Ayumi Hamasaki, CL, Show Lo: Singapore concert calendar for 2025, Entertainment News
PUBLISHED ON May 22, 2025 9:00 AM By Drima ChakrabortySyarifah Nadhirah
2024 came and went with some amazing acts visiting Singapore, from American songstress Taylor Swift, classic rockers Deep Purple, Cantopop king Andy Lau and Mandopop's Jay Chou, to Blackpink's Lisa and K-pop group Stray Kids.
Here's how 2025's concert calendar is shaping up.
This article was first published on Dec 14, 2024, and updated on May 22, 2025. May
Lady Gaga will be performing at National Stadium on May 18, 19, 21 and 24, with these being her only stop in Asia. Tickets start from $148 and can be purchased on Ticketmaster.
Japanese vocalist Ado performs at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on May 21. Tickets are sold out.
Veteran vocal group Boyz II Men returns to Singapore on May 23 for a concert at The Star Theatre. Tickets start at $98 on Sistic.
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/DDD4oBTy4ek/[/embed]
On May 25, Cantopop singer Frances Yip performs at Esplanade Concert Hall. Tickets start at $88 on Sistic.
Alexander Stewart performs at the Esplanade Annexe Studio on May 26. Ticketing details will be released soon on Ticketmaster. June
American rapper O.T. Genasis will perform at Avenue Singapore's Venus in Furs anniversary event on June 4. Held at Avenue Lounge in Marina Bay Sands, the cover charge will be $50 per person at the door.
The Music of Studio Ghibli – Original Singers Symphony makes its Singapore debut at The Star Theatre on June 11. Tickets start at $88 on Ticketmaster.
Alan Tam performs at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on June 14. Tickets start at $88 on Sistic.
Malaysian singer Nicholas Teo also performs that same night at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention to commemorate 21 years in showbiz. Tickets start at $98 at Sistic.
Exo's Kai performs at The Star Theatre as part of his solo tour Kaion on June 21. Tickets start at $148 with presales beginning April 7 on Ticketmaster.
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/DHVihoRzML_/?img_index=3[/embed]
That same night, Mandopop singer Zhao Chuan performs at Marina Bay Sands. Tickets start at $118 on Sistic.
Also on June 21, 30 local singers such as Roy Li, Jiang Hu, Xu Nansheng, Mavis Hee, Chua Lee Lian and Joanna Dong will stage the Xinyao 43th Reunion Concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium Tickets start at $50 at Ticketmaster.
Hong Kong singer William So will be in Singapore on June 22 for his concert at Esplanade Concert Hall. Tickets start from $88 at Sistic.
American singer Jason Derulo's concert has been rescheduled from March 20 to June 25, and the venue will instead be The Star Theatre. Tickets start from $148 on Sistic. All tickets sold remain valid. For more information, please refer to LAMC Productions' website.
Grammy Award-winning The Chainsmokers perform on June 27 at Arena @ Expo. Tickets cost $148 on Ticketmaster.
Malaysian pop trio Kru performs at The Star Theatre on June 28. Tickets start at $208 on Sistic. July
Abba tribute act Bjorn Again performs at the Marina Bay Sands Theatre on July 4 and 5. Tickets start at $69 on Sistic.
Irene and Seulgi from K-pop girl group Red Velvet will stage their concert at The Star Theatre on July 4. Further details will be released soon.
Seven-member Japanese boy band Be:First will be on their first world tour, performing in Capitol Theatre on July 5. Tickets are sold out.
On the same day, J-pop diva Ayumi Hamasaki will perform at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tickets start at $188 and will go on sale May 26 at 12pm on Ticketmaster.
On July 13, Japanese rock band My First Story — who performed the opening and ending theme songs of the latest season of Demon Slayer — performs in Singapore for the first time at Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands. Ticket presales start on April 28 with general sales on April 30. Prices begin from $108 on Sistic.
Korean-Canadian R&B singer Slchld also performs at The Gateway Theatre on July 13. Tickets start at $118 on Ticketmaster.
NCT's Doyoung is bringing his solo tour Doors to Singapore on July 16 at The Star Theatre. Ticketing details to be released.
R&B and hip-hop star Jay Park returns to Singapore on July 19 for his Serenades & Body Rolls concert at Capitol Theatre. Tickets start at $148 and presales begin April 21 with public sales on April 23 on Ticketmaster.
James Blake performs at The Star Theatre on July 22. Tickets start at $148 on Sistic.
After their inaugural concert here in March 2024, Korean rock band Xdinary Heroes will be back for another show on July 26 at The Star Theatre for their Beautiful Minds world tour. Tickets start from $158 on Ticketmaster.
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/DHlhoNfpnah/[/embed]
August
Beabadoobee returns to Singapore on Aug 4 with a concert at The Star Theatre. Ticket presales start on May 5 and general sales May 8 on Ticketmaster.
American rock band Beach Weather is set to perform in Singapore on Aug 8 at the Capitol Theatre. Tickets start at $88 on Ticketmaster.
Elijah Woods performs at The Theatre at Mediacorp on Aug 10. Tickets start at $88 on Ticketmaster.
Camila Cabello performs in Singapore on Aug 12 at The Star Theatre. The LiveNation presale starts on May 2 and general sales start May 5 on Ticketmaster.
K-pop girl group StayC returns to Singapore to perform on Aug 16 at The Star Theatre. Tickets start at $138 on Ticketmaster. Show Lo brings his world tour to Singapore at Resorts World Ballroom on the same day. Tickets start at $128, with presales on May 21 and public sales on May 26 at Sistic.
Australian indie-folk duo Hollow Coves brings their tour to Singapore on Aug 20 at Foo Chow Building. Tickets go for $68 on Eventbrite.
Korean singer-actor Doh Kyung-soo from the boy group Exo will hold his solo concert in Singapore on Aug 23. More details will be released soon.
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/DISRMScBdn8/[/embed]
K-pop soloist Bibi's first world tour is also coming to Singapore on Aug 23 at The Star Theatre, with tickets starting at $148. Presales start May 19 with general sales on May 21 on Ticketmaster.
Part of the lineup for Waterbomb Singapore 2025 has been announced. Festival-goers on Aug 30 will see South Korean acts Exid, BTOB's Minhyuk and Team Bebe. Anson Lo from the Hong Kong boy group Mirror, Got7's JayB and K-rapper Ash Island will perform on May 31.
Presales for DBS and POSB cardholders have begun while general sales will start on May 16. Tickets start at $201.80 on Pelago.
On Aug 25, Black Eyed Peas performs at Singapore Indoor Stadium, with tickets starting at $158 on Sistic.
September
Seventeen-time Grammy Award-winning artist Sting performs on Sept 23 at Arena @ Expo. Prices have yet to be announced. Presales begin April 17 with general sales on April 24 at Ticketmaster.
October
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/DGRv5NQSoEo/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==[/embed]
The Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix this year will run from Oct 3 to 5.
K-pop stars G-Dragon and CL, Indonesian singer Putri Ariani, Singapore band Oakë, New York-based artist collective Indo Warehouse and Latin DJ duo Le Twins will perform on Oct 3.
Oct 4 will see American rock band Foo Fighters, Japanese metal band BabyMetal, Norwegian DJ Alan Walker, Australian-New Zealand rock band Crowded House, South Korean DJ Hanna and UK band and singer-songwriter The Lathums and Tom Grennan, as well as Le Twins and Indo Warehouse.
UK icon Elton John, American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, English indie rock band The Wombats and Hanna will take the stage on Oct 5.
Single-day tickets start from $148 on their website.
NCT Dream will return with two shows at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Oct 18 and 19. Ticketing details have yet to be announced.
November
Exo's Baekhyun returns to Singapore on Nov 1. Ticketing details are yet to be announced.
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/DJYUu7cTc0o/[/embed]
South Korean rock band N.Flying will be making a stop in Singapore on Nov 23 at The Theatre at Mediacorp. No other details have been revealed.
Past concerts
January
Malaysian Mandopop singer Firdhaus will be performing at the Marina Bay Sands Grand Ballroom on Jan 3 and 4. Tickets start at $98 and are available on Sistic.
Known as the Father of Taiwanese hip-hop, MC HotDog will be visiting Singapore for a concert on Jan 4 at the Capitol Theatre. Tickets start at $108 and are available on Ticketmaster.
Brazilian guitarist Mateus Asato will be holding an intimate fireside fan event at Swee Lee Clarke Quay on Jan 8 at 7pm. Tickets are sold out.
Fifth-generation K-pop boy band Ampers&one holds a fan meeting at Gateway Theatre on Jan 10. Tickets start at $148 on Sistic.
South African DJ-producer Black Coffee will perform at 27 Pasir Panjang on Jan 11. Tickets are sold out.
Taiwanese band Mayday will be performing at the National Stadium on Jan 11 and 12. Tickets go from $168 on Ticketmaster.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by 相信音樂 B'in Music (@binmusic.ig)
Pianist Richard Clayderman plays at The Theatre @ Mediacorp on Jan 14. Tickets go from $68 on Sistic.
R&B group Boney M is in Singapore for their 50th anniversary tour! They perform at the Arena @ Expo (Hall 7) on Jan 15. Tickets start at $95 for children, $135 for seniors and $150 for standard and are available on Sistic.
K-pop soloist BOL4 is performing at The Theatre at Mediacorp on Jan 18. Tickets start at $128 on Ticketmaster.
Chinese singer-songwriter Leah Dou, Faye Wong's daughter, is also performing on Jan 18 at Marina Bay Sands Theatre. Tickets start at $128 on Sistic.
Taiwanese singer Huang Pin-yuan is performing the same night at the Resorts World Ballroom. Tickets start at $88 on Sistic.
Get Busy in Singapore with Jamaican dancehall singer Sean Paul on Jan 21 at The Star Theatre. Tickets start at $98 on Sistic.
On the same night, J-pop idol group Phantom Siita performs at Capitol Theatre. Tickets start at $78 on Ticketmaster.
K-pop band Seventeen is returning to Singapore for back-to-back concerts at the National Stadium on Jan 25 and 26. Tickets start at $168 and are available on Ticketmaster.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by SEVENTEEN (@saythename_17)
Singapore Mandarin pop-rock band Quis will showcase their new album We Are All Aliens on Jan 26, 5pm at the Esplanade Annexe Studio. Tickets are priced at $25 on Sistic.
That same evening, Taiwanese actress-cellist Nana Ouyang will perform at the Esplanade Theatre at 7.30pm. Tickets start at $58 on Sistic.
February
American dream pop band Cigarettes After Sex is performing at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Feb 3. Tickets are sold out.
Norwegian singer-songwriter Aurora holds a concert at The Star Theatre on the same night. Tickets start at $108 on Sistic.
K-pop pop group Infinite performs at The Star Theatre on Feb 7 for their 15th anniversary concert. Tickets start at $148 and are available on Ticketmaster.
The Script plays at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Feb 8. Tickets start at $115 on Sistic.
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/DB89VCfRBvh/[/embed]
Taiwanese rock band Mixer is bringing their CircUs Tour to Capitol Theatre on the same day. Tickets start at $98 on Sistic.
South Korean indie act Wave To Earth performs at The Star Theatre on Feb 11. Tickets are sold out.
Irish family band The Corrs play at The Star Theatre on Feb 13. Tickets start at $125 and are available on Sistic.
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/DCYLj5dPpzX/[/embed]
Spend your Valentine's Day with local singer Boon Hui Lu, who is performing at Esplanade Annex Studio on Feb 14. Tickets cost $68 on Sistic.
Indian playback singer Sonu Nigam also performs at The Star Theatre on Feb 14. Tickets start at $90 on Sistic.
Chinese singer-songwriter Joker Xue brings his tour to the National Stadium on Feb 14 and 15. Tickets start at $107 and are available on Ticketmaster.
Composer-pianist Yiruma performs on Feb 15 at The Star Theatre. Tickets start at $138 on Ticketmaster.
On the same day, Music festival Cloud 9 - featuring K-pop soloist B.I., Canadian singer Elijah Woods, Mandopop singer Ivy Lee, Malaysian pop trio Dolla, local singer Shazza and more - will be held at Arena @ Expo Hall 7. Tickets go for $28 on Ticketmaster.
Singer-songwriter and producer Niki is coming to Singapore on Feb 18. She performs at the Singapore Indoor Stadium and tickets start at $128 on Ticketmaster.
K-pop girl group Apink returns to Singapore after almost nine years and will perform at Arena @ Expo Hall 7 on Feb 20 for their Pink New Year concert. Tickets from $128 are available on BookMyShow.
[[nid:708644]]
English indie rock band Glass Animals plays at the Capitol Theatre on Feb 22. Tickets start at $88 on Ticketmaster.
Japanese pop duo Yoasobi performs at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Feb 22 and 23. Tickets start at $108 on Ticketmaster.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by YOASOBI (@yoasobi_staff_)
Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Ros performs on Feb 25 and 26 at the Esplanade Theatre. Tickets start at $128 on Ticketmaster.
Super Junior's Yesung holds his first solo concert in Singapore on Feb 28 at The Theatre at Mediacorp. Tickets start at $168 on Ticketmaster.
March
Mandopop singer G.E.M performs at the National Stadium on March 1 as part of her I Am Gloria world tour. Ticket prices start at $168. Presales begin on Jan 16 for UOB cardholders while public sales start a day later on Ticketmaster, Trip.com and Damai.cn.
Taiwanese indie band Sodagreen brings their 20th anniversary tour to Singapore on March 8 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tickets go from $168 on Ticketmaster.
Thai actors Gemini and Fourth are bringing their Run The World concert to Singapore on March 8 at The Theatre at Mediacorp. The show is rated R18 at tickets start at $60 on Sistic.
Thai boy band Lykn performs at The Theatre at Mediacorp on March 9. Tickets start at $45 on Sistic.
American singer-songwriter Kehlani performs on March 13 at the Star Theatre. Tickets start at $108 on Ticketmaster.
Rock fusion trio The Aristocrats performs at Phil's Studio on March 14. Tickets cost $158 on Sistic.
K-pop boy band Boynextdoor performs at Arena @ Expo (Hall 7) on March 15. VIP and Cat 1 tickets are sold out. Remaining tickets, starting at $178, can be purchased on Ticketmaster.
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/DAStuVMBrsF/?hl=en[/embed]
Indian playback singer Sunidhi Chauhan performs at The Star Theatre on March 15. Tickets start at $58 on Sistic.
Hong Kong diva Liza Wang performs at the Marina Bay Sands Grand Ballroom on March 22 and 23. Tickets start at $28 on Sistic.
Taiwanese band Bestards performs at Gateway Theatre on March 23.Tickets are sold out.
American singer Jason Derulo's concert has been rescheduled from March 20 to June 25, and the venue will instead be the Star Theatre. Tickets start from $148 on Sistic. All tickets sold remain valid. For more information, please refer to LAMC Productions' website.
Backstreet Boys' Nick Carter is bringing his Who I Am tour to The Theatre @ Mediacorp on March 25. Tickets start at $118 and are available on Sistic.
American singer-songwriter Keshi is performing on March 26 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tickets start at $128 on Ticketmaster.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by keshi (@keshi)
On March 27, Korean actor Yoo Yeon-seok will hold his fan-meet at The Theatre at Mediacorp. Tickets start at $158 on Ticketmaster.
Taiwanese singer A-Lin performs at the Marina Bay Sands Grand Ballroom on March 28 and 29. Tickets start at $28 on Sistic.
Chinese singer Yisa Yu brings her Romance World Tour to The Star Theatre on March 29. Tickets start at $128 on Ticketmaster.
Japanese singer-songwriter Centimillimental returns to Singapore at The Gateway Theatre on March 30. Tickets start at $108 on Ticketmaster.
Malaysian singer Michael Wong and Indonesian singer Putri Ariani are holding a joint concert titled The Spring Symphony on March 30 at the Resorts World Ballroom. Tickets start at $118 on Sistic.
Taiwanese singer Sam Lee performs at the Marina Bay Sands Grand Ballroom on March 31. Tickets start at $98 on Sistic.
April
Indie rock band Feeder returns to Singapore on April 2 at the Hard Rock Cafe. Tickets cost $148 on Sistic.
American singer Gracie Abrams brings The Secret of Us Tour to The Star Theatre on April 3. Tickets are sold out.
Chinese singer-songwriter Ryan.B performs at Capitol Theatre on April 5, with tickets starting at $89 on Ticketmaster.
Singapore songstress Stefanie Sun performs at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on April 5, 6, 12 and 13. Tickets are sold out.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Sun Yanzi 孙燕姿 (@stefsunyanzi)
Power Station returns to Singapore on April 19 at the Resorts World Ballroom. Tickets are sold out.
Wu Bai and China Blue perform at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on April 19. Tickets start at $98 on Ticketmaster.
Boyce Avenue is also performing with Daniel Sid on April 19 at the University Cultural Centre. Tickets start at $98 on Ticketmaster.
Third time's the charm — K-pop girl group Kiss of Life will be back in Singapore to perform at Capitol Theatre on April 25 as part of their first world tour Kiss Road. Tickets, which go on sale on March 2 on tapyourtickets.com, start at $158.
Malaysian singer Liza Hanim performs at The Star Theatre on April 26. Tickets start at $78 on Sistic.
BTS' J-Hope will hold his first solo concerts in Singapore on April 26 and 27 at Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tickets start at $198. The Weverse presale begins on Feb 19 on Ticketmaster, the Live Nation presale on Feb 20 on their website while general sales begin the following day on Ticketmaster.
May
[CANCELLED] Korean stars including Joohoney and I.M of Monsta X, Jessi, Gray, Loco, Yungin, Holybang, Lil Cherry and Goldbuuda will be performing at festival Playground on May 3 at 27 Pasir Panjang. Tickets start at $188 on Ticketmaster.
Taeyeon from K-pop group Girls' Generation will return to Singapore for her The Tense world tour, performing on May 3 and 4 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Details to be announced later.
American pop-rock band The Click Five will be reuniting for a Southeast Asian tour this May. The band, which split in 2013, will perform at the Capitol Theatre on May 6. Due to scheduling conflicts, only Kyle Patrick, Joe Guese and Ethan Mentzer will be returning while Ben Romans and Joey Zehr will not be here. Tickets are sold out and a new show for the following night has been announced, with tickets going on sale from April 3 on Ticketmaster.
Seems like May is for the rock enthusiasts, as another American rock band Boys Like Girls will be performing on May 7. Tickets start at $128 on Sistic.
Japanese rock band Flow performs at The Star Theatre on May 8. Tickets start at $98 on Ticketmaster.
German DJ Boris Brejcha is bringing his concert tour to Singapore on May 10 at 27 Pasir Panjang. Single early-bird tickets are sold out. The remaining available tickets start at $128 on Megatix.
Norwegian pop duo M2M have reunited after 22 years and perform at The Star Theatre on May 12. Tickets start at $148 on Ticketmaster.
The following day on May 13, UK pop-punk band Neck Deep will hold their concert at the Capitol Theatre. Tickets start at $98 on Eventbrite.
NCT Wish performs on May 17 at Arena @ Expo. Tickets start at $148 on Ticketmaster.
K-pop girl group BabyMonster will be in Singapore for their first world tour Hello Monsters on May 17. Tickets for the concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium start at $158 on Ticketmaster.
drimac@asiaone.com
syarifahsn@asiaone.com
No part of this article can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.
concertsmusiccelebritiessingersK-popBTSJ-pop
This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AsiaOne
5 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Daily roundup: FairPrice trials smart trolleys in pilot plan to integrate AI — and other top stories today, World News
Stay in the know with a recap of our top stories today. 1. In-store navigation and personalised recommendations: FairPrice trials smart trolleys in pilot plan to integrate AI FairPrice Group (FPG) has revealed plans for a large-scale technology overhaul with its Store of Tomorrow programme that aims to revolutionise the retail experience for customers at their supermarket outlets. According to a press release on Tuesday (June 3), FPG has already begun piloting various digital solutions, such as Smart Carts and digital price cards at one of its FairPrice Finest outlets... » READ MORE 2. Man, 44, charged with murder of 79-year-old woman in Sengkang A 44-year-old man was on Tuesday (June 3) charged with the murder of a 79-year-old woman at a residential unit along Fernvale Road in Sengkang. Lim Yuen Li, who was arrested on Sunday (June 1), was handed one count of murder at the State Court... » READ MORE 3. Kyoto's viral Kichi Kichi Omurice chef is coming to Singapore, here's how you can meet him Fans of Japanese food would probably be familiar with Kichi Kichi Omurice, a popular restaurant in Kyoto that is hard to get a seat at. It's helmed by the charismatic Chef Motokichi Yukimura, who is known for his theatrical meal services and delicious omurice... » READ MORE 4. TXT pop-up store at Plaza Singapura opens in June K-pop boy group Tomorrow X Together (TXT) isn't returning to Singapore just yet but they're bringing something else to the table. Their Ppulbatu Pop-up store opens this Friday (June 6) at Plaza Singapura and will run until June 29... » READ MORE editor@
Vogue Singapore
5 hours ago
- Vogue Singapore
Here's everything you should stream in June
In the blink of the eye, we're already halfway through the year. As June rolls around, the entertainment scene is heating up, with a slate of exciting releases all queued up and ready to go. It seems as though every fan-favourite series is coming back this month, and the first on our list is, of course, the third season of Squid Game . Despite being devastated by the loss of his friend, Gi-hun has no choice but to press on as the Front Man plots his next move. The deadly games must continue, as the final chapter brings the most-watched Netflix series of all time to a close. Next Up: the return of The Bear . With our favourite team of chefs back in the kitchen, Season 4 is all about deciding what is worth hanging on to. As Sydney deliberates whether to stay at the restaurant or to take up Adam's offer to be his new chef de cuisine, Carmy will have to figure out a way for the restaurant to start making a profit soon—especially in the aftermath of The Chicago Tribune's review. As for other options to consider? There's Apple TV+'s spunky period drama The Buccaneers, which sees Leighton Meester joining the cast for Season 2. There's also the return of Ginny and Georgia , which picks up after Georgia was arrested for murder at her own wedding last season. Below, find our full curation of shows to watch this June—all available on popular streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+ and Apple TV+. Courtesy of Netflix 1 / 6 Squid Game Season 3 The brutal final chapter of the global phenomenon is finally here. Devastated after the loss of his friend, Gi-hun has no choice but to press on as the Front Man plots his next move. With each deadly game that passes, the surviving players find their decisions leading to increasingly dire consequences—culminating in a cutthroat finale for the most-watched Netflix series of all time. Watch Squid Game Season 3 on Netflix from 27 June 2025. Courtesy of Netflix 2 / 6 Ginny and Georgia Season 3 The last we saw of the Miller clan, Georgia was being escorted into a police car—arrested for murder at her own wedding, and ruining her fairy-tale big day in the process. Even for the scrappy young mother, this is a new low. As Season 3 comes around, the mother-daughter duo will have to brace themselves for the trial, as Georgia figures out how to wiggle her way out of this situation. Watch Ginny and Georgia Season 3 on Netflix from 5 June 2025. Courtesy of Apple TV+ 3 / 6 The Buccaneers Season 2 The fun-loving young Buccaneers might have caused a scene when they were first introduced to rigid 1870s London society in Season 1, but they're no longer the outsiders now. In fact, they're practically running England, with Nan as the most influential woman in the country, Conchita being the heroine to a wave of young American heiresses, and Jinny on every front page. With the Buccaneers reunited and Leighton Meester joining the cast, Season 2 is set to be a wild ride of romance, desire and rivalry. Watch The Buccaneers Season 2 on Apple TV+ from 18 June 2025. Courtesy of Disney+ 4 / 6 Ironheart Following the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever , brilliant young inventor Riri Williams returns home to Chicago. Her genius is evident as she creates the most advanced suit of armour since Iron Man. But when her ambition leads to her becoming entangled with the mysterious yet charming Parker Robbins, dangerous secrets that pit technology against magic will be unveiled, setting her on a deadly path. Watch Ironheart on Disney+ from 25 June 2025. Courtesy of Disney+ 5 / 6 The Bear Season 4 Our favourite team of chefs is back in the kitchen. As Sydney deliberates whether to stay at The Bear or to take up Ever chef Adam's offer to be his new chef de cuisine, the crew will have their hands full dealing with the aftermath of The Chicago Tribune's review. Through all this, Carmy will have to figure out a way for the restaurant to start making a profit soon—even with his exacting standards and slew of non-negotiables. As Season 4 rolls around, it's all about deciding what is worth hanging on to. Watch The Bear Season 4 on Disney+ from 26 June 2025. Courtesy of Netflix 6 / 6 Mercy for None 11 years ago, Nam Gi-jun cut his own Achilles heel in order to leave the criminal underworld after his younger brother Gi-seok joined a rival gang. While Gi-seok worked his way up to becoming the second-in-command, Gi-Jun lived a peaceful life—until his brother's sudden death. To uncover the truth, the former gangster must go back to the gang he left behind, embarking on a relentless path in the name of revenge. Watch Mercy for None on Netflix from 6 June 2025.
Business Times
5 hours ago
- Business Times
Even as the Murdochs bitterly feud, their empire thrives
NOTHING in Fox's television schedules last year was quite as exciting – or, at times, as profane – as the drama that played out in a closed probate court in Reno, Nevada. Rupert Murdoch, the now 94-year-old founder and controlling shareholder of Fox Corporation and its sister company, News Corp, was trying to change the terms of a family trust in order to block three of his children from inheriting control of the companies on his death. The high-stakes legal manoeuvre was rejected. An appeal – and thus a new season of morbid entertainment for media watchers – is in the works. As the Murdochs continue their decades-long, multibillion-dollar family feud, the empire they are fighting over is flourishing. This is doubly surprising. For one thing, succession crises and legal uncertainty tend not to bolster investors' confidence in a company. What is more, the Murdoch firms are giants in linear television and print journalism, declining industries that markets have not been kind to. Why are a pair of legacy media companies controlled by a dysfunctional dynasty so popular with investors? Start with Fox, the larger of the two, with a market value of US$24 billion. Its business is concentrated in American broadcast and cable television, which in recent years have witnessed a bloodbath. Over the past decade and a half, the share of homes with pay TV has fallen from nearly 90 per cent to barely 50 per cent, as viewers have defected to streaming services such as Netflix. As for broadcast television, Americans today spend half as much time watching it as they do streaming, according to Nielsen, a data company. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up While other legacy media companies' values have stagnated or worse, Fox's has soared. The difference lies in its content mix. In 2019, Fox sold its general-entertainment assets to Disney for US$71 billion, at what turned out to be the top of the market, deciding to focus on news and sport. It was the right call: streamers like Netflix have since grabbed the audience for general entertainment, while news and sport have mostly stayed on linear TV, and thus with Fox. 'They were always the most entrepreneurial company – they could always see around corners,' said Jessica Reif Ehrlich, a media analyst at Bank of America. Despite streamers' growing interest in sport, Fox's audience is stable: its first showing of the Indianapolis 500 last month brought in 7.1 million viewers, the most for the motor race since 2008. Fox News, meanwhile, recently recorded the most-watched quarter in the history of cable news, thanks in part to the chaos generated by the new occupant of the White House. Healthy audiences mean that, despite a shrinking cable market, Fox has seen modest growth in its affiliate fees (the sums it charges cable providers for carrying its channels) from US$5.9 billion in 2020 to US$7.3 billion last year. The return of Donald Trump has also helped Fox's advertising business, by normalising opinions which once made mainstream advertisers queasy about airing commercials on Fox News. Ads on the channel are no longer just for gold and magic pillows: in recent months, the likes of Amazon, Netflix and GE have paid for spots on the network. 'Because of the election results, many advertisers have sort of rethought their positioning in this country and understand that the Fox News viewer really does represent middle America,' Lachlan Murdoch, Fox's chief executive, said in March. Having mostly sat out the ruinously expensive streaming wars, in which media companies lost billions trying to woo subscribers, Fox is now experimenting with the new medium. In 2020 it bought Tubi, an unglamorous free streaming service with ads. Tubi has since overtaken rivals such as Pluto, owned by Paramount, and is on track to bring in more than US$1 billion this year. In February, Fox aired the Super Bowl on Tubi, drawing eight million new viewers to the platform. Some 40 per cent of the audience was under 34, a group that is hard to reach on cable. Its latest streaming experiment is Fox One, combining all of Fox's linear content, which will launch before the National Football League kicks off in September. Unlike other legacy media companies, which must reckon with the trade-off that putting their best stuff on streaming will undermine people's willingness to pay for a bigger bundle of entertainment content on cable, Fox faces no such dilemma. 'The beauty of Fox is, because they don't have the long tail of crappy linear cable channels to protect, they're very nimble,' said Jason Bazinet of Citigroup, another bank. On the transition to streaming, 'They're sort of agnostic, and so from a strategic standpoint they're just in a very good position.' News Corp, the other half of the Murdoch empire, which holds titles including The Wall Street Journal and New York Post, is in favour with investors for different reasons. Print news looks no more promising than cable television, as circulations at many titles decline and the advertising business is swallowed by Google and Meta. By one estimate, more than 3,000 newspapers have closed in America in the past 20 years – a third of the country's total. Yet, like Fox, News Corp's stock is buoyant, rising by nearly 50 per cent in the past two years. One reason is the success of Dow Jones, the part of News Corp which holds the Journal. Whereas advertising-reliant titles like the New York Post are struggling with declines in web traffic, the globalised, subscription-focused Journal has thrived in the same way as rivals like The New York Times. Dow Jones also has a high-margin business supplying data to companies. Its revenue has risen by 40 per cent since 2020, offsetting a decline among News Corp's other news businesses. HarperCollins, a book publisher owned by News Corp, has also contributed to growth, helped by a boom in audiobooks. Yet, the biggest driver of News Corp's share price has nothing to do with news. Among the company's eclectic assets is a 61 per cent stake in REA Group, a publicly traded Australian property-listing platform. The Murdochs invested in the company in 2001, when it was on the brink of bankruptcy after the dotcom crash. It proved to be an inspired bet: following a housing boom in Australia, REA's market value has grown to over US$20 billion, some US$4 billion more than News Corp itself. Shareholders' excitement about News Corp has little to do with newspapers or books, said Bazinet of Citi: 'The market's enthusiasm is for REA.' He calculated that, between 2017 and 2024, there was an 84 per cent correlation between the movements in News Corp's share price and those of REA. Rupert Murdoch (above) is apparently determined to protect the leadership of his eldest son, Lachlan – who as well as running Fox is chairman of News Corp – against a future challenge by three siblings, Prudence, Elisabeth and James, who disagree to varying extents with the right-wing politics of the Murdoch outlets. PHOTO: REUTERS As the Murdoch empire ploughs successfully on, the family continues to feud. Rupert Murdoch is apparently determined to protect the leadership of his eldest son, Lachlan – who as well as running Fox is chairman of News Corp – against a future challenge by three siblings, Prudence, Elisabeth and James, who disagree to varying extents with the right-wing politics of the Murdoch outlets. Under the terms of the family trust, the three will have enough votes to oust Lachlan Murdoch after their father dies. Unless he can amend the trust, or buy out the rebel siblings, change could be on the way for Rupert Murdoch's companies. Yet, the prospect of such an upset seems to be stoking enthusiasm for the stocks in some quarters. Activist investors in News Corp have long lobbied for the company to spin off its stake in REA, arguing that the property company and the newspapers would fare better separately than they have as a bundle. Fox has likewise benefited from speculation that the company could become a target for acquisition, as Hollywood's studios rush to bulk up. If control of the companies passes to siblings who are unhappy with the status quo, the chances of a sale or break-up rise. Investors' enthusiasm for Fox and News Corp is partly explained by the fact that Murdoch has run them so shrewdly. But it is also due to a sense that his time in charge is drawing to a close. ©2025 The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved
