Esplanade gets digital overhaul with new unified platform

Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay has launched a redesigned Esplanade.com and revamped "Esplanade Offstage", bringing its performance listings and arts storytelling content together under a single digital platform.

The new platform aims to make it easier for audiences to discover performances, explore artistic stories and engage with Singapore’s national performing arts centre through a more connected digital experience.

Previously operating as separate websites, Esplanade.com and Offstage have now been unified with a new navigation system, scalable content structure and distinct visual identities for each experience. Esplanade.com focuses on live performances and events, while Offstage has been reimagined as an editorial platform featuring behind-the-scenes stories, artist perspectives and archival content.

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The redesign introduces several enhancements, including curated landing pages, an improved events calendar, clearer content groupings and a dedicated Visit hub consolidating practical information such as accessibility and venue planning.

The platform was developed to support Esplanade’s scale as a national cultural institution, with the site structured to accommodate more than 4,000 programmes annually. The new architecture also allows for future enhancements as Esplanade continues its broader digital transformation efforts.

“As audience behaviour evolves, we also grow in our ways of building lasting relationships with our communities, through personalised and relevant experiences,” said Lee Kit Pui, director of marketing at The Esplanade Co Ltd.

“This launch is an important step towards creating a connected digital ecosystem that enables us to serve audiences better and strengthen Esplanade’s role as Singapore’s national performing arts centre,” she added.

The next phases of Esplanade’s digital transformation will focus on enhancing customer relationship capabilities, developing a unified audience data platform and delivering more personalised communications and content experiences.

The redesigned platform was developed by Vertis, a Singapore-based digital agency specialising in digital experiences for mission-led brands.

“This is more than just a digital facelift — it’s about crafting a future-ready platform that reflects the soul of Esplanade while making the arts more accessible to all,” said Birendra Balakrishnan, co-founder of Vertis.

Mathew Searcy, executive creative director at Vertis, said the challenge was creating a digital experience that could help audiences navigate Esplanade’s extensive range of programmes and storytelling content.

“The real challenge was scale. Esplanade’s programming and Offstage’s storytelling together represent a massive range of content, and our job was to give audiences intuitive ways into all of it,” he said.

Vertis was appointed in September 2025 following a competitive public tender involving eight regional and international agencies. At the time of the appointment, Lee said the agency demonstrated a strong understanding of Esplanade’s vision to build a connected digital ecosystem that enables more data-informed decision-making, sharper audience targeting and deeper engagement with its communities.

She added that the partnership would support the arts centre’s efforts to better reach and serve diverse audiences through the digital revamp.

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