SINGAPORE - American pop singer Billie Eilish performed in front of some 30,000 fans at the National Stadium on Sunday (Aug 21), in the first concert held at the venue since the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020.

Concertgoers, many in their teens, were required to show proof they were vaccinated before they were allowed to enter.

They also had to keep their masks on throughout the show.

The National Stadium is one of the largest venues for concerts in Singapore.

Fans Imron Razali and Siti Nur Syaqirah, both 17, were first in line at one of the venue's entrances. The schoolmates arrived nine hours before Eilish took to the stage at 8.18pm.

Mr Imron said: "This is our first big concert and we wanted to make sure that we would get a good view of the stage."

Other fans who turned up early included 16-year-old Divyana Yugarajan, who travelled with her friends from Johor Bahru and spent the night at a friend's grandmother's house in Singapore before the show.

Divyana, who arrived at the venue at 11am, said: "I have been listening to Billie Eilish since I was 11 so I couldn't miss this concert."

Taiwanese singer Jay Chou was the last pop star to stage a concert at the National Stadium, performing for two nights in January 2020, before the pandemic put a stop to live events.

While the venue has since hosted sports events such as the AFF Suzuki Cup in December 2021 and a friendly match between Premier League clubs Liverpool and Crystal Palace in July, Eilish's show marks the return of large-scale music events at the venue.

At 20, Eilish is the youngest artiste to headline a concert at the National Stadium.

She last performed in Singapore at the St Jerome's Laneway Festival at Gardens by the Bay in 2018.

Other big names from the music scene are slated to perform at the National Stadium over the next few months.

They include Singapore singer JJ Lin, American rock band Guns N' Roses and Canadian singer Justin Bieber.