Festivals and events in Singapore
Artsy souls and adventure-seeking explorers, this weekend’s activities are all for you – there are various art festivals happening, carnivals and street markets in full swing, a famous cafe from Hokkaido that just opened its doors on our shores, and a warehouse sale with massive discounts on premium seafood and meat just in time for CNY’s reunion dinner!
1. Far Ocean CNY Warehouse Sales 2019
Source: Farocean
Skip the crowded restaurants and their exorbitant prices this Chinese New Year Eve by staying in and whipping up a hearty homecooked meal instead! Far Ocean, a global seafood company that specialises in harvesting wild-caught, sashimi-grade fishes, is holding its annual Far Ocean CNY Warehouse Sales once again and has up to a whopping 70% off steamboat and reunion dinner essentials.
This includes a ‘Mix & Match’ promotion on selected items, whereby shoppers can purchase 1 product for just $15, 2 products for $12 each, 3 products for $10 each, and 10 products for $10 with 1 extra FOC.
They have CNY snacks for sale too! Source: Far Ocean
With a simple fish dish alone in most eateries capable of setting you back by up to $40, think of how much money you can save when you purchase shabu-shabu meat cuts and fresh seafood at discounted wholesale prices instead!
Address: Far Ocean, 15 Fishery Port Road, Singapore 619735
Date & Time: 19th – 22nd January, 26th – 27th January, 2nd – 3rd February | 9AM – 5PM
Website
2. Light to Night Festival
Source:National Gallery Singapore
The Light to Night Festival is back again for its 3rd edition and it’s bigger and better with a 6-week long festival! Comprising of 2 parts, there’ll be a marquee event for the Singapore Art Week running from 18th – 27th Jan, and Art x Social, a carnival with art, music, food and drinks from 25th – 26th Jan and 1st – 2nd Feb.
Source:@nationalgallerysingapore
Occupying a large part of the Civic District, those looking for interactive art installations that will stimulate our 5 senses can wander about the indoor and outdoor areas of National Gallery Singapore, The Arts House, Asian Civilisations Museum, the Esplanade Park, Victoria Theatre, and Victoria Concert Hall.
Source:@whole.is.home
Themed Traces and Echoes, all the works on display are inspired by personal stories and memories, and the ever-popular light show Art Skins on Monuments will be available too from 8PM onwards.
Refer here for more information on the festival!
Address: Civic District
Date & Time: 18th January – 24th February | 5PM – 12AM
Website
3. Singapore Art Week 2019
Source:Singapore Art Museum
Besides the Light to Night Festival, artsy folks are in for another treat – the Singapore Art Week. Already in its 7th year running, the 9-day celebration of the visual arts will take over various venues across Singapore, ranging from galleries and museums to independent art spaces and neighbourhoods.
ARTWALK at Little India. Source:National Arts Council
Choose from a wide range of over 100 events lined up, which includes exhibits, art fairs, talks, performances, workshops, film screenings, and more.
Check out the full list of activities here!
Date: 19th – 27th January
Website
4. Japanese Film Festival
Source:Japanese Film Festival SG
Whether it’s spine-chilling horror flicks or saccharine sweet rom-coms, Japan has always been known for their film industry, and film buffs can now catch a specially curated series of acclaimed works by established directors at the Japanese Film Festival 2019.
One Cut of the Dead starts with a non-stop one-take 37-minute shot. Source:Singapore Film Society
These include award-winning horror comedy ‘One Cut of the Dead’, one of the biggest Japanese indie hits of 2018 that puts a cheeky spin on the usual zombie flicks, ‘Before We Vanish’, a thought-provoking piece on an alien invasion that leaves humans devoid of any feelings and memories, making them unrecognisable to family, and ‘Yakiniku Dragon’, a heartwarming melodrama on the Zainichi Korean culture in Japan.
Source:Singapore Film Society
Those interested to know more about Japanese films can also participate in masterclasses and post-screening Q&A sessions with notable directors Shinichirou Ueda, the man behind ‘One Cut of the Dead’ and Wishing Chong, the prolific playwright and screenwriter who produced ‘Yakiniku Dragon’.
Check here for movie timings.
Address: Shaw Theatres Lido, 350 Orchard Road Shaw House Level 5/6, Singapore 238868
Date & Time: 18th January – 10th February
Website
5. Baristart Coffee Singapore
Source:@viviannvee
If you’re looking for a new place to cafe hop at, head down to Baristart Coffee, a popular cafe that hails all the way from Hokkaido. Famous for using milk from Hokkaido’s extremely rare Brown Jersey cattle in their coffee, the Biei Jersey milk has a high butterfat content, making it creamier, richer and less sweet than most, which enhances the full-bodied flavour of their Arabica coffee blend.
Besides brews, the cafe also offers an array of sweet treats, soft serve, shaved ice desserts, rice bowls and pasta, and those who want something more unique can opt for the carbonara, which is also made with Biei Jersey milk.
Source:@alainlicious
Address: 65 Tras Street, Singapore 079004
Opening Hours: 10AM – 10PM Daily
Website
6. Eatbox 2019
Artbox 2019 isn’t happening any time soon, but its food-centric sibling Eatbox 2019 is finally here! Featuring over 50 local and regional F&B brands, live music curated by Eatmepoptart’s resident DJs weelikeme and KIDG, and Instagrammable art displays, it’s yet another exciting pop-up to dive into.
Crowd-favourite street food mainstays like Beef Bro, Saiko, and Broti will be present, but keep your eyes peeled for newer vendors like Inariku, a trained chef from the Tokyo Sushi Academy who will be serving lobster inari, ramen, and bentos, and RUMI The Poet’s Cup, where decadent drinks like Hazel Malt and Caramel Cream come with a special poem and message written on a scroll!
Source:@rumithepoetscup
There are also classic arcade games for you to relive your childhood at, and if you pay just $15 to enter Bacon Beats, it’s an air-conditioned, neon-lit music paradise with more games, photo-worthy installations, and live music performances by local stars Joie Tan, Riot !n Magenta, DJ KiDG, and more.
Address: Downtown East D’Marquee Open Plaza 1 & 2, 1 Pasir Ris Cl Downtown East, Singapore 519599
Date & Time: 11th – 13th & 18th – 20th January | 3PM – 11PM
Website
7. Prudential Marina Bay Carnival
Source: @trippingtroopers
Singapore’s largest funfair is back for its 2nd edition! Occupying the Bayfront Event Space once more, the Prudential Marina Bay Carnival will feature plenty of photo-worthy street food, up to 50 different types of plushies to bag home, and more than 40 rides and games, which consists of both crowd-favourites and new additions.
Source: Prudential Marina Bay Carnival
Some of the popular attractions include the 35m-tall Star Flyer, heart-stopping Mach 5, and the Das Fun Schiff Viking ship, and the brand new centrepiece of this round’s carnival is the Wave Swinger, a giant carousel swing!
Source: Prudential Marina Bay Carnival
Admission to the carnival is completely free-of-charge so you can pop in and snap away with the many photo ops, but do take note that you’ll have to pay for the rides.
Source: Prudential Marina Bay Carnival
Note: Opening hours are extended till 2AM on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Address: Bayfront Event Space, 12A Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018970
Date & Time: 22nd December 2018 – 24th March 2019 | 4PM – 11PM Daily
Website
8. One Piece Puzzle Hunt
The puzzle hunt map and collectible cards! Source: One Piece Puzzle Hunt
One Piece fans, Singapore’s first-ever One Piece exhibition might be over, but the augmented reality One Piece Puzzle Hunt is still taking place across the entire Sentosa Island. With an accompanying storyline that starts with you being shipwrecked, players will have to track down the stations via an app (iOS and Android) or a Supplement Board located at every checkpoint, and then solve their puzzles to move on to the next location.
On top of that, all players will receive an exclusive set of Straw Hat Pirate cards as a souvenir. The game will take approximately 2 hours or more to complete, and registration can be made in front of iFly at Beach Station.
Purchase your tickets here!
Address: Sentosa Island
Date & Time: 14th December 2018 – 13th February 2019 | 10AM – 7PM (Last registration at 5PM)
Ticket Pricing: $30
Website
9. A Wizarding World Holiday at Changi
Source:Changi Airport
Potterheads, rejoice – the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is now in Changi Airport with life-sized mock-ups of the iconic Hogsmeade Village, Diagon Alley, Whomping Willow, and Newt’s Menagerie!
Source:Changi Airport
Some of these setups even have daily snow and light shows, and avid fans can try on Hogwarts robes and take GIFs in front of a Magical Photo-Taking Mirror. There are games for you to try your hand at too, such as the Wand Challenge where you’ll learn spell-casting movements, the Quaffle Toss, where you can challenge your friends to a game of Quidditch, and the Niffler Challenge Game, where you’re supposed to stack as many coins as possible atop a giant Niffler replica!
Source:Changi Airport
As an added bonus, fans can bag home exclusive Harry Potter merchandise as well, which include Wizarding World-inspired plush toys, scarves, and travel pillows. The best part of all? Admission is free!
Source:Changi Airport
Address: Terminal 3, Departure Hall, Public Area
Date & Time: 16th November 2018 – mid-February 2019
Website
10. Rainforest Lumina
Source:Rainforest Lumina
We’ve never had the chance to see the sunset at the Singapore Zoo, but in celebration of its 45th birthday, we can now do so with their latest attraction, Rainforest Lumina. It’s the first multi-sensory night walk in Asia, and the 1km light trail features over 10 interactive zones with various light installations and projections such as the Luminous Pathway, Shimmering Islands, and Lantern Passage.
Source:Rainforest Lumina
Source:Rainforest Lumina
A total of 7 time slots are available every night, so book yours here!
Address: Singapore Zoo, 80 Mandai Lake Road, Singapore 729826
Date: From 1st July 2018
Ticket Pricing: $22 (Adult), $16 (Child 3 – 12 years old)
Website