We are a city fuelled by passion and pride. Around every corner, incredible experiences are being crafted, cooked, painted, designed, grown or built by locals who share a common trait: passion. Like them, you’ll be empowered to do what you love in this city of limitless possibilities—whether you’re a foodie, explorer, collector, socialiser, action seeker or culture shaper.

A spirited city

The story of Singapore is one of trials, tribulations and triumphs. In a short span of just over 50 years, we have evolved from a colony to a city-state with our own unique identity, forged by a spirit of never settling. And it’s this spirit that’s imbued into the architectural wonders, lush parks, proud heritage, world-class attractions and amazing food of the cosmopolitan metropolis you see today.

The playgrounds of passion
Yugnes Susela shaking up innovative cocktails Yugnes Susela shaking up innovative cocktails.

Singapore is home to many places that embolden and inspire passions. In the National Gallery Singapore, the world’s largest public collection of local and Southeast Asian art gives culture shapers plenty to admire. Yet, it’s also where foodies such as Yugnes Susela thrive—the bartender lives out his obsession for cocktails on a balcony of the gallery, shaking up tipples as a stunning view of the Civic District opens up before him. We’re also known as a “City in a Garden”, and for good reason: almost a third of the island is draped in green. Places like these are where passions converge in Singapore, but it’s the people who splash colour and vibrancy across the city.

Our Passion Ambassadors

Yugnes and Tan Wei Tian are just two individuals from our diverse, multi-ethnic community whose passions keep Singapore pulsing with life. There are many others like them, each of whom draw inspiration from the city to bring their ambitions and interests to life. We call them Passion Ambassadors.

Mark Ong snapping shots of his sneaker art. Mark Ong snapping shots of his sneaker art.

There’s chef Malcolm Lee, a foodie who has blazed a trail on the international culinary scene with the dishes his grandmother used to whip up for him as a child. The restaurant he runs, Candlenut, is now the world’s only Michelin-starred Peranakan eatery. His creative counterpart, Mark Ong, is a collector who channels his childhood love for painting on skateboards and shoes into SBTG, his artistic moniker that he uses when customising avant-garde sneakers for celebrities such as Kobe Bryant and Mike Shinoda. And yet more creativity flows from the mind of artist Jahan Loh, a culture shaper known for his contemporary pop art.

Age is no barrier in the pursuit of passion, either. The action seeker, Kyra Poh, is all of 14 years old, but has already made a name for herself as the world’s fastest flyer at the Wind Games, an indoor skydiving tournament. Similarly, Nathan Hartono is a socialiser with a knack for wowing audiences locally and abroad with his smooth-as-silk pipes, even winning multiple singing competitions—at just 26 years of age.

Bring your passions to life
Muay Thai is Nabilah Razak’s passion. Muay Thai is Nabilah Razak’s passion.

Our Passion Ambassadors are far from the only Singaporeans making indelible marks on our landscape with their talents, cultures and dreams—as you’ll see in the video above. Nabilah Razak goes from the office to the squared circle when she dons the mantle of a celebrated Muay Thai fighter, while Fandi Ahmad has deployed his experience as the nation’s greatest footballer into his new role as the head coach of our youth teams.

Besides sports, many have chosen to express themselves through music and design. Spacedays, a five-piece band, chug out psychedelic grooves that prove we can rock out with the best of them, and Fannie Chua is a budding fashion designer who put her flair for womenswear into her own label, David’s Daughter. And then there are people like Peter Ho, the chief executive officer of HOPE Technik. His technological innovations serve a nobler purpose: They’re designed to change lives for the better.

In our city, passion is everywhere you look. It seeps out onto the streets, where young dancers shuffle and slide to hone their craft. It follows amateur photographers as they brave thunderstorms in search of the best shot. It even flows through the veins of the quirky retirees who deck their bicycles with LED lights, and speed across the city in a blur of colour. These are the people you’ll meet in Singapore, who inspire and embody “Passion Made Possible”. Come pay them a visit, and they’ll ignite your own passions and pride.

Spacedays performing at the National Gallery Singapore. Spacedays performing at the National Gallery Singapore.
Peter Ho’s inventions might help the disabled walk again. Peter Ho’s inventions might help the disabled walk again.