Snapped up: Most of premium seats at Sports Hub stadium

Singapore

WITH less than three months to go before the Singapore Sports Hub's National Stadium is finally open, some of the best seats in the house have already been snapped up ahead of the big day.

More than three-quarters of the 1,655 "premium" seats that first went on sale last July have been pre-booked, said the World Sport Group (WSG), the exclusive commercial partner of the $1.3 billion Sports Hub.

These premium seat memberships cost $1,950 a year each, with a fixed three-year commitment. Members still have to purchase tickets to the stadium's events like everyone else, although they will be given priority to do so ahead of the general public of up to six weeks in advance.

The price of the ticket is set by the individual event promoter, and will be in line with a "Category A" ticket price that will reflect the prime positioning of the Premium Seat blocks, said WSG.

What members will get in return are perks such as seats in the north and south wings of the stadium in the prime halfway line viewing position. Their padded seats will have ample legroom and are fitted with armrests and cup-holders.

They will also enjoy free parking, access to two club lounges and get to dine in a private restaurant. Members can enter the stadium via a VIP lobby and have access to a bespoke concierge service.

Adrian Staiti, senior vice-president (global partnerships and stadiums & arenas) at WSG, told The Business Times that the buyers of the premium seat memberships are a good mix of corporates and individuals.

"All are eager to be part of the National Stadium Club, a first-of-its-kind stadium membership programme in the region," he said, adding that he expected the rest of the 400-odd seats to be bought quite soon.

"As the list of premiere events grows, we expect to see the remaining premium seats quickly taken up by those looking to share with their friends, family or business partners the experience of attending world-class sports and entertainment events at the iconic Sports Hub," said Mr Staiti.

Besides the premium seats, there are separate plans to release a higher category of these memberships for sale. About 400 of these so-called "platinum" seats will offer additional privileges on top of what the premium seats offer. WSG said details will be released at a later date.

WSG had also announced last year that it had sold out the National Stadium's 61 available corporate hospitality suites within nine months of their launch. The suites range from eightseats to ones that can hold as many as 30 people, and cost between $72,000 and $272,000 a year.

The first sporting event at the National Stadium will be the inaugural World Club 10s Rugby, which will feature elite rugby clubs from around the world slugging it out over two days on June 21-22.

The first football match is set to be a Causeway derby between arch-rivals Singapore and Malaysia on Aug 8, the eve of the Republic's National Day.

The Sports Hub last month unveiled plans to bring in national teams from Europe, South America and Asia, as well as a top European club, to play matches here as well.

Besides sports, there are a number of entertainment events on the event calendar too, among them the Singapore Chinese Orchestra's attempt to break the world record for the largest number of performers in June, and Taiwan superstar Jay Chou's concert in November.