Dear Baybeats Family,

Some of my favourite moments at Baybeats are when I watch bands walk onto our festival stages at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay for the very first time. For some, it’s the biggest crowd they’ve ever played to. For others, it’s the start of friendships, collaborations or opportunities they never imagined. You never really know where that one performance might lead you to, and that possibility is something that has always made Baybeats feel special.

As we celebrate our 25th edition this year, from 3 – 6 Sep 2026, we’ve been thinking a lot about what has kept this festival going all these years. It’s never just been about putting great bands on stage. It’s about backing artists before anyone else does, giving them the freedom to try something different and creating a safe space for independent music to thrive. The festival has also always been about more than what happens on stage, it is equally about the shared stories and discoveries among our community of artists and audiences.

This year, we’re excited to continue that spirit in new ways. Alongside performances from outstanding local, regional and international artists, we’re introducing BACKLINES. Created in partnership with community spaces within the music scene, BACKLINES is a series that invites audiences to experience artists beyond the stage, through intimate live sessions and conversations about spaces and the community that contributes to it.

As we continue to provide a space for artists to take bigger risks, the festival will also see familiar local acts in completely new configurations, collaborating across genres and disciplines in performances created especially for Baybeats. These include a specially commissioned performance by screamo band Naedr alongside a string ensemble, as well as an exclusive collaboration between ambient artist Kin Leonn and a live band.

Audiences can also look forward to performances by beloved Singapore acts Tiramisu, FUSE, and our Baybeats Budding Band alumnus Disco Hue, among many others. From around the world, we are pleased to present acts including legendary Japanese experimental rock trio Boris, Korean indie favourites HOA, French punk trio Treaks, Austrian indie-pop outfit Bilderbuch, and Indonesian rock icons The SIGIT.

Beyond the music, Baybeats remains a place where ideas are exchanged, friendships are formed and communities grow. We are excited to be working with Singapore collective, Gas Attack, to host a community-led marketplace for second-hand gear for musicians, collectors and curious festivalgoers.

In tandem with the festival’s 25th edition, Esplanade will also be launching Beatsverse, a virtual experience on Roblox inspired by Baybeats. Available from 4 Aug 2026, Beatsverse will provide new opportunities for audiences to discover Singapore’s alternative music scene, connect with artists and experience the festival through interactive gameplay.

Presenting 25 editions of Baybeats is a milestone we’re incredibly proud of, but what has always mattered most has never been just a number. It’s the community who keep showing up year after year. To every artist who has trusted us with your music, every crew member who has worked tirelessly behind the scenes, every partner who has believed in what Baybeats can be, and every audience member who has spent a weekend discovering something new with us, thank you. This festival only exists because of all of you.

Huge thanks to Showlite Systems, 4th Wall Studios, Yauds Co and Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the generous support towards the festival.

Whether this is your first Baybeats or you’ve been coming for years, I hope you leave having discovered your next favourite band, reconnected with familiar faces, or simply experienced a moment that stays with you long after the weekend is over.

Here’s to 25 years of independent music, and to everything that’s still waiting to happen.

Hydhir Ramli

Programmer, The Esplanade Co Ltd

Presented by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Baybeats has been at the heart of Singapore’s alternative music scene for over two decades. It has served as an anchor for the independent music community, a launchpad for artists taking their first steps onto bigger stages in Singapore, the region and beyond, and an annual gathering for music lovers to enjoy and discover music from Singapore, the region and further afield.

More than a festival, Baybeats is where the music community gathers every year. It is a space for discovery, where emerging acts share the stage with acclaimed international artists, where new collaborations are born, and where audiences experience the energy and diversity of alternative music in all its forms.

Built on a spirit of openness, experimentation and artistic freedom, Baybeats continues to nurture new talent, champion bold creative voices across the independent music community. Whether you’re discovering your next favourite band or witnessing tomorrow’s headliners before everyone else, Baybeats is where the future of alternative music takes the stage.

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