1. Aliwal Urban Arts Festival
Subculture takes centre stage once again as Aliwal Urban Arts Festival returns for its seventh edition. This year, artists will challenge you with the notion of “what if” through dance performances and skateboarding. Some programmes to look out for include live graffiti painting, free skateboard tryouts, dance battles and more.
Date: 18 Jan 2020
Location: 28 Aliwal Street, Singapore 199918
Opening hours: From 4pm
Admission: Free
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2. Art After Dark
Go exhibition hopping at Gillman Barrack’s late night open house event, Art After Dark. The event will host artworks and programmes by Gillman Barrack’s resident galleries, the NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore, and works from other Southeast Asian art collectives. Get to also shop unique merchandise from pop-up stores and grab some bites.
Date: 17 Jan 2020
Location: #01-25, 47 Malan Rd, Singapore 109444
Opening hours: 7pm till late
Admission: Free
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3. Ng Teng Fong Roof Garden Commission: Cao Fei
Take a walk up to National Gallery’s rooftop and admire not just the view but an exhibition by Cao Fei, one of China’s leading contemporary artists. Cao will be presenting Fu Cha, a large-scale kinetic sculpture installation that studies Asia’s history on migration and Singapore’s identity as a port city. This installation is also Cao’s first presentation for the new year before her exhibitions in London and Beijing.
Date: 17 Jan – Oct 24 2002
Location: 1 St Andrew’s Rd, Singapore 178957
Opening hours: 10am-7pm
Admission: Free
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4. All Things New x Noise Weekend
Noise Singapore returns this year to groom talents in the local music scene. 13 new talents from Noise Music Mentorship Programme takes the stage to showcase their newfound skills. Joining them on stage are this year’s mentees, including He1st and Islandeer. Dance and groove along to a wide range of genres from pop, rock to electronic!
Date: 17-19 Jan 2020
Location: 1 Esplanade Dr, Singapore 038981
Opening hours: 6.45pm-9pm
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5. GENSET
Get ready to be wowed by GENSET, a cross-generational group exhibition featuring the work of 20 artists from across Southeast Asia. The exhibition seeks to explore how artists from SEA are inspired, and how they inspire in return. Expect works from Malaysian artists Sabri Idrus and Kayleigh Goh’s and unique depictions of the West Sumatran landscape by Jendela Art Group founders Yunizar and Rudi Mantofani.
Date: 16 Jan-19 Feb 2020
Location: 39 Keppel Road, Tanjong Pagar Distripark, #03-04, Singapore 089065
Opening hours: 11am-7pm (Mon-Fri), 12pm-6pm (Sat-Sun)
Admission: Free
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6. Bon Iver Live in Singapore
Following their sold out concert debut in 2016, American Indie band Bon Iver are back for another stellar show with their latest album, i,i. Wear your heart on your sleeve and sing along as loud as possible.
Date: 17 Jan 2020
Location: The Star Performing Arts Centre, #04-01, 1 Vista Exchange Green, Singapore 138617
Opening hours: From 8pm
Admission: From $89
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7. The Great Singapore Replay Season 2: Showcase Concert
After weeks of collaboration, aspiring young talents from Singapore perform their original hits at Gardens by the Bay. In homage to music and heritage, there’ll also be a mashup of tunes from over the years. There will also be other activities available, so look forward to that too!
Date: 18 Jan 2020
Location: Supertree Grove, Gardens by the Bay
Opening hours: 5.30pm-10pm
Admission: Free
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8. Sunday Social Market
Sunday Social market returns to Camp Kilo Charcoal Club for another wholesome day of music, food and shopping. Expect some good old House music, purchase pastry from artisanal bakers and crafters, shop interior decors and fashion accessories and tuck into hearty roasts from Camp Kilo Charcoal Club.
Date: 19 Jan 2020
Location: 66 Kampong Bugis #01-01, Singapore 338987
Opening hours: 12pm-10pm
Admission: Free
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9. Dance Fighter I
Local dance group The Flux Collective will be hosting their own version of Street Fighter — introducing Dance Fighter I, a one versus one open style battle modelled after the classic video game. Just like the game, dancers in this competition decide which genre they would like to compete in and engage in battles with a limited time frame. Unlike other street battles, both dancers will be dancing at the same time!
Date: 19 Jan 2020
Location: 137 Cecil Street #02-01, Singapore 069537
Opening hours: 5.30pm-7.30pm
Admission: By donations (any amount)
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10. Singapore Art Week
The first week of 2020 kicks off with Singapore Art Week, Singapore’s annual celebration of visual arts. This year’s nine-day festival include exhibitions and workshops featuring works from artists locally and worldwide. More than 100 events will take place across Singapore, including locations like the Malay Heritage Centre, Kallang Riverside Park and Parkview Museum. Visit the full lineup here.
Date: 11-19 Jan 2020
Location: All across Singapore
Opening hours: From 10am
Admission: Charges vary across venues
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11. Light to Night Festival
Part of Singapore Art Week, Light to Night Festival returns to transform the Civic District into an art playground. Admire beautiful projections on sites such as National Gallery, Victoria Theatre and Asian Civilisations Museum, learn more about history, immerse yourself in interactive artworks and watch performances by Singaporean performers.
Date: 10-19 Jan 2020
Location: Civic District
Opening hours: 10am-12am
Admission: Free
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12. Gelam Gallery Alive
Check out wall murals and shop handcrafted products at Gelam Gallery, Singapore’s first outdoor art gallery. During this two week event, get to also attend workshops like soap-making and bag painting and watch local artists perform the dustbin makeover challenge. You’ll get to vote for your favourite painted bin, and the top three artists will win cash prizes!
Date: 10-18 Jan 2020
Location: 80 Arab St, Singapore 199777
Opening hours: From 10am
Admission: Free
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13. So Cantai Market
Explore Indian culture through a quaint art market in Little India. Participate in workshops like henna art, kolam making and diya painting and shop artisanal candles, colourful ceramic ware and more. Enjoy lively dance performances and experience fun activities related to Indian culture. There’ll also be a photo booth where you can snap lots of pictures!
Date: 10-18 Jan 2020
Location: 5 Campbell Ln, Singapore 209924
Opening hours: From 11am
Admission: Free
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14. Heritage & Food Trail
Go on a guided tour through Chinatown to learn more about this historical attraction and bask in the Chinese New Year activities. Get to savour authentic Cantonese cuisine at the famous Chinatown Complex Food Centre and more! Tickets can be purchased at Kreta Ayer Community Club or online from the go.gov website.
Date: Till 19 Jan 2020
Location: Chinatown
Opening hours: 2.30pm-5pm
Admission: $15
15. Chinatown Chinese New Year Celebrations
As we wave goodbye to Christmas, we say hello to Chinese New Year. Welcome the Year of the Rat as Chinatown dolls itself up with bright lights, zodiac animal sculptures and lanterns. Shop for clothes and New Year delicacies and immerse yourself in Chinese culture. There will also be lion dance and stage performances on select nights, so don’t miss out on that. View the full lineup of festivities here.
Date: 4 Jan – 22 Feb 2020
Location: New Bridge Rd and Eu Tong Sen Street
Opening hours: 6pm-10pm
Admission: Free
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16. Lorongs of Wisdom 2020
Geylang is notorious for its sleazy reputation — but is there more to this neighbourhood? Find out more about Singapore’s red light district through a tour by Geylang Adventures, a social initiative that focuses on the different dimensions of Geylang. Part of the Singapore Biennale, this tour involves a 3-hour walk performance to discover Geylang in a new light. Find out more here.
Date: Multiple dates
Location: 1 Lor 23 Geylang Road, Singapore 388352
Opening hours: 7pm-10pm
Admission: From $53
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17. We Bare Bears x Kumoya Pop Up Cafe
Cartoon Network’s We Bare Bears (WBB) will be taking over Kumoya Cafe with their first ever pop-up. Look forward to a WBB-themed food menu designed by bento artist Shirley Wong and the Kumoya kitchen team. Get to purchase exclusive merchandise and stand to win a giant 90cm plush Ice Bear worth $199 when you spend $108 in a single receipt.
Date: 4 Jan – 12 April 2020
Location: 8 Jln Klapa, Singapore 199320
Opening hours: 12pm-9.30pm (Tuesdays-Thursdays and Sundays), 12pm-10.30pm (Fridays-Saturdays). Closed on Mondays.
18. #FutureTogether at Gardens by the Bay
In honour of Singapore’s bicentennial, Japanese art collection teamLab and Gardens by the Bay has come together to present #FutureTogether, a futuristic light exhibition. Egg-shaped structures light up and change in colour when touched, and seasonal flowers scatter and change hourly. While #FutureTogether officially runs from 16 Jan next year, the outdoor artworks are available for viewing from 15 Dec.
Date: From 15 Dec 2019
Address: 18 Marina Gardens Dr
Opening hours: 9am-late
Admission: Free for Singaporeans, $10 for foreigners
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19. Living Worlds: An Animal Planet Experience
Learn more about the wild at Living Worlds, the world’s first travelling wildlife and exploration exhibition. Created and produced by Kingsmen in collaboration with Discovery Inc. and Science Centre Singapore, this exhibition brings the animal kingdom to life with cutting edge multimedia storytelling and immersive experiences.
Date: Till 22 Mar 2020
Address: The Annexe, Science Centre Singapore, 15 Science Road Singapore
Opening hours: 10am-6pm
Admission: From $18
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20. 2219: Futures Imagined
Wonder what our world will look like in the next 200 years? Step into the future as various artists, architects, filmmakers and writers imagine what the future will be like at this immersive exhibition at ArtScience Museum. The exhibition will take you through five acts, including scenarios like the impact of climate change.
Date: Till 5 Apr 2020
Address: 6 Bayfront Avenue
Opening hours: From 10am
Admission: From $16
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21. Experience a fairytale with Disney: The Animation
Whether you’re a Disney fan or not, we think you’d enjoy this exhibition. Appreciate what goes on behind-the-scenes in the drawing room and marvel at over 500 original paintings and sketches from over the course of 90 years, curated by the Walt Disney Animation Research Library. From timeless classics like Steamboat Willie (1982) to recent blockbusters Moana (2016), the exhibition pays homage to the artistry and technological innovation that have brought Disney’s world-renowned characters to life.
In addition, get to see exclusive artworks from the upcoming Frozen 2! Tickets are highly in demand, so to avoid disappointment, book them before going down.
Date: Till 29 Mar 2020
Address: ArtScience Museum, Marina Bay Sands
Opening hours: 10am – 7pm
Admission: From $19
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