Music Matters Live Festival Turns 20 With Another Clarke Quay Takeover Featuring 42 Live Acts
Music Matters Live 2025 features local acts like ABANGSAPAU, Mila Bea, and Shazza (Credit: Courtesy of artists)
The entertainment enclave of Clarke Quay has been through countless iterations over the years while advocating the city’s fluctuating nightlife circuit, but for live music fans, this particular institution remains rooted and steadfast. Now on its 20th year, the Music Matters Live festival enlivens its Clarke Quay homegrounds yet again with a complimentary showcase of live music performances across four days – 26-28 September and 1 October. Music Matters Live is the kind of eye-opening experience that invites an open mind, with discovery and exposure at the core of its whopping entertainment programme that includes 42 emerging musicians from 18 countries. That’s indeed a lot of new music to catch. But ask yourself: when was the last time you stumbled upon your new favourite artist?
The Music Matters Live festival has been an annual Clarke Quay staple for years (Credit: Courtesy of Music Matters Live)
Music Matters Live continues its Clarke Quay takeover tradition this year, organising pop-up performances at venues like Mainstage CQ @ Clarke Quay, Señor Taco, Swee Lee and more. The programme is a jam-packed ensemble of music showcases that flaunts a multi-genre pool of sounds. There’s a “J Pop Matters” showcase featuring Japanese favourites like ONE OR EIGHT and PSYCHIC FEVER from EXILE TRIBE; a “Girls’ Night Out” showcase celebrating female acts around the world like Frizzell D’Souza, HILLARI, and Singapore’s own Mila Bea; “Sounds Australia” featuring rising stars from the continent down under like Adrian Dzvuke, Egoism, Go-Jo; and “ONErpm presents ONEnightonly” showcasing ONErpm artists like JAIE, MINH, as well as homegrown performers like Supercatkei and brb. Other local sensations set to dominate the Music Matters Live stage are rapper ABANGSAPAU, indie-pop icons Shye, YAØ and Shazza, nascent indie-rockers State Escape and LUCKYYOU, the winners of the affiliated Youth Music Matters competition this year.
Music Matters Live is once again the signature event of the All That Matters conference led by Branded, that’s been a key player in shaping Asia’s entertainment, media and sports industries. But if music is more your tempo, we’ve pointed you in the right direction.
Music Matters Live 2025, 26-28 September & 1 October 2025, several locations in Clarke Quay. For full information of stages, performances and times, visit its official website. Follow Music Matters Live on socials for more.
