Visitors and revenues up at Esplanade; National Gallery donations dip
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It was a banner year for National Gallery Singapore while fellow arts institution Esplanade sustained modest growth.
ST PHOTOS: SHINTARO TAY, BRIAN TEO
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SINGAPORE – Singapore’s two biggest arts institutions, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay and National Gallery Singapore (NGS), released their annual reports in September reporting bumps in attendances that reflect a slow but steady upward growth post-pandemic, as well as a shift towards in-kind donations.
NGS reported a total income of $19.1 million for the financial year from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025, compared with $20.2 million in the previous year.
The museum, which turned 10 in 2025, recorded $5.1 million in contribution and cash donations, compared with $7.1 million in contribution and cash donations from the previous year. Admission fees rose slightly from $3.1 million in FY2023/24 to $3.4 million in FY2024/25.
The Esplanade’s report for the financial year from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025, noted an increase in revenues from FY2023/24’s $26.6 million to FY2024/25’s $27.4 million, bolstered by healthy ticket sales, which rose from $4.7 million to $5 million.
Both institutions reported a distinct jump in in-kind donations, reflecting a general trend in the arts scene, which recorded some $17.6 million worth of in-kind donations in 2024,
The Esplanade’s in-kind donations more than quadrupled to about $350,000 in FY2024/25 compared with the previous year’s $72,000.
Similarly, NGS reported in-kind donations increased from $1.9 million to $3 million in FY2024/25.
Attendances at both institutions were also up. The Esplanade recorded an uptick in on-site attendance from 1.76 million in FY2023/24 to 1.81 million in FY2024/25. Total numbers including online visitors dipped a little from 3.81 million to 3.75 million.
In his statement in the annual report, the Esplanade’s board chairman Lim Ming Yan noted: “It was encouraging to see more audiences coming back to Esplanade, with on-site attendance increasing. This was despite having to close two of our venues – Esplanade Theatre Studio and Esplanade Concert Hall – for three to six months for critical technical infrastructure upgrading works.”
Similarly, NGS reported 1.97 million visitors coming through its doors and some 3.44 million people visiting its website for FY2024/25. Attendance at the museum has been growing, increasing from 1.4 million visitors to 1.85 million visitors.
Dr Eugene Tan said in NGS’ annual report that FY2024/25 was pivotal not only because it was his first year as chief executive officer and director, but also because it was a year of “renewal and recalibration” for the gallery.
There were new leadership appointments in curatorial, marketing and partnership development positions, which “created greater synergy across departments, deepened our focus on both modern and contemporary South-east Asian art, and strengthened our capacity to build meaningful connections and strategic collaborations”.
He attributed the rise in visitorship to these “strategic shifts” which resonated with audiences.
The Esplanade’s total expenditure was up slightly at $96.4 million compared with $95 million the previous year, while NGS has held expenditure relatively steady, racking up $86.5 million compared with $86.3 million in the previous year.
As expected, employee compensation takes the biggest chunk of the pie, with the Esplanade recording $27.7 million and NGS spending $26.3 million.
