It’s Official: Kilo Lounge To Leave Its Tanjong Pagar Home Due To Rising Operational Costs

Bye Kilo Lounge, your Tanjong Pagar digs has been swell (Credit: Kilo Lounge Facebook page)

Even the big ones are prone to toppling. While news of this might’ve been lurking around the rumour mill, it’s sadly official now. After an outstanding three-year run, Kilo Lounge will be shuttering its doors at its Tanjong Pagar location. Come 31 December 2019, that will be the last time you get to enter via its alleyway cranny, meander through its vine-strewn corridor and romp within its finely-tuned clubspace. Truly, it’s the end of yet another era.

You never forget your first time entering Kilo Lounge (Credit: Kilo Lounge Facebook page)

In an official press statement, the reasons behind this sudden closure involve the ever-heavy hammer of operating costs, given the establishment’s growth and its spot in the expensive Tanjong Pagar neighbourhood. “The costs that come with operating on a prime belt of Singapore real estate hasn’t proven to be financially sustainable for a club like ours, one which primarily finds its niche in house and techno, genres that are still (for the most part) considered underground for the nightlife masses,” the statement reveals.

The lounge has hosted big acts like Patrick Topping, Nastia and Nicole Moudaber (Credit: Kilo Lounge Facebook page)

If this situation seems a tad familiar to you, your sensation is déjà vu is justified. This isn’t the first time Kilo Lounge has come face to face with location woes. Many will remember Kilo Lounge’s former industrial location at Ture Building in Kampong Bugis. That, too, gave the scene a shock when it announced its closure in 2016, after yet another momentous stint since early 2014.

Rest assured, Kilo Lounge will be back (Credit: Kilo Lounge Facebook page)

So if there’s one silver lining to gather from this, it’s that the Kilo folks have a reputation for bouncing back. While they haven’t secured a new location as of yet, they have already started hunting for a new home to house their ravey antics. Not to mention, the Kilo identity remains alive in its sister outlets, Camp Kilo Charcoal Club (still at Kampong Bugis) and Kilo Kitchen (at Duxton) that’s also been rolling out DJ sets during operation hours.

With this blindsiding development – that comes as a surprise considering Kilo Lounge’s status as one of the underground scene’s top dogs – what does this say about the sustainability and longevity of the scene? Should we be worried? I’ll be addressing that in another piece in due time.

Kilo Lounge, #01-02/04, 21 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088444. Its final party will be on 31 December 2019.