Sentosa beach club Tipsy Unicorn closes down after operator is wound up by High Court
Vihanya Rakshika
The Straits Times
Feb 19, 2026
The operator of the now-shuttered Sentosa beach club Tipsy Unicorn has been wound up by the High Court, with liquidators moving in to assess debts owed to creditors.
On Jan 23, Justice Chionh Sze Chyi ordered privately held operator Tipsy Bird into compulsory liquidation after a winding-up application was filed by UOB. Two insolvency practitioners from BDO Advisory were subsequently appointed as joint and several liquidators.
Court documents seen by The Straits Times showed that UOB is seeking to recover more than $96,000 in debt plus interest from Tipsy Bird.
However, this may not be the extent of Tipsy Bird's full liabilities, the liquidators said.
In response to queries from The Straits Times in February, they noted that without the Statement of Affairs, which sets out a company's financial position at the point of collapse, they could not determine the total liabilities owed to creditors, or how many parties may be affected.
"The directors of the company have not come forward to apprise the liquidators of the affairs of the company," they said, adding that this remained the position as at Feb 16.
According to the liquidators, Tipsy Bird operated Tipsy Unicorn Beach Club at 36 Siloso Beach Walk. Based on their preliminary investigations, the licences required to operate the outlet – including those for the sale of food and liquor and for aquatic facilities – were under Tipsy Bird's name at the time the winding-up order was made.
They added that the landlord has since exercised its right to take back possession of the premises.
Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), the landlord of Tipsy Unicorn's premises, confirmed on Feb 19 that the club had ceased operations as of Jan 30.
"Sentosa Development Corporation remains committed to curating a diverse mix of beach and lifestyle concepts on Sentosa and is in discussions with potential operators to introduce refreshed experiences over time," an SDC spokesperson said.
When ST visited the beachfront venue on Feb 18, the outlet was shuttered. A notice at the entrance stated that Tipsy Unicorn had ceased operations at the location with effect from Jan 30.
On Instagram, where the beach club has more than 10,000 followers, its profile description now reads "temporarily closed". Attempts to make reservations on its website during its usual operating hours showed no available slots.
The closure appears to be abrupt. On Jan 26 – four days before operations ceased – the beach club had posted an Instagram reel promoting its Booze, Beats & BBQ event "happening every last Sunday of the month".
Corporate records show that Tipsy Bird was incorporated in October 2018, with its principal activity listed as restaurants. Its sole shareholder is local hospitality group Tipsy Collective.
Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority BizFile records as at Feb 19 show that Tipsy Bird is under compulsory liquidation, while Tipsy Collective remains live.
Tipsy Unicorn, according to a 2023 Facebook post by Tipsy Collective, opened on Sentosa on Sept 1, 2023.
Tipsy Collective, which runs several food and beverage outlets including Tipsy Unicorn, Tipsy Penguin and Tipsy Bird, has not updated its Facebook page since late October 2025.
Tipsy Collective has been embroiled in several controversies over the past few years since its co-founder and former group chief executive, Mr Derek Ong, died at age 35 in August 2023.
Development costs for Tipsy Unicorn on Sentosa in 2023 exceeded the initial budget, ballooning from $3 million to $6 million, even as shareholders cautioned that the venture posed significant financial risks.
In May 2024, a legal battle began for control of Tipsy Collective following the death of Mr Ong.
The group had previously owed more than 100 employees their October 2024 salaries, but subsequently completed paying them off by mid-November that year, after four shareholders injected an undisclosed amount of money to rescue the business.
In a Facebook post dated Aug 18, 2025, Tipsy Collective invited those interested in booking event spaces to contact the group to reserve the Tipsy Unicorn premises on Sentosa.
ST has tried to contact Tipsy Collective, Tipsy Unicorn and Tipsy Bird via phone calls, e-mails, Instagram messages and LinkedIn messages, but did not receive any response.
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