Singapore Badminton Hall, Guillemard Road: Courts From S$15

The Singapore Badminton Hall on Guillemard Road is the building where badminton became Singapore's national sport. Completed in 1952 with money raised from the public, it hosted the Thomas Cup in 1955 and was the counting venue for the 1962 merger referendum. After years in other hands it returned to the Singapore Badminton Association and reopened on 9 August 2024 as the Singapore Badminton Stadium, with the new KFF Badminton Arena next door. Today anyone can book one of its courts online, and an off-peak hour costs S$15 before GST.

The stadium was officially opened on 7 June 1952, at a time when Malayan players dominated world badminton. Roots, the National Heritage Board's portal, records it as the venue for the third Thomas Cup tournament in 1955, and on 1 September 1999 it became the first sports facility in Singapore to be marked as a historic site. Beyond sport, the hall served civic life too, and the votes in the September 1962 referendum on merger with Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak were counted here.

The association announced in July 2007 that it would leave when its lease ended on 31 January 2008, and the hall spent more than fifteen years away from its original purpose. On 1 September 2023 the Singapore Badminton Association signed a new agreement to take back and develop the site, and the renovated stadium reopened on 9 August 2024. The original 1,300-seat hall now holds nine courts, and the adjacent block at 102 Guillemard Road, named KFF Badminton Arena, adds three premium air-conditioned courts with corporate suites.

The association publishes its rates on the booking portal, all exclusive of GST. A Premium Court costs S$15 an hour on weekdays between 7am and 6pm, and S$30 an hour during weekday peak from 6pm to 11pm, on Friday and Saturday nights from 11pm to 2am, and all day on weekends and public holidays. The VIP courts in the KFF block cost S$10 more, at S$25 off-peak and S$40 at peak, without the suites, which are reserved for event and corporate bookings.

Bookings are made only online at booking.singaporebadminton.org.sg, paid by PayNow, Visa or Mastercard. Courts can be booked up to 14 days in advance, and new slots are released daily at midnight. Each transaction is limited to two court bookings of two hours each, bookings run in one-hour blocks only, and every booking is final, with no changes, cancellations or refunds. There is no membership to buy, and VIP membership is by invitation only.

The association is strict about footwear. Non-marking court shoes are mandatory, and slippers, Crocs and bare feet are not allowed on the courts. The FAQ explains why: other shoes leave marks that are hard to remove from the rubber surface, and after washing it takes around three hours to dry. Players must be fully dressed, and only water is allowed on court, so leave isotonic drinks and snacks in your bag at the side.

Bring your own rackets and shuttlecocks. There is no rental, but the retail shop in the KFF Badminton Arena block at 102 Guillemard Road sells both, which helps if you forget a tube on the way from work. At the end of your hour, clear every used and unused shuttle from the court before the next players walk on. Lost property goes to the Customer Service Office behind court P9.

The arena is open Sunday to Thursday 7am to 11pm, and on Friday and Saturday from 7am until 2am the next morning. That late weekend window means a group can finish dinner, play a full two-hour session and still be off court by 2am. The trade-off is demand. Weekday evenings and weekends are all priced at the peak rate, and the most popular slots are taken soon after they are released at midnight.

The simplest way to play here without a fight is to book a weekday daytime court at S$15, or to set a reminder for midnight exactly 14 days before the evening you want. Groups that want a regular weekly slot should note that recurring block bookings are not available. Event block bookings are handled separately by email at enquiry@singaporebadminton.org.sg, or on WhatsApp at +65 9816 4534.

Guillemard Road sits between Kallang and Geylang, and the neighbourhood is full of good food. The obvious post-match stop is Old Airport Road Food Centre at 51 Old Airport Road, one of Singapore's best-known hawker centres, built on land that was once part of Kallang Airport. Its long rows of stalls cover char kway teow, satay, rojak and wanton mee, and it is a short ride from the stadium.

Inside the arena complex, the amenities listed by the association include Vernacular Cafe, Sparkle Gym, G Spa and Anytime Fitness, so you can stretch or eat without leaving the site. Heading east, the shophouses of Geylang and the Malay heritage area around Geylang Serai are within easy reach for a late supper. Parking at the arena is available but limited, and the FAQ suggests nearby HDB car parks for busy event days.

Address: Singapore Badminton Stadium @ KFF Badminton Arena, 100 Guillemard Road, Singapore 399718, with the VIP courts and retail shop at 102 Guillemard Road. Hours: Sunday to Thursday 7am to 11pm, Friday and Saturday 7am to 2am the following morning. Rates: Premium Court S$15 an hour weekday off-peak and S$30 at peak, VIP Court S$25 and S$40, before GST. Contact: enquiry@singaporebadminton.org.sg or WhatsApp +65 9816 4534.

Book online only, up to 14 days ahead, with slots released at midnight. Bring non-marking shoes, rackets, shuttlecocks and water. The association notes that its flooring is not set up for wheelchair badminton. The association does not run classes at the stadium itself, so look at its Regional Training Centres for coaching. For a first visit, take a weekday afternoon court and spend a few minutes in the stands looking at the hall where Singapore's badminton story began.