The show featured motion pictures, music produced in Singapore with heavy local influences, an original sound score and an abundance of technologies spanning the 15.4 hectare (38 acre) Marina Bay Sands site. During its nightly performances from February 2011 to April 2017, Wonder Full was extremely popular with both locals as well as tourists, attracting over an estimated 4.2 million visitors from all around the globe.
Discover the magic of Spectra, a free-to-public outdoor light and water show displayed over the water at the Event Plaza along the promenade. As the story unfolds before your eyes, you'll be immersed in a beautiful symphony of music, water and light that's powered by advanced lasers, fountain jets and visual projectors. Whether it's your first viewing or your hundredth, the 15-minute show will mesmerise you with its dancing water fountains, colourful visual arts, inspiring orchestral soundtrack and special lighting effects. Bring your family and friends and be enthralled time and again in the visually stunning world of Spectra!
Spectra reflects Singapore’s journey as a multicultural society into the cosmopolitan city she is today, with each of the 4 acts seamlessly flowing into the next. In Acts I and II, visual imagery metaphorically represents Singapore society and its complex history and cultural background. Acts III and IV have a forward-looking theme, with futuristic images inspiring us to strive for a better Singapore.
Built in collaboration with Australia-based experience design agency Imagination, the show features a brand new soundtrack composed and remixed by award-winning producer and music arranger Kenn C. Born and raised in Singapore, Kenn is a veteran in the regional pop music scene, having worked with A-list stars such as Stefanie Sun, A-mei and Jacky Cheung. A production that is two years in the making, the show is a world-first, anchored by a 12-metre high laminated glass prism that forms the “heartbeat” of the show. The show utilizes a huge selection of water fountain techniques, including pyramids, gyroscopic, archs and straight jets, as well as lava and mist effects.
Wonder Full celebrated local Singaporean talent by showcasing and highlighting the best of Singaporean musicians across two generations. Laservision engaged the late Mr Iskandar Ismail, an internationally renowned Musician, Composer, Producer, Music Arranger, Director, Conductor and Orchestra Conductor to create an original sound score, while Mr Daryl Ang was selected as the Maestro and Conductor for this prestigious project. The original soundtrack was recorded on location in Bratislava by the 140 strong Bratislava Symphony Orchestra including 10 sopranos, 10 altos, 8 tenors and 8 basses. Also featured in the soundtrack is child violin prodigy, Gabriel Ng. He came to national prominence in 2003, when he won Singapore’s National Piano and Violin Competition when he was just nine years old.
What a Wonderful World’ by Louis Armstrong is an instantly recognisable work that has delighted millions of people globally through many years. As part of Wonder Full's original soundtrack, a rendition of this song was performed by the Bratislava orchestra and two famous Singaporean singers, Mr Joakim Gomez and Ms Amni Musfirah. A global team consisting of 100 specialists in the areas of architectural, design, creative, musical, engineering, technical and IT resources were tasked with creating this one-of-a-kind show. The magic of Wonder Full was controlled down to the millisecond by Laservision’s Digital~Data Pump Series III via 20 Media Servers and over 50 kilometres of data cable and fibre optics. The waterfront event plaza was installed with 18 individually controlled fountains reaching up to 20 metres in height work in conjunction with independent tilt mechanisms to create a wide range of stunning liquid patterns. The fountains were illuminated by submerged high powered multi-coloured custom LED technology. Three enormous Water~Screens creating majestic liquid walls spanned about 2,000 square metres (1/2 an acre) and nine high powered High Definition Video Projectors were enclosed within customised floating barges.
Wonder Full showcased a grand total of half a million watts of light including: 30 high powered multi-coloured moving searchlights located on the waterfront Event Plaza, Skypark and ArtScience Museum Oculus; one billion foot candles of light arising from the Oculus of the ArtScience Museum into the heavens; six high powered Stella~Ray and Light~Ray Laser Systems producing over 300,000 milliwatts of laser energy capable of being seen for up to 55 kilometres outdoors; and over 250,000 energy efficient intelligent Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). At least twice a night, the Marina Bay waterfront comes alive with gleaming lasers, billowing water fountains and flashing pyrotechnics, all set to a moving orchestral soundtrack. These are just the sights and sounds of Wonder Full, the award-winning light and water show by Marina Bay Sands that made its debut in February 2011. The show tells the story of Singapore through a visual spectacle you’ll be Instagramming in no time. It’s one of the highlights of a stroll along the promenade. Here’s more about the dazzling display.
Wonder Full is the largest light and water show in South-East Asia. The multimedia extravaganza you see today is the fruit of the labour of more than 100 experts across three years. The production of this show is helmed by Australian-based company Laservision, which boasts a stunning track record of large-scale displays such as A Symphony of Lights at Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour – crowned as the largest light and sound show on Earth by the Guinness World Records. And the largest laser attraction in the world, Night’s Light in the South Korean theme park Everland, is also Laservision’s brainchild. An insane amount of technology goes into this show. As you’d expect, a production the scale of Wonder Full features a wealth of cutting-edge technology. We’re talking about a 7.1 surround sound system – that’s cinema-worthy sound right there – nine HD video projectors, and 18 fountains that can jet up to heights of over 20 metres to form three enormous water ‘screens’.
There’s also half a million watts of light used for the 13-minute show, but no worries, eco-warriors – most of them are energy-efficient LEDs. The soundtrack is the work of local talent. Lovers of homegrown music will appreciate the stirring orchestral accompaniment to the visuals – it’s put together by the late Singaporean composer, Cultural Medallion winner and all-round musical icon Iskandar Ismail. You’ve definitely heard his tunes before. He’s the man behind the music for several National Day Parades since the ’80s. Also on the line-up are violin prodigy Gabriel Ng, singers Joakim Gomez and Amni Musfirah, and conductor Darrell Ang. (Just one non-local concession, though: the track was recorded in Bratislava, Slovakia.)
Wonder Full has many titles and awards under its belt. If you’re trying to sway your friends from overseas to catch the show, bust out Wonder Full’s list of accolades. It’s officially recognised by the ILDA (International Laser Display Association) as the Best International Multimedia Show, while also being heralded as one of the top South-East Asian tourist attractions by the Association of South-East Asian Nations Tourist Association. And that’s not mentioning a gold star from the Pacific Asia Travel Association for the show’s ”Contribution to Culture”. It’s absolutely free. Despite all the work that has gone into Wonder Full, the show is, surprisingly, free. Whether you’re a tourist exploring the heart of the Little Red Dot, a shopaholic making your rounds at The Shoppes, a family with kids clamouring for more excitement, or a couple out on a stroll after dinner, Wonder Full is a great way to take a break and enjoy a breathtaking show before calling it a night.
Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza. Mon-Thu & Sun 8pm & 9.30pm; Fri & Sat 8pm, 9.30pm & 11pm. Free. The great thing about the light and sound show at Marina Bay is that it is visible from both sides of the water. If you are standing in front of the hotel looking towards the city you can hear the music and see the projected images on the water fountains. From the city side looking towards the hotel you see not only the water fountains but also a series of lasers which light up Marina Bay Sands and the ArtScience Museum. Easily the most technologically advanced light and sound show in Singapore; I much preferred the view from the hotel. Here, bubble machines create a shimmering cloud above your head and you can see the impressive images of Singaporean children projected onto the wall of water. The music is highly emotive and includes ‘It’s a wonderful world’ by Louis Armstrong.
