Nineteen80 Powers Up With An Expansion, With New Underground Concept Next Door

Nineteen80 is about to level up in a big way (Credit: A Phat Cat Collective)

Whether you’re a Hadouken expert or an ABBA-approved dancing queen, it’s likely that Nineteen80 has rubbed you the right way since its opening in mid-2018. The ’80s-themed discotheque and arcade bar has been a bastion of pop culture from that beloved era, rife with vibrant cocktails, game tournaments, and groove-chugging nights helmed by its roster of resident DJs. If you haven’t been plugged in, check out my full review feature of Nineteen80.

On peak nights, the space within can get a little clammy (Credit: A Phat Cat Collective)

One gripe, however, has always been that Nineteen80 is just too crammed on busy nights. It isn’t uncommon to see scrunched queues outside the Tanjong Pagar venue on weekends, as management regulates the club capacity in a cosy yet constrained space. If you’ve ever tried manoeuvring through the dancefloor at peak time, you’ll know it’s no walk in the park.

Playing Street Fighter and Golden Axe while people are bumping into you isn’t the most ideal situation (Credit: A Phat Cat Collective)

Fortunately, Nineteen80 has found a solution to this quagmire, and it involves a much-needed (and well-deserved) expansion of its premises. Much like gobbling down a Super Mushroom, Nineteen80 will grow in size this March after upgrading its lease from its current single unit to a whopping four. If you’re asking yourself… yes, it is taking over the space once occupied by Kilo Lounge, its previous neighbour.

Nineteen80 will take over four units along this stretch familiar to many (Credit: A Phat Cat Collective)

“We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Kilo for being scene shakers at Tanjong Pagar for the past three years and beyond,” states Joshua Pillai (of A Phat Cat Collective) in a press release. “We salute you for blazing the path in the neighbourhood and the club landscape, keeping it vibrant through house/techno electronic music. And more personally, thank you for being a fantastic and supportive neighbour.”

So what does this mean for the new space? A Phat Cat Collective promises that it’ll continue to honour these nostalgic traditions with charm and pizazz, with a new “bonus space” filled with more ’80s paraphernalia, a new wing with “classic Memphis and synthwave themes”, and more throwback arcade machines. Obviously, this also means that punters will have more space to bust a move, with capacity being able to fit twice as many revellers as before.

Come March, this entrance might have some new surprises in store (Credit: A Phat Cat Collective)

Yet, this isn’t the only big reveal that A Phat Cat Collective has up its sleeves. As it turns out, the expansion of this space isn’t just for Nineteen80, but for a brand new concept dedicated to underground dance music, scheduled to open later this April. Details of this are still scant for now, but if successful, it will be the collective’s third concept after Nineteen80 and Pinball Wizard, which also changed the game in its own way. However things fare, what’s clear is that these Phat Cats are hustling with the next stage in mind.

Nineteen80, #01-05, 21 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 044888, +65 9183 6073. Open Tue & Thu 6.30pm-1am, Wed & Fri 6.30pm-3am, Sat 9pm-4am.