Madame Tussauds Singapore to open in Sentosa next year

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Pop star Katy Perry will soon have a permanent home on Singapore's Sentosa Island in the city's new Madame Tussauds museum due to open in 2014, Merlin Entertainments – the owner of the renowned chain of wax museums – announced on Monday.

Singapore marks the museum's sixth Asian location. Existing locations include China, Thailand and Japan.

The museum will house wax figures - each of which takes 3 months and costs 150,000 pounds ($245,000) to make - of both international and Singaporean celebrities, and will feature a ride tied to the history and culture of the city-state.

Merlin – the world's second-largest visitor attractions operator – recently raised $1.5 billion in an initial public offering (IPO) in London, with the proceeds said to go towards paying down debt and expansion plans.

The company, which also owns Legoland, is in the process of developing the theme park in Dubai and potentially in Japan and South Korea.

The company plans to invest around $20 million in developing the new museum as well as revamping the existing Images of Singapore attraction located on the island.