Clarke Quay bars & clubs may serve drinks till 4am on Thurs & Fri from Aug. 18

From Aug. 18, 2025, pubs, bars, nightclubs and hybrid-use restaurant and bars in Boat Quay, Upper Circular Road, and Clarke Quay may be able to serve alcohol till 4am on Thursday and Friday evenings.

This is part of the initiatives in a one-year pilot jointly announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and Ministry of National Development (MND) to revitalise the Boat Quay, Clarke Quay and Circular Road areas following a review of feedback from stakeholders.

The initiatives were announced on Thursday (Aug. 7) by Alvin Tan, Minister of State for National Development and Trade and Industry, and K Shanmugam, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs.

Representatives from the Singapore Nightlife Business Association and Singapore River One were also present, where three initiatives were announced.

Extended drinking hours on Thursdays and Fridays

From Aug. 18, establishments with liquor licences in Boat Quay, Upper Circular Road, and Clarke Quay will be able to serve alcohol until 4am on the following day on Thursday and Friday nights.

This is on top of the existing hours of up till 3am on Sundays and weekdays, and 4am on Saturdays and eve of public holidays.

The extended drinking hours is subject to approval by the Singapore Police Force (SPF).

"SPF will consider applications from liquor licensees with relevant planning permissions," the ministries said in a joint press release.

Currently, liquor trading hours end at 3am on Thursday and Friday evenings in the Boat Quay, Clarke Quay and Upper Circular Road areas.

Proposals for new bars, pubs and nightclubs

Apart from the extended drinking hours, proposals for new bars, pubs and nightclubs along the Boat Quay Waterfront, Circular Road, Lorong Telok and Canton Street areas may be submitted, the ministries announced.

"Approved proposals for new nightlife uses in the applicable areas as mentioned above may be granted temporary permission for up to three years during the pilot," the ministries said.

A car-free zone along Circular Road, first implemented in 2013, will make a return on Friday and Saturday evenings, as well as on the eve of public holidays.

Security concerns

"The government will work with local stakeholders to ensure that they take more responsibility for the law-and-order situation there, including stepping up private security deployments and infrastructural security measures," the ministries said in the joint press release.

For example, Singapore River One, the place manager for the Singapore River precinct comprising Boat Quay, Clarke Quay and Robertson Quay, will assist with security patrols.

A suite of measures has been in force since December 2009 to address law and order concerns, the ministries added.

For example, new planning permissions were limited for bars, pubs and nightclubs.

Limits on liquor trading hours were also introduced.

"The law-and-order situation at Boat Quay has remained stable over the last few years," the ministries commented.

When asked what the benchmarks are to assess the outcome of the one-year pilot, Shanmugam said he wants the pilot to succeed.

"The way I will look at it is we will assess the law and order situation, the security situation, and you know, whether it's getting out of hand," Shanmugam said.

"We want the place to be vibrant. We want, in fact, as much relaxation as possible. So we will try," the minister added.

Revitalisation

The government and industry stakeholders have embarked on initiatives to revitalise the Singapore River precinct.

Earlier this year, Robertson Walk at Robertson Quay was shut to make way for a joint refurbishment by Frasers Property and Sekisui House, a Japanese developer.

Robertson Walk's facelift is expected to be completed by 2028, and will feature a new mixed-use development that includes a 348-unit residential enclave with a mix of dining and entertainment options.

Clarke Quay's entertainment district, called CQ @ Clarke Quay, completed its refurbishment exercise in April 2024.

Top image via Canva, Clarke Quay/ Facebook