Singapore’s largest water sports festival, the DBS Marina Regatta, returns for its fifth year with an expanded format spanning two weekends, May 28-29 and June 4-5. The event, which drew over 24,000 attendees last year, will feature regional dragon boat races set against the Marina Bay skyline, the return of Singapore’s only pop-up urban beach, and the debut of Southeast Asia’s tallest inflatable water slide.

This year’s regatta will premiere several new features, including themed dragon boat races and competitive kayak races. Showcasing emerging local talent is another focus, with up-and-coming artists, musicians, chefs, and change-makers participating throughout the event.

Sim Lim, DBS Singapore Country Head, commented on the regatta’s increasing popularity since its 2012 inception: “As the DBS Marina Regatta grows from strength to strength, we aim to continue introducing even more spectacular experiences so more Singaporeans can witness for themselves the endless possibilities of the Bay. We hope the activities we have in store will inspire Singaporeans to take a break from work and school and spend some quality time with their family and friends.”

Watersports in the Bay

Organized with the Singapore Dragon Boat Association (SDBA), the international dragon boat competition is expected to draw 160 crews and over 3,000 athletes from across the region to compete on Marina Bay for S$230,000 in cash prizes – the largest reward for the sport in Asia.

SDBA President Dr. Chia Shi-Lu remarked on the growth of dragon boating: “It’s been immensely gratifying to see how much the dragon boating community has grown both in Singapore and the region over the years, and the support from DBS has been instrumental in this. DBS Marina Regatta hosting the SEA Games dragon boat races last year was a pivotal moment, bearing testament to the great strides DBS has made in elevating the sport locally and across the region.”

To broaden dragon boating’s appeal, DBS Marina Regatta will introduce three themed races:

• Singapore’s Finest Paddle-off! – Open to current and former national athletes • Society Gladiators – For individuals involved with Singapore-based VWOs or NGOs • Prime Warriors – For participants over 45 years old

On June 3, 2016, the regatta will host a kayaking competition for the first time. This new kayak fiesta, organized in collaboration with the Singapore Canoe Federation, is open to all skill levels, from children to competitive paddlers to those with physical challenges.

Attendees can also experience kayaking or sailing in the Bay on DBS’s 18-meter Swedish Match 40 sailboats – the first of their kind in Asia. These sailboats, introduced last year, are part of the DBS Marina Bay Sailing Programme, which has provided complimentary public sailing sessions in the Bay since 2013.

Slide meets beach

Non-stop activities are planned for Singapore’s sole pop-up urban beach. Daytime activities at the beach pool will include standup paddling and standup yoga sessions. Nearby, participants can combine fun with philanthropy by trying out Southeast Asia’s tallest inflatable slide. This 16-meter, four-story-tall slide, reminiscent of the Big Splash, will offer unlimited rides for a single entry fee, with all proceeds donated to SPD, an organization dedicated to empowering people with disabilities to achieve independence.

Showcasing local talent, the regatta’s artisan market, set along the beach, will feature unique, handmade creations by Singaporean artists and craftspeople. The market stalls will be housed in repurposed shipping containers that transform into viewing decks in the evening. Local chefs at the food village will offer fusion cuisine featuring dishes like salted egg yolk fries and chili crab ‘man tous’.

These viewing decks will transform into breezy, al fresco venues for sunset beach concerts in the evenings, presenting a lineup of emerging Singaporean musicians.

“The hardest part about being a musician is answering questions. We’ve been so conditioned to think of music as fluffy entertainment reserved for the lucky ones who have the means to engage in such an activity, and questions that we receive usually fall along those lines. The history of music is not a history of break up songs. At the DBS Marina Regatta, question us about society, politics, people, we’ll be waiting for them.” – Mark Tan, the lead vocalist and keyboardist of @themadhatterproject. What is your opinion on music? Come on down to the DBS Marina Regatta and catch The Madhatter Project at our sunset concert on 4 June! You may also get a chance to mingle with the musicians! For more information, please visit www.dbsmarinaregatta.com. (Link in bio) #dbsmarinaregatta

A photo posted by DBS Marina Regatta (@dbsmarinaregatta) on May 3, 2016 at 7:41pm PDT

Encouraging a social consciousness

Returning by popular demand, Paddle for Good simulates a dragon boat race on land using indoor ergometer machines. This year, Paddle for Good participants will experience firsthand the challenges faced by athletes with disabilities as they use the ergometers. DBS will make a donation to a VWO supporting people with disabilities for each participant who successfully completes the challenge. Last year, the initiative raised over S$150,000 for its beneficiaries.

Furthering DBS’s commitment to social entrepreneurship, a selection of social enterprises supported by Asia for Good by DBS Foundation will be featured in the artisan market and food village. The Asia for Good lifestyle portal promotes social enterprises in the region, based on the belief that consumers can drive positive change.

Bringing the Bay to the people

The DBS Marina Regatta is one way the bank engages with the community and shares the energy of Singapore’s financial district with the public. DBS/POSB initiatives, including the DBS Marina Bay Sailing Programme, POSB PAssion Run for Kids, and complimentary cycling and yoga activities, have attracted over 60,000 people to the Bay.

Hashtag: #DBSMarinaRegatta