Thevin Ong had a few “unexpected” realisations at the OneRepublic concert, held earlier this month at the Singapore Indoor Stadium at The Kallang.
As it turns out, the 19-year-old full-time National Serviceman (NSF), whom you might remember as the very lucky winner of The Kallang Pass, had been enjoying the American band’s music for years without realising many of the songs he liked were actually by them.
And it took seeing them perform live for him to finally make the connection.
We suppose that’s just one of the many perks of having unlimited access to every concert happening at The Kallang for the whole of 2026.
OneRepublic was the sixth concert that Thevin attended this year with The Kallang Pass, after Super Junior, Tomorrow X Together, RIIZE, ATEEZ, and David Tao, along with American comedian Matt Rife’s stand-up show.
Image courtesy of The Kallang
He has since also gone to SEVENTEEN’s gig, with his most anticipated show of the year — Eric Chou’s — coming up in April.
Still, the OneRepublic concert stood out. Their performance of Counting Stars was a clear highlight for Thevin, as it was the first song he remembers hearing from the band.
Source: OneRepublic on Facebook
“It’s very nostalgic for me. I first listened to it when I was quite young, so it brings back memories,” he told MS News when we met up right after the concert. (“Quite young” might be an understatement — the song was released when Thevin was about six or seven years old.)
Another standout moment came when OneRepublic performed Nobody, the ending theme from the anime Kaiju No. 8.
“When I heard the song for the first time, I was instantly hooked,” he recalled, admitting that once again, he didn’t realise it was by the group. “During the performance, they screened the anime visuals in the background, and I got goosebumps.”
But as much as Thevin himself relishes his time at these shows, the fact that he gets to share the moment with his friends seems to be the real reason The Kallang Pass means so much to him.
“I’m very grateful,” he gushed. “I don’t usually go to concerts, but I have friends who really like them, especially K-pop concerts. So it makes me happy that I’m able to bring them along and see them enjoy themselves.”
The friend he’s brought along the most so far is Elyana, whom he met in secondary school and has known for six years. You could say she deserves it. After all, she was the one who encouraged him to sign up for the giveaway in the first place.
Image courtesy of Thevin Ong
“She was super happy and shocked,” Thevin described her reaction when he won. “When we first got the call that I was in the top five, she was already very excited because that meant one pair of tickets for any show in 2026. But when I won The Kallang Pass itself, it was next-level.”
He returned to that same sentiment about sharing the experience when we asked him to reflect on the year so far.
It’s been fun, a new experience. Going for so many concerts is not something I would normally do, so it’s nice to be able to enjoy it and bring my friends along.
With only a quarter of 2026 gone by, Thevin still has plenty more events at The Kallang to look forward to with his ‘magic’ pass. Well, him and his friends (mostly Elyana), of course.
He gave us a peek into how he ‘books’ his next concert, and it honestly sounds like the kind of system every music fan in the world would dream about.
For starters, he checks The Kallang’s events calendar once or twice a week to see if anything catches his eye, while also keeping up with new concert announcements online. Naturally, Elyana also gets consulted, in case there’s a show she has her sights on.
If something looks interesting, Thevin simply messages a representative from The Kallang to say he’d like to attend, and the arrangements are taken care of from there.
So far, he’s managed to make it to every concert he’s been keen on, even when the request was made at the last minute. And yes, The Kallang Pass even covers sold-out shows.
In other words, while the rest of us are scrambling in ticket queues and praying the page loads in time, Thevin just has to decide which concert he feels like going to, and the rest is basically only a text away.
Of course, Elyana isn’t the only one benefiting from The Kallang Pass. If she can’t make it or isn’t keen on a particular act, Thevin has plenty of other friends he can jio instead.
Then again, how hard can it be to find someone willing to go to a concert when the tickets are free?
For more information on The Kallang and its upcoming events, visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates.
Also read: S’pore Sports Hub is now The Kallang, with revamped mall & new sports facilities by 2028
This post was brought to you in collaboration with The Kallang Group.
Featured image by MS News (photography by Hui Wen Chan) and courtesy of Thevin Ong.