SINGAPORE — Fans in Singapore looking out for a big launch party for the Singapore Sports Hub could instead find themselves being part of the first events to be held at the S$1.33 billion facility, which is scheduled to open its doors next April.

At yesterday’s announcement of the S$50 million, 15-year OCBC sponsorship of five facilities within the hub — the bank edged out rival bids from four others — Philippe Collin Delavaud, Chief Executive Officer of SportsHub, which will finance, develop and operate the Sports Hub over a 25-year lease, said the facility will begin operation with sports experience-type events involving the community.

“It will be community-type (with) all type of sports in all the venues,” said Delavaud.

There has been speculation that the Sports Hub would be launched with a football match between Singapore and Malaysia or between top European clubs, while concerts by Irish band U2 and American pop icon Madonna are also on Singaporeans’ wish list.

Scotching the rumours, Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong said there will not be a big bang opening for the hub. Rather, there will be a progressive series of events leading up to the official opening, which will most likely be held in June 2015, to coincide with the 28th South-east Asian (SEA) Games where the Sports Hub will be the main venue.

“I know that they (SportsHub) have been planning a calendar of events, particularly for the first year and perhaps stretching into 2015,” said Wong. “They are looking at a series of sports events as well as lifestyle events. Certainly, we have in the pipeline a few football matches, lifestyle events like concerts and the tennis WTA Championships coming up in October.

“I understand from the SportsHub people, the event calendar is already quite packed and I think before too long they will start to announce what events are coming up.”

The hub will contain the centrepiece 55,000-seat National Stadium with a retractable roof and air-cooled seats, a refurbished Singapore Indoor Stadium, an aquatics centre, multi-use indoor arenas and watersports centre, with ancillary facilities within a 35-hectare area.

Wong also confirmed discussions have taken place over the possibility of the Sports Hub’s National Stadium staging next year’s National Day Parade. “It’s a big venue and it’s best to phase in and make sure that all the systems, operations, logistics … everything works well, over time progressively,” he said.

“MINDEF (Ministry of Defence) is working out with the SportsHub people about the National Day Parade in 2014, but it may be difficult because of the timing. But that is something MINDEF will decide and will make an announcement quite soon.”