How Bugis Street Became One of Singapore’s Biggest Tourist Attractions episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 27, 2026 · 30 MIN

How Bugis Street Became One of Singapore’s Biggest Tourist Attractions

from Tell You First · host Mediacorp

You might know Bugis Street today as a tourist hotspot selling anything and everything, from souvenirs to clothes and jewelry. But before all that, Bugis Street was known for its midnight drag shows, gang activity, and a notorious dance that involved sticking flaming torches up certain holes. This episode traces how Bugis Street became Singapore’s most popular tourist attraction, why authorities tolerated it for decades, and how it has since been wiped off the map both literally and figuratively.   Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).   Credits:   Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi   If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.   Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardeniseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Mar 27, 2026

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How Bugis Street Became One of Singapore’s Biggest Tourist Attractions

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