and Marina Bay; sharing a GrabShare or a taxi with friends softens it. The good news: Singapore is one of the safest cities in the world after dark, so a late walk to a pickup point is genuinely fine.
Frequently asked
What is the legal drinking age in Singapore?
It’s 18 — you can legally buy and drink alcohol at 18, so young visitors qualify. Clubs will still ID at the door, and some set a higher entry age on certain nights. Carry your passport or a photo of it.
Can you drink in public in Singapore?
Only until 10.30pm. Under the Liquor Control Act, drinking in any public place — streets, parks, void decks — is banned from 10.30pm to 7am nationwide, and shops can’t sell takeaway alcohol during those hours either. Licensed bars and clubs are unaffected, so you can keep drinking inside a venue. A few zones like Geylang and Little India ban public drinking all weekend. If you want a supermarket beer, buy it before 10.30pm.
How much does a night out cost in Singapore?
Alcohol is expensive here because of heavy tax. Expect roughly S$15–20 for a standard cocktail, S$25–30+ at a rooftop, and S$12–20 for a bottle of beer at a bar. The cheap move is a large Tiger beer at a hawker centre or coffee shop for about S$7–10. Club entry runs S$30–50 on peak nights, often free for ladies before midnight midweek.
How do I get home late at night in Singapore?
The MRT runs until around midnight to 1am — the cheapest way home if your night ends early. After that, the old night buses no longer exist (they were withdrawn in 2022), so use Grab, Gojek or a taxi. Expect surge pricing around 2–4am near Clarke Quay and Marina Bay. Singapore is one of the safest cities in the world after dark.
What is Clarke Quay like now?
Clarke Quay reopened in 2024 after a major refurbishment, reorganised into zones with about sixty dining, retail and nightlife concepts — and deliberately more daytime and family draws than before, so it’s a day-and-night riverside destination rather than only a late-night strip. From August 2025 a pilot lets some riverside bars serve until 4am on Thursday and Friday.
A few caveats
- Venues change fast
Clubs and bars open and close constantly. Check a venue is still trading and its night’s line-up before you build a plan around it.
- Prices are a guide
Drink and entry prices move with the night, the event and the door. Treat the figures here as what to expect, not a quote.
- Do it cheaply
Beer with hawker food is the authentic budget night — pair it with our hawker guide, and plan the trip home with our getting-around guide.
Grounded in the Liquor Control Act, the 2024 Clarke Quay redevelopment and 2025 late-hours pilot, and the 2022 withdrawal of night bus services, on 2026-08-15. More riverside sights on our attractions map.