What began as a home-grown experiment in Tianjin and Xiamen has turned into one of China’s fastest-rising cultural IP exports. Two weekends ago on 13 and 14 September, at Resorts World Sentosa, the inaugural Singapore edition of the Bubbling & Boiling Music & Arts Festival drew thousands of mostly Gen Z festival-goers from across Asia. With over 200 million social views and 90% of attendees flying in from abroad, the event became a living laboratory for how youth culture, live entertainment and tourism can converge.
The festival’s name proved prophetic: a bubbling energy of music, tradition and lifestyle overflowed onto Sentosa. Alongside international headliners, visitors tried on Hanfu and opera costumes at a special Xiamen booth and played Minnan-style games — “heritage activations” that felt both new and familiar. This cross-scene approach mirrors a larger shift: younger audiences don’t just want to watch; they want immersive, hybrid experiences that blur travel, culture and social sharing.
One revealing marker of this shift sat quietly at the food and beverage stands. Instead of cocktails, queues formed at cold-brew counters and pop-up espresso bars. Across Asia, Gen Z has embraced coffee over alcohol at festivals, citing price, health and mental clarity. Caffeine offers a mild buzz — enough to sustain long nights of dancing without losing control — but it also comes with trade-offs. Sleep disruption and jitters from late-night espresso are real, prompting some organisers to offer “coffee curfews” and gentler brews to balance stimulation with rest. This mindful approach reflects a generation that prizes moderation, self-knowledge and self-care even in party settings.
For Resorts World Sentosa, the festival validated a strategy of blending large-scale attractions with youth-oriented cultural IPs. “Cultural events are the lively strokes on a stable foundation,” said Mr Lim Shien Yau, Acting Assistant Vice President, Communications. “They meet repeat-visit demand, respond to new consumer trends and spark cross-sector connections.”
At its industry “Salon,” Bubbling & Boiling convened cultural and tourism leaders from Singapore and China to explore new models for international collaboration. Founder Zhang Chongshuo framed Singapore as “a gateway between East and West” and the ideal platform for exporting a new generation of Chinese festivals. If the Singapore edition is any sign, the next wave of Asian music festivals won’t just be louder — they’ll be smarter, more immersive, and more attuned to the everyday habits of the youth who fuel them.
Stay updated and social with Popspoken: LinkedIn | Instagram
