Issue #22: What’s Happening This Week? DBS Early Access to Waterbomb 2025, Latest Netflix Price Hike, and More

From price hikes to party vibes, there’s plenty of buzz in finance, travel, and lifestyle this week. One platform’s quietly raised its prices (again), another’s dropping travel deals up to 60% off, and a certain music festival is back to soak your squad in beats and water blasts.

Meanwhile, inflation’s doing something we haven’t seen in years. And across the globe, a familiar face is (still) making markets twitch.

Whether you’re plotting your next escape or just trying to make sense of what’s going on with your bills, we’ve rounded up the week’s most relevant updates. Quick, simple, and zero jargon. Let’s get into it.

TLDR; Netflix prices rise in Singapore: Netflix has increased its subscription fees in Singapore by $2–$4 a month across all plans, nearly doubling prices since its 2016 launch. Waterbomb Singapore 2025 hits Sentosa: The festival returns this August with early access and ticket perks for DBS/POSB cardholders—especially if you have the DBS Live Fresh Card. Singapore’s inflation hits lowest point in over 4 years: Core inflation in Singapore has fallen to 0.5%, its lowest since 2021, as energy and housing costs ease. Traveloka launches first APAC-wide EPIC Sale: Traveloka’s EPIC Sale is offering up to 60% off flights, hotels, and attractions across Asia-Pacific from 22 Apr to 5 May 2025. Global markets rebound as US Fed drama eases: Markets rallied after Trump reassured investors he won’t remove the Fed chair, though uncertainty still looms.

Want more details? Let’s dive in.

Psst, missed last week’s issue? View all past editions of What’s Happening This Week? to catch up.

 

Netflix prices rise in Singapore—here’s what you need to know

If you’ve noticed your Netflix bill creeping up, you’re not imagining it. As of 18 Apr 2025, Netflix has raised its subscription prices in Singapore by $2 to $4 a month across all tiers. Here’s how the new monthly fees stack up:

• Basic Plan: $15.98 (was $13.98)
• Standard Plan: $22.98 (up from $19.98)
• Premium Plan: $29.98 (previously $25.98)

For long-time subscribers, the rise may feel especially steep. Back in 2016 when Netflix launched in Singapore, a basic plan was just $10.98. Standard and premium options cost $13.98 and $16.98 respectively—meaning prices have nearly doubled for some over the years.

Netflix says the hike supports continued investment in content, keeping hit series like Squid Game and Bridgerton coming your way. Still, for everyday viewers juggling multiple streaming services, it’s an extra pinch on the wallet.

 

Waterbomb Singapore 2025 returns, with early access for DBS/POSB cardholders

 

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A post shared by WATERBOMB SINGAPORE (@waterbomb_singapore_official)

Waterbomb Singapore is making a splash again this year, returning to Siloso Beach, Sentosa on 30 and 31 Aug 2025 for its second edition. The high-energy music and water festival, presented by DBS Bank, promises 8 hours of non-stop entertainment each day—featuring the festival’s signature water play zones, crowd-soaking WATERBOMB blasts, and back-to-back live performances on a single stage.

While the full artiste lineup drops in May, organisers have teased an even more exciting experience this year.

Early bird access starts 8 May for DBS Live Fresh Cardholders and 9 May for all DBS/POSB cardmembers. Perks of being a DBS/POSB cardholder include:

• Discounted tickets: 15% off standard tickets for DBS Live Fresh cardholders, 10% for other DBS/POSB cards)
• Priority entry via a dedicated lane (DBS Live Fresh cardholders only)
• Discounts on F&B and merchandise.

Here are the prices:

	Early Bird Sales
	For DBS Live Fresh Card: 8 May 2025, 10 am		For all DBS/POSB Cards: 9 May 2025, 10 am
	Premium Pass	General Pass	Premium Pass	General Pass
1-day	$198	$168	$208	$178
2-day	$338	$298	$358	$318

 

	General Sales
	For DBS Live Fresh Card : 14 May 2025, 10 am For all DBS/POSB Cards: 15 May 2025, 10 am
	Premium Pass	General Pass
1-day	$258	$228
2-day	$458	$388

Premium Pass: Get exclusive access to designated Chill Zone, free flow of non-alcoholic drinks and re-entry to the festival grounds.

Without a DBS or POSB credit card, you’ll have to wait till 16 May 2025, 10 am for the general public sale.

As the Official Card of Waterbomb 2025, the DBS Live Fresh Card is the best card to use to buy your tickets as early as possible, and at the lowest price possible. Apply for it now and enjoy up to $300 cashback if you’re a new DBS/POSB cardholder!

 

Singapore’s inflation hits lowest point in over 4 years

Singapore’s core inflation dipped to 0.5% year-on-year in Mar 2025, reaching its lowest level since Mar 2021. This marks the sixth month in a row that core inflation has declined, signalling a steady easing of cost pressures across most areas of daily spending.

The drop was mainly due to lower prices in several key categories:

• Electricity and gas prices fell further from -3.1% to -3.5%
• Services inflation dropped from 0.8% to 0.6%
• Accommodation costs eased to 1.4%, thanks to a slower rise in housing rents
• Retail goods, including appliances and tech, also became more affordable

That said, there were slight increases in food (up to 1.3%) and private transport (now 2.1%), mostly due to costlier meals and rising car prices.

Looking ahead, both MAS and MTI expect overall inflation to average between 0.5% and 1.5% this year. They cite lower global oil prices, moderate import costs, and expanded government subsidies as key factors keeping things in check.

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ALSO READ: How to Avoid Lifestyle Inflation (When You Finally Get That Pay Rise)

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Traveloka launches first APAC-wide EPIC Sale, with up to 60% off travel deals

 

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A post shared by Traveloka Singapore (@traveloka.sg)

Good news if you’ve been daydreaming about your next holiday—Traveloka’s EPIC Sale is back, and this year it’s bigger than ever. Running from 22 Apr to 5 May 2025, the sale is now live across 7 Asia-Pacific countries, including Malaysia, Japan, Australia, and —of course—Singapore.

You can look forward to savings of up to 60% across a mix of flights, hotels, and attraction passes. Some standout offers include:

• Daily flash deals at 12 pm and 7 pm
• Buy 1 Get 1 Free tickets to places like Universal Studios Japan and Sentosa
• Return flights to Seoul from $279, and Osaka from $371, with extra discounts on selected routes
• Up to 50% off hotel bookings, plus $25 off premium stays with a promo code

It’s worth a look if you’ve been meaning to book a mid-year break. You might also want to check out our article on bank offers in Singapore—some banks have deals of up to 50% off flights!

 

Global markets rebound as US Fed drama eases (for now?)

Trump’s been taking the world’s markets on a rollercoaster. But this week, they’re breathing easier—the US President has said he doesn’t have plans to fire the head of the Federal Reserve, and he’s even hinted at the possibility of striking a deal with China to work out tariffs far from the 145% they are now. Some relief, at last.

With investor jitters somewhat calmed, global stocks and the US dollar have rallied. Here’s what you should know:

• Japan’s Nikkei jumped over 1.7%
• S&P 500 climbed 1.4%
• The dollar strengthened, rising 0.2% on the Japanese yen to 141.77

That said, who knows Trump’s next move? He’s always keeping us guessing, and we don’t want to play a guessing game too. We’ll continue to bring you the latest news in our weekly round-up of What’s Happening This Week.

 

That’s it for this week! Stay tuned for next week’s What’s Happening This Week to keep up with the latest in finance, business, and beyond.

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About the author

Vanessa Nah likes her finance articles the way she likes her sitcoms—light-hearted, entertaining, and leaving people knowing a little more about life. She believes money—like life—should be made simple. Outside of work, you’ll find Vanessa attending dance classes, fingerpicking a guitar, and fulfilling her life mission to make her one-eyed cat the most spoiled kitty in the world.