Greater Sentosa Master Plan unveiled; new attractions to be ready from early 2030s

SINGAPORE – A sheltered forest canopy walk to the top of Mount Imbiah is among upcoming attractions for Greater Sentosa that will be rolled out from the early 2030s, under a blueprint unveiled on July 3.

The Greater Sentosa Master Plan sets out the various initiatives to transform Sentosa and the 120ha Pulau Brani in Keppel Harbour over the next two decades, including a transport hub that links the two islands and a multi-purpose venue called the Sensorium at Siloso Beach.

Land will be reclaimed for the construction of the Island Heart Transport Hub, which will connect the mainland to Greater Sentosa and serve as the main arrival point for visitors.

Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations Grace Fu said the masterplan is part of Singapore’s push to refresh its experiences and boost its appeal as a destination, as tourism demand continues to grow.

“We are reimagining what (Sentosa) can become for decades ahead – an island transformed, connected and sustained,” said Fu, who is also Minister for Sustainability and the Environment.

Speaking on July 3 at the launch of an exhibition in VivoCity showcasing the masterplan, she added that the project will redefine Greater Sentosa as Singapore’s island playground – bolder, livelier and more exciting than before.

No details are available on how much money is being pumped into the Greater Sentosa project, which is projected to attract twice as many visitors after its completion as Sentosa does now.

More than 16 million visitors visited the island between April 2024 and March 2025.

New attractions and facilities

One major Greater Sentosa project is a new people-mover system that will replace the 2.1km Sentosa Express Monorail. No date was provided for when this will take place.

The new system will be able to carry more people and will be built at-grade, or at ground level, said the Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC).

It will take visitors seamlessly from the mainland to the Brani transport hub and across Sentosa, SDC added. It will complement existing transport options like the Singapore Cable Car and other modes that are still on the drawing board, such as water taxis.

Apart from upgrades to transport services, the Greater Sentosa project will also feature works to improve beaches and add ecological protection to shorelines.

Fu said the Government is committed to protecting the Singapore coastline.

Singapore, she added, is a low-lying coastal city, and rising sea levels pose an existential threat to the country.

“Coastal protection measures take years – sometimes decades – to plan and deliver, and we must prepare early, invest early and act early,” she said.

Among the steps being taken are site-specific studies for Sentosa, which covers approximately 16km of the coastline.

Fu added that coastal protection measures will go lockstep with the upcoming development plans for Sentosa.

“Sustainable development does not constrain our ambitions. It is the foundation that makes them possible,” she said.

Another highlight, Imbiah Canopy, will be a new vantage point on Mount Imbiah, offering a panoramic view of Brani, Sentosa and the Southern Waterfront.

There are plans to have a dining spot, as well as new attractions and covered event spaces.

Along the Siloso beachfront, the Sensorium will house lifestyle and indoor attractions, including a multi-purpose venue for events.

Brani West, one of the largest sites available for development, has also been earmarked for what SDC describes as “game-changing attractions”.

“We are working with industry partners to explore a wide range of experiences and attractions for Brani West, transforming it into one of the region’s most exciting leisure destinations,” said Fu.

Pulau Brani is an industrial area occupied primarily by the Brani Port Terminal, whose operations are scheduled to relocate to Tuas Port by 2027.

Details on who is being engaged for the development of Brani West were not revealed, but potential investors and concept owners have been approached, with SDC saying it “remains very open to all ideas”.

What to expect from the early 2030s

Fu said one of the first projects to open in the early 2030s will be Imbiah Lookout Walk.

The new sheltered and elevated forest canopy walk will link the existing Sensoryscape route, which connects Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) and the beaches, to Imbiah Lookout.

Work to spruce up the beachfront, announced earlier in 2026, will begin with Siloso Beach before moving to Palawan and Tanjong beaches.

The beachfront will feature new lifestyle developments and multi-purpose spaces for day and night activities.

Plans under study include beach clubs to take in sunrise and sunset views, and treetop dining, said SDC.

Coastal protection measures will be put in place, including a floating boardwalk connecting islets – or tiny islands – that were originally built to stave off beach erosion.

RWS’ waterfront lifestyle development is also slated for completion in 2030, alongside Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Singapore.

Sentosa Cove and the two award-winning golf courses, Serapong and Tanjong, will remain untouched.

SDC chief executive Thien Kwee Eng said: “We want to create the next generation of world-class experiences inspired by our beautiful coastlines, our greenery, our heritage, our sense of escape as well as the Singapore identity.

“At the same time, we want to grow Sentosa thoughtfully, and protect the island’s soul, while making it easier to explore, to access and to enjoy.”

With integrated resort RWS shifting from an attraction-led model to an experience-focused destination, its chief executive Lee Shi Ruh noted that the Greater Sentosa Master Plan will improve connectivity, expand visitor flows and strengthen destination-wide programming for the larger precinct.

“A larger and more diverse Greater Sentosa benefits Singapore as a whole by attracting more visitors and broadening tourism offerings,” Lee said.

“As Greater Sentosa takes shape, we see opportunities to work more closely with the Singapore Tourism Board and precinct partners to deliver seamless experiences and strengthen Singapore’s position as a leading leisure, lifestyle and tourism destination.”

The Greater Sentosa Master Plan is part of a broader, ambitious transformation of Singapore’s southern waterfront, which spans about 30km of coastline from Gardens by the Bay East to Pasir Panjang.

This will comprise new residential precincts as well as commercial, recreational and entertainment options.

The developments in Greater Sentosa will also come up in tandem with Changi Terminal 5, which is slated to open around the mid-2030s to serve an expected increase in passenger traffic. In its first phase, T5 will be able to serve about 50 million passengers a year. Changi’s current handling capacity is 90 million passengers a year.

Visitors to the Greater Sentosa Master Plan exhibition can help shape the future layout of the new shorelines and attractions and give their input through interactive elements, including stamping postcards and completing quizzes.

The exhibition, which is free and open to the public, will be held at VivoCity from July 3 to 5. It will move to Our Tampines Hub from July 22 to 27, Jurong Point from Aug 19 to 23, Waterway Point from Sept 23 to 27, and then to Sentosa in October.

Sarah Aliya, 21, who was at the VivoCity exhibition on July 3, said she is keen to see the future boardwalk that will connect islets – a part of the beachfront currently not accessible to visitors.

The student, who visits Sentosa about once a month for a picnic on the beach with friends, said: “I would be tempted to go to the beaches more often for the sunsets and stay longer once the beach clubs are developed.”

Others, like a 50-year-old designer who wanted to be known only as Ms Lim, said the artist’s impression of Island Heart looked futuristic, like something out of science fiction film Avatar.

She said: “Hopefully the new people-mover system will be like the monorail in the 1980s that brought us to many stops around the island... Now, with the Sentosa Express, we need to walk a lot.”