RWS’ Football Fever 2018: That’s How You Celebrate A Goal

The 2018 World Cup in Russia is fast hurtling towards a pulsating end, with bars, pubs and other establishments all over Singapore determined to deliver the most enduring, heart-stopping on-pitch action with the best deals and creating a fun atmosphere for the match screenings. But if there’s one event that you have got to be at, it’s got to be Football Fever 2018 organised by Resorts World Sentosa (RWS).

Football Fever 2018 is unlike any experience you’ve had before – for one, you are in for a fabulous atmosphere with the gigantic screens by RWS, playing at the Resorts World Theatre till 8th July, and 11th – 15th July at the Resorts World Ballroom. Guests get to enjoy the entire night’s worth of matches in the comfort of the cushy seats. It’s free seating, so be sure to register and come early. (Free also on a first come first served basis or until fully subscribed).

At the screening of the Round of 16 Opening Weekend Matches between France-Argentina at 10pm and Uruguay-Portugal at 2am held last Saturday, the first screenings of the event, we headed down to the event to see just how much it lived up to the hype. We were not disappointed – the huge theatre was returfed with fresh ‘grass’, and soft, relaxing beanbags for guests to sit back and enjoy these exciting matches in this atmosphere. Even before and after the match itself, there was plenty of effort taken to draw audiences completely into the stadium-like atmosphere, with fans getting a chance to meet and interact with football legends such as Fandi Ahmad and Lee Man Hon over opening weekend. Other pre-match activities included MC CKay Lim present to host the matches and kept the audiences on their toes with competitions, lucky draws, and even guess the score contests, giving them a chance to win goodie bags, along with attractive prizes from brands such as Coca Cola and MilesLife if they had dropped their entry forms into the winning team’s box.

And what’s a soccer game without food and a little booze? RWS also designed a special menu of snacks such as with food ranging from curry fishballs to freshly toasted ham and cheese sandwiches (drizzled with fragrant truffle oil) and alcohol for guests to purchase from the theatre foyer, . We personally enjoyed indulging in the hotdogs with chicken ragout sauce, as well as the well-cooked, bite-sized medium rare kebabs with just the right texture and flavour, filling and worth the price. Couple that with a pint of Tiger in hand, and you were all ready to sit back and enjoy the match. Guests who didn’t want to miss a minute of the action even opt to prebook VIP seats for butler service, or make a purchase from the roving staff members with food and beverage in hand, like in an actual stadium, while the foyer also provided fringe activities such as foosball, beer pong, and electronic darts to play during the lull periods or breaks. A special 1-for-1 deal on Tiger was even launched for five minutes each time a goal was scored, leaving visitors more excited than ever for the next goal.

The fully registered event saw groups of friends and entire families head down for the screening, many of which had hardcore fan dads bringing their kids in tow, giving them a headstart in their appreciation of The Beautiful Game. It was evident how engaged the audiences were as they sat at the edge of their seats, eyes glued to the screen. Each time a goal was scored, the theatre roared into cheers (spurred on by the onscreen display of ‘GOAL!’ and celebratory music), and with the fervent energy present throughout the night, the atmosphere definitely felt rousing all through the night. Whether it was the Kylian Mbappe’s grace that took France from being 2-1 down to 3-2 up, or the  disappointment of watching Portugal and Christiano Ronaldo kicked out of the tournament, one felt perfectly at home in the joint fandom felt together.

RWS’ Football Fever 2018 is a soccer screening done right for the fanatic, fully utilising their space and facilities to create a World Cup experience worth remembering. Above all, it is the sense of comfort from sitting in the theatre seats, the attentiveness of the staff, and the presence of fantastic company which brings the entire community together as they united, not as rival teams, but as a group of football fans. With seven matches left, there’s still time to pick a date to come down during these final two weeks of the World Cup. This is one World Cup screening you’ll want to make time for, and is without a doubt, a goal scored for the RWS team working on this project.

Photo Credit: Resorts World Sentosa

Football Fever 2018 takes place at Resorts World Sentosa’s Resorts World Ballroom and Resorts World Theatre from 30th June to 15th July. Admission is free subject to availab. For more information visit the website here