Fun With Kids
Japan’s life-size roaming dinosaurs roar into Singapore for Dino-A-Live’s overseas debut
- Dino-A-Live: will make its first overseas debut in Singapore at Resorts World Sentosa from Dec 3 to 6, with a 70-minute show and 15 robotic dinosaurs.
- Creator Kazuya Kanemaru says the show uses “Dino-Techne” and human performers to create lifelike movement, emotion and a lasting love for living creatures.
- The Singapore run is expected to draw more than 30,000 guests, with extra attractions including Dino Mart, themed food and a paid photo add-on with a T-Rex.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – A heavy tail swinging freely, muscles rippling beneath its skin and a roar loud enough to rattle your teeth – meeting a life-size dinosaur in the flesh is no longer just a movie fantasy.
You can soon step back into the prehistoric era as these lifelike giants stomp, interact and even fight up-close, without the risk of becoming their dinner.
Marking its first performance outside Japan, Dino-A-Live will be staged at Resorts World Convention Centre from Dec 3 to 6 with the series’ latest and most advanced production, Dinosaur Odyssey.
Unlike traditional museum exhibits where prehistoric creatures stand frozen in time or cinema screens where computer-generated imagery (CGI) does all the work, the show puts you right in the middle of a living prehistoric world. Dinosaur Odyssey, which debuted in 2025, features 15 realistic robotic models, including a tyrannosaurus rex, triceratops, stegosaurus, brachiosaurus and ankylosaurus.
Dino-A-Live creator Kazuya Kanemaru says: “When people actually come face to face with our dinosaurs, I believe many will experience a moment of thinking, ‘Could this really be alive?’”
The secret behind these creatures is Dino-Techne, a patented mechanical suit technology developed in Japan by Kanemaru’s production company On-Art Corp. Inside each massive suit, trained human performers operate the mechanisms to replicate the reptiles’ movements, from subtle eye blinks to shifting muscles.
For Kanemaru, this passion project began two decades ago with a simple desire to help local museums.
“Over 20 years ago, we were creating sculptures and murals for museums,” he recalls. “At the time, museums were going through a period when visitor numbers were declining and curators asked us, ‘What can we do to bring more people to museums?’
“It was around the time when Jurassic Park was released and I thought, ‘What if there were incredibly realistic dinosaurs actually walking around inside a museum? Surely that would bring people in.’ That idea became our starting point.”
His collection has grown to around 40 dinosaurs. Each dinosaur takes about six months of work to develop from the initial stage until it is ready to appear onstage.
While digital graphics have advanced rapidly in recent years, Kanemaru remains committed to physical, live performance.
“CGI and similar technologies are wonderful and they have advanced to an extraordinary level. But imagine walking through nature, perhaps somewhere in the mountains, and suddenly encountering a large deer,” he says.
“In that moment, you experience a strange and powerful feeling that is difficult to put into words. I believe those moments become memories that stay with you for the rest of your life. That is what we are trying to achieve – an experience that becomes a lifelong memory.”
The 70-minute non-verbal show combines music, dance and theatrical effects to celebrate nature and life. One of the show’s highlights is the tyrannosaurus rex, which plays a touching role in the storyline.
“This tyrannosaurus appears as a parent with its own child,” Kanemaru says. “There is also a heartbreaking separation in the story, but the tyrannosaurus plays a very important role in expressing emotion, particularly the emotional bond between parent and child.”
Above all, Kanemaru hopes the show will inspire younger audiences to look at the living world with fresh eyes.
“Dino-A-Live was created with one important purpose: to inspire people to develop a love for living creatures. Our world is filled with extraordinary forms of life. I hope children will discover just how wonderful they are and develop a lasting appreciation for the living world around them.”
“When audiences see these dinosaurs, we want three things to shine through,” he adds. “First, the 20 years of Japanese craftsmanship and refinement behind them. Second, that we portray dinosaurs not as monsters, but as living creatures with heart and emotion. And third, our human effort to express the beauty of nature.”
When deciding where to launch the show’s first full-scale overseas debut, Kanemaru felt Singapore was the natural choice. With 2026 marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Japan, the timing felt especially meaningful.
Having drawn more than 25,000 attendees during its Japanese run, the Singapore season – presented by Season Entertainment – is expected to welcome more than 30,000 guests across its 3,000-seat shows at Resorts World Convention Centre.
The fun does not stop when the curtain falls. Families can check out the Dino Mart, featuring more than 100 Japanese collectibles, toys and rare fossil replicas, or enjoy dinosaur-themed bites at Senmo Coffee at B1-223 Resorts World Sentosa.
And if you want to bring home something special, a limited $30 add-on ticket gives groups of up to eight a chance to take a professional photo alongside a 12m-long T-Rex.
Dino-A-Live: Dinosaur Odyssey
Where: Resorts World Convention Centre, 8 Sentosa Gateway
When: Dec 3 to 6, various timings
Admission: $38 to $168. Kids under three years old may enter for free when seated on an adult’s lap.
Exclusive for ST subscribers: Take up a 24-month subscription to enjoy a special bundle for $89 (worth $542). The package includes four Category 1 tickets, a family photo with a T-Rex, and a mini porcelain plate from Awasaka’s Edokko Dinosaur series.
Info: stsub.sph.com.sg/dinoalive