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Imagine a jam-packed weekend of 40 artists, 15 countries and four nights of live music – without a single ticket required. Yes, that’s Music Matters Live.
It’s returning to Singapore for its 21st edition this October, taking over CQ @ Clarke Quay for four nights of free live music. The festival runs from October 2 to 4 and again on October 7, with performances spilling across Fountain Square, Swee Lee and other venues around the riverside precinct.
The bill spans 15 countries and a pleasing mishmash of sounds, with Singapore’s St. Humain, New Zealand’s Borderline, Filipino indie-pop act Lola Amour, Mexican artist Bratty, Australian duo Pierce Brothers, Japan’s Kid Phenomenon from Exile Tribe and China’s Runyu among the names heading to Clarke Quay.
Beyond the main line-up, the festival will also spotlight different music scenes from the region through a series of curated showcases. The MadeIN Philippines Spotlight Weekend debuts this year, bringing P-Pop acts Kaia and Pix!e together with Lola Amour, while the MadeIN Japan showcase features Exile Tribe acts Lil League and Kid Phenomenon. There’s also a first-time MadeIN Nagaland showcase, building on the appearance of local act Trance Effect at last year’s festival.
Then there are the showcases, which turn Music Matters Live into something of a crash course in what’s bubbling up across different music markets. On October 4, Music Is Universal brings together Universal Music’s rising pop acts from Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines on one stage – essentially a Southeast Asian pop sampler in one night. Sounds Australia, meanwhile, gets two showcases across Swee Lee and CQ @ Clarke Quay, giving Singapore audiences a chance to catch Australian acts including Flynn Gurry, Holly Hebe and Lucy Sugerman.
On October 7, the festival will close with ‘Girls’ Night Out’, a closing party celebrating female artists from Asia Pacific and beyond. The line-up includes Bratty, Indonesia’s Maisha Kanna, Australia’s Lucy Sugerman, Japan’s SARINA and Singapore’s Haneri on the decks, with around half of this year’s overall line-up being female-led.
Find out more about Music Matters Live here.
Music Matters Live 2026 takes place October 2-4 and October 7 at CQ @ Clarke Quay, and admission is free.
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