Waterbomb Singapore 2024 review: Spirited performances, overwhelming water cannons make it a blast

Let’s face it: There was a lot of uncertainty in the lead-up to Waterbomb Singapore 2024. It was Singapore’s first iteration of the wildly-successful K-music festival – so the jury was out on whether it would be our next F1 or our first Fyre Festival. Secondly, event co-organiser David Yong’s legal troubles didn’t exactly inspire confidence.
Well, after getting a literal first-row view on both event days over the weekend at Sentosa’s Siloso Beach, I am happy to report that Singapore has found its next moneymaker.
Now don’t get me wrong. There are many teething issues to work out but for a first-time event, Waterbomb Singapore 2024 excelled in many areas – namely the performances, the on-ground staff, and most importantly: The water. 
Here are some of the noteworthy performances from both days.
DAY 1
1. ALYPH
In a testament to his charisma, Singaporean musician Alyph got the crowd – which comprised fans of various nationalities – hooked on every note from his set. The former Sleeq member performed almost entirely in Malay but that didn’t stop attendees from vibing and jumping to hits such as Dari Jauh (From Far).
He also provided one of the biggest laughs that day when he expressed his shock at the fire blast from his set.
2. SANDARA PARK
The 2NE1 member proved once again why she is one of the most beloved Korean idols in the business. Dara gave her 110 per cent from the get-go – with her enthusiasm unwavering throughout her 30-minute-long set.
She genuinely looked like she relished every moment of being on stage and had the moves to boot. Plus, props to her for that 2NE1 medley – it really healed the Blackjack in me.
3. JESSI
“So I lost a little bit of weight and my boobs are gone. So I wore a little bit of pad on my boob…It does wonders.”
The Nunu Nana singer’s sudden monologue about her chest during her set is the kind of out-of-pocket statement one would expect from the 35-year-old singer-variety star, and we love her for it.
Waterbomb Singapore marked Jessi’s first-ever performance here and judging by her amazing crowd work and vocals, as well as the deafening screams from fans, it is high time she staged a full-length solo concert here.
4. RAIN
I’ll admit: I’m more familiar with Rain’s acting works than his music. So seeing the 42-year-old entertainer tear up the dance floor like he’s a member of a fourth-gen K-pop boy group was a surreal experience.
With his chiselled pecs, fluid dance moves and sultry vocals, the Rainism singer demonstrated why he’s still one of the biggest names in Asia.
5. JAY PARK
The former IOI member is regarded as one of the best vocalists amongst the third generation of K-pop idols, and she proved it once again during her set. Chungha deftly performed tracks such as Roller Coaster, Dream Of You and Eenie Meenie while executing challenging dance moves.
7. BAMBAM
Clad in military fatigues, the Got7 member and his dancers did not let their strong concept go to waste. The Thai singer thrilled fans with his smooth vocals that juxtaposed beautifully against his sharp dance moves.
He was also one of the stronger acts when it came to crowd work, garnering undivided attention from both guys and gals.
8. BIBI
Bibi made her triumphant return after last year’s performance at the Singapore F1 Grand Prix, with her signature charm and vocals intact. In the time since we last saw her here, the singer-actress released the hit song Bam Yang Gang which she performed to an appreciative crowd during the festival.
9. LOCO
Hilariously, the 34-year-old rapper had the most costume changes out of all the artistes – going from a collared shirt to a singlet to an “I Love SG” tee and finally, shirtless. Loco performed hits such as Don’t and made the crowd go crazy with his superb showmanship.
10. CL
Sorry, Blackjacks. You’ll have to fly to Seoul this October to watch your 2NE1 reunion. Nonetheless, CL provided the perfect cap to Waterbomb Singapore 2024 with her repertoire of solo hits such as Spicy as well as 2NE1 classics including I Am The Best and I Don’t Care.
The 33-year-old still possessed her signature stage presence, commanding the crowd with ease as she strutted the stage in sunglasses and an oversized coat.
***
Besides these performances, the on-ground staff at Waterbomb Singapore 2024 deserved huge praise. The crowd control staff were polite but firm in directing attendees and the security team deserves props for catching errant attendees (including those who were smoking in the pit) despite the surrounding festivities.
The water situation was paradoxically the best and worst part of Waterbomb Singapore 2024. I loved how the organising team was really generous with spraying attendees. It’s not a hyperbole to say that we were soaked in water every three minutes. For that, the festival excelled at what it set out to do.
However, Waterbomb is traditionally a festival where both attendees and the artistes get splashed. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for the latter. A few artistes ended their sets without getting a single drop of water on them. Some artistes like BamBam and Loco even resorted to pouring water on themselves.
From my observation, there could be a few reasons for this. Firstly, although the stage was big enough, it was far from the crowd. You’d have to stand at the barricade line to get a decent shot at the artiste. Next, a few artistes mentioned during their sets that they weren’t allowed to come down to interact with the crowd – a stark difference from other Waterbomb festivals in places such as Seoul and Dubai. While you can argue that it’s for safety purposes, it also does eliminate one of the USPs of Waterbomb. 
Lastly, getting to the water refill point is tough. To my knowledge, there was only one refill point – located at the left-most side of the venue. If you’re standing at the first few rows or at the right side of the venue, getting to this refill point would be a Herculean task. So no water refill = no one getting splashed.
All in all, I thought Waterbomb Singapore 2024 was a resounding success. That being said, I do hope that the DJs coordinate with each other for their future setlists because there are only so many variations of Illit’s Magnetic, Blackpink’s Kill This Love and Queen’s We Will Rock You I can take in a day.