Best Things To Do In Singapore In August 2019

Nothing comes close to watching fireworks live – unless there’s live music too. Grab some good ol’ local grub and cold beer, before picking a spot by the shophouses at the Belly of the Carp at Boat Quay along Singapore River for the National Day Parade fireworks display. Or if you want to avoid the bustling crowd, soak in the tunes played by a DJ and local bands like young post-acoustic trio HubbaBubbas and soul-funk quartet The Steve McQueens.

Aug 2-3, 6-10pm, at Circular Road & the NDP Fireworks Show is on Aug 3 from 8-8.15pm. Admission is free. More info at http://www.srf.sg/.

Photo: Singapore River One

Relook at the relationship between daily city life in Singapore and our evolving urban landscapes in this film and photography exhibition presenting three perspectives inspired by Singapore’s living conditions. Behind the lenses are young artists Dave Lim, Ernest Wu and Sean Cham who adapt themes of humour, relief, zen buddhism and urban redevelopment into their reflective visual works. See the city in a new light and beauty as you make your way through familiar iconography and marks we make everyday in public spaces.

Aug 3-28, opens Mon-Sat, 9am-5pm, City Canvas, Singapore City Gallery, URA, 45 Maxwell Rd S069118. Admission is free. More info at https://www.facebook.com/events/707379156378748/.

Photo: Sean Cham

Plant-killers, learn more about starting and sustaining an urban farm at home, nutrient deficiency in plants, organic pest control methods and more at this series of workshops. Gain first-hand advice from the experts themselves – local urban farmers will be conducting regenerative gardening and cooking workshops over four Saturdays at Mercure Singapore on Stevens. Upon harvesting, learn to whip up quick, tasty recipes with your fresh produce. Or, if things happen to take a turn for the worse, there’s always the Composting 101 class too.

Aug 3-31, various timings, at Mercure Hotel, 28 Stevens Rd, S257878. Tickets from $60. More info at https://www.facebook.com/MercureSingaporeStevens/.

In a tongue-in-cheek nod to the retro Great Singapore Workout, Zouk's National Day weekend promises a whole lot of local flavour. First up on National Day eve is Mambo Jambo, a uniquely Singapore institution in the nightlife scene, where you can bust out those good ol' mambo moves as DJs Jeremy Boon and Leonard T take over the decks.

Aug 8, 10pm-3am, Zouk Mainroom, 3C River Valley Rd, The Cannery, S179022. Tickets for non-members at $35 for ladies; $45 for men. ​​​​​​​

Photo: Zouk Singapore, Facebook

If you love the outdoor murals at this Keong Saik alley, then you won't want to miss this exhibition. Homegrown artists Liquan Liew and Estella Ng, collectively known as Ripple Root, will show their whimsical take on Singapore's history through their colourful, carefree works, as well as repurpose historic objects into contemporary art pieces. For a list of where to find Ripple Root murals in Singapore, click here.

Aug 8-31, 10am-7pm, at #01-11, Yang Gallery, The Shopping Gallery Hilton, 581 Orchard Rd, S238883. Admission is free. More info at http://www.rippleroot.com/.

Don’t wanna hustle in the heat and jostle with the throngs just to catch the NDP fireworks? Keep your cool from 71 floors above the crowd at Bar Rouge, which has a great view to catch not just the fireworks, but the National Day Parade flypast as well. The bar’s even gotten creative with locally-inspired drinks and bites like a Milo Dinosaur cocktail and Strawberry Milo mocktail, as well as DIY rojak and rainbow bread-wrapped ice cream sandwiches. Cute.

Aug 9, 4pm-6am, at Bar Rouge, Level 71, 2 Stamford Rd, 178882. Admission is free. More info at http://barrougeclubs.com/sg/.

In love with everything electronic? Revisit the early beginnings of electronic music on the nation's birthday, as veteran resident DJ Hong brings back timeless classics with his well-rounded mastery together with DJ Matthew at the decks. Be enthralled by a series of dazzling visuals and lasers accompanied by non-stop tunes from popular DJs Avicii, Martin Garrix and more.

Aug 9, 10pm-4am, Zouk Mainroom, 3C River Valley Rd, The Cannery, S179022. Tickets for non-members at $30 for ladies; $40 for men. More info at http://zoukclub.com/.

Photo: Zouk Singapore, Facebook

Take a nostalgic trip down memory lane over the National Day weekend. Get crafty over two days of art-ivities, from a heritage trail in the Balestier precinct to the Memorial Hall’s inaugural cultural bazaar and hands-on workshops. Sculpt miniature clay kueh arrangements, watch artisans craft soap bars into traditional kuehs, pop by the art market featuring homegrown brands like Wheniwasfour and YeoMama Batik. Doodle in your spare time? Learn to sketch Singapore’s traditional architecture and famous icons like the Merlion and Marina Bay Sands. Younger tots in tow might like to try designing their own ang ku kueh or kueh lapis toy or join a sensory play workshop.

Aug 9-10, 10am-5pm, at Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, 12 Tai Gin Rd, S327874. Admission is free; fees apply for Balestier Heritage Trail. More info at https://www.sysnmh.org.sg/en/whats-on/events/heritage-hurray.

Photo: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall

Don’t be afraid to let loose here – this event was made for you to explore music, promising to hit the right notes to keep you on your feet through the night. Lose yourself to the beat of fresh bangers and one-of-a-kind mixes by up-and-coming resident DJ Matthew, as well as long-running resident DJ Jeremy Boon, who’s known to experiment with jazz, soul, funk and many more genres.

Aug 10, 10pm-4am, Zouk Mainroom, 3C River Valley Rd, The Cannery, S179022. Tickets for non-members at $30 for ladies; $40 for men. More info at http://zoukclub.com/.

Photo: Zouk Singapore, Facebook

There's no need to FOMO if you didn’t manage to snag tickets for National Day Parade this year, because the celebrations carry on on Aug 10 and 11. Gather the entire clan and slink over to Gardens by the Bay where the inaugural 'Our SG, Our Celebration' National Day concert and carnival will be held. Bask in the concert hosted by DJs Jean Danker, Kun Hua, Farhana and Eswari and featuring over 25 performers, from national treasures Kit Chan and Dick Lee to homegrown talents Jasmine Sokko and Aisyah Aziz. There's also a slew of activities for the entire family to enjoy — we’re talking food trucks, a 20m-long inflatable playground, face-painting and balloon-sculpting, as well as meet-and-greet with stars from KIN, Fried Rice Paradise The Drama Series, and SPOP Sing! 2018. For full concert and event line-up, click here.

Our SG, Our Celebration is on Aug 10-11, 4-9.30pm, at The Meadow at Gardens by the Bay. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/nationaldayconcert. Highlights from the two-day concert will be shown on Channel 5 on Sunday 18 August in two parts, at 7.30pm - 8.15pm, and 10pm - 11pm and available on Toggle as VOD and Channel 5 YouTube.

Photo: Warren Tey (Jasmine Sokko)

So what if you're not travelling over the long weekend? A day out at the beach is all the #holidayvibes you need, especially when Tanjong Beach Club is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a two-day extravaganza. Want to learn something new? Get handsy at the silkscreen printing and paper marbling workshops, or attend some Beachside Yoga sessions. Feeling the beach vibes and ready for some action? Break it out at the beachside All-Day Tiki Party or camp by the beach for an evening filled with all-star international and local acts. Or if you’re just there to feast, there’s the Food Village or the Bottomless Brunch offering seafood, charcuterie, cheese and roast.

Aug 10 from 9-12am & Aug 11 from 2pm-2am, at Tanjong Beach, 120 Beach Walk, S098942. Admission on Aug 10 is free, while a pass for Aug 11 and Aug 10-11 starts from $75. More info at http://www.tanjongparadisco.com/. ​​​​​​​

Liven up your Sunday night over this long weekend for a special treat from NINETEEN80. The retro-themed arcade bar gathers all its resident DJs for a night, playing hits from the 80’s to the early ‘00s. With seven DJs at the decks till late, get ready for a memorable National Day break.

Aug 11, 9pm-4am, at NINETEEN80, #01-05, 21 Tanjong Pagar Rd, S088444. Admission is free. More info at https://www.facebook.com/NINETEEN80BAR/.

Photo: NINETEEN80, Facebook

There are more reasons to head to the beach this month - and it's best to go there hungry. We're not talking about starving yourself for that bikini bod. Instead, bring your appetite to this food festival that brims with holiday vibes, fabulously charred food, a 3m-tall BBQ pit, exclusively-brewed beer, roving performances and movie screenings. You're spoilt for choice with over 130 F&B establishments offering exotic bites like grilled durian, the oh-so-on-trend Impossible burger and the GrillFest-exclusive Instagrammable Gelato Bomb –five indulgent scoops of gelato on a waffle basket topped with macaroons. Best of all, you can forget your bulky wallet as payments are only accepted via credit and EZ-Link cards.

Till Aug 12, 4-11pm, at Siloso Beach, Sentosa. Admission is free. More info at https://www.sentosa.com.sg/en/things-to-do/events/sentosa-grillfest-2019/.

Slink over to National Gallery Singapore with your homies or the entire clan, where there's free entry until Aug 12, as part of its National Day celebrations. If you don’t manage to make it down in time, fret not. Entry fees are 50 per cent off from Aug 13 to 31, so take your time to enjoy the entire bevy of talks, performances and exhibitions lined up for the month of August. Take note, though, the Gallery is closed on Aug 2-4 and 8-10.

Free admission at National Gallery until Aug 12, selected timings, 1 St. Andrew’s Rd, S178957. More info at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/.

Photo: National Gallery Singapore

Hossan Leong is turning 50 and he wants to celebrate by entertaining you with a grand show that promises plenty of laughs and songs about tourism slogans, recessions, international airports and the government. Keep an eye out for the quick-change segment where the comedian plays up to eight Disney princesses in 12 minutes. Catch this multi-talented performer-host-actor-radio presenter while you can, as this might be his last show for a while.

Aug 14-31, Tue-Sun 8pm & Sat-Sun 3pm, at Drama Centre Theatre, Level 3 National Library Building, 100 Victoria St S188064.

Photo: @HossanLeongOfficial, Facebook

Discover the different layers of the Singaporean identity with local film screenings, dialogues with the filmmakers, and even poetry. Lesser-known tales come to life with poetry, stories and classic Malay songs performed by poet A. Samad Said and his son. Drop by for talks like What Society Hides From Itself –Toto, Nation-building and the Integrated Resort on the oddity of Marina Bay Sands and how lottery was legalised amidst nationalism. In The Collective Memory: Haw Par Villa held from Aug 2-25, be intrigued by the juxtaposition of fickle memory against 50 restaged photographs of individuals at Haw Par Villa, as the photographer Deanna Ng questions the reliability of archival photography.

Aug 15-18, various timings, at The Arts House, 1 Old Parliament Lane, S179429. Admission is free. More info at https://www.theartshouse.sg/programmes/lumination/.

If you're a fan of local music, you might wanna hang out at Clarke Quay’s fountain square for evening gigs lined up by several homegrown artistes rapper Yung Raja, Fariz Jabba and others across genres such as hip hop, indie pop, soul and R&B. Festival foods get a Singaporean makeover with unique bites like rendang pizza, Milo dinosaur shooters along with food kiosks by Harry’s Bar, Chupitos Bar and Le Noir. Being at a music fest still requires energy, after all.

Aug 16-17, 7pm-12am, at Clarke Quay Fountain Square, 3 River Valley Rd, S179024. Admission is free. More info at http://www.srf.sg/.

Photo: Singapore River One

This top-class entertainer does it all – writing a book, TV, radio and stand-up comedy, as well as with his own late-night talk show Tonight with Trevor Noah. Known for his satirical humour, authentic social commentary and mad improv skills, Trevor will bring a memorable show, so get ready to laugh out loud with the host in his first two ever shows here.

Aug 19, 7pm & 9.30pm, at The Star Theatre, 1 Vista Exchange Green, S138617. Sold out. More info at https://www.la-comedylive.com/trevornoah.

Go on a journey back to prehistoric times - specifically, the Cretaceous period when Australian polar dinosaurs lived. Taking place across seven thematic zones, the exhibition allows visitors of all ages to discover how a real-life dinosaur expedition works, by way of immersive activities such as holographic mapping, mixed reality environments and other super-cool technologies that'll wow both kiddos and kidults.

Jun 1 - Aug 23, 10am - 6pm daily, at Science Centre Singapore, 15 Science Centre Rd, S609081. Tickets from $15. For more info, visit https://www.sistic.com.sg/events/dino0819.

The Bras Basah-Bugis district as we know it comes to life in a new light at this year's edition of the Singapore Night Festival with a specially curated mix of gigs, arts, heritage and cultural experiences, and of course, light installations. What else is in store: Enjoy your KTV in the National Museum of Singapore, marble UV paint on your skin or keep it simple and go for UV nail art. Fuel up at the Festival Village at SMU Campus Green, or join a night heritage tour through Fort Canning Park. If that’s not exciting enough for your adrenaline-seeking soul, Argentinean troupe Fuerza Bruta is putting on their 360-degree aerial acrobatics act at Cathay Green from Aug 29-31. For more information and a sneak peek at this year's festival, click here.

Aug 23-31, 7.30pm-12am, at Bras Basah-Bugis district. Charges apply for selected programmes, while tickets for Fuerza Bruta start from $12. More info at https://www.nightfestival.sg/.

Heads up, RPDR fans: Alaska is set to visit our island with her hits and wits. Played by Justin Honard who started out acting before turning to drag, the iconic drag queen now performs and even released singles like 'Ru Girl' and 'Your Makeup Is Terrible'. Be charmed by the winner of season 2 of RPDR All Stars or even meet her in person at her one-and-only show here.

Aug 27, 8pm, at Shine Auditorium, Shaw Tower, 100 Beach Rd, S189702. Tickets from $98. More info at https://www.la-comedylive.com/alaska.

What sparks one to start toy-collecting? Uncover the process behind Asia’s greatest doll collector Jian Yang’s 9,000-strong ensemble of dolls, of which 300 are displayed at UNBOX, an exhibition featuring unique private toy collections. Admire Japanese dolls and dolls created by fashion houses among other themes in this presentation, or perhaps commemorate your visit with a photo of yourself in a life-size toy box created just for the exhibit.

Till Sept 15, 9.30am-6.30pm, at MINT Museum of Toys, 26 Seah St, S188382. Tickets at $10 for kids/seniors and $20 for adults. More info at https://emint.com/.

Think art and social activism are worlds apart? Think again. All 142 artworks here were created in the name of activism, by artists expressing their views of social and political issues in that era. On showcase are performances like ‘They Poach the Rhino, Chop Off His Horn and Make This Drink’ criticising poaching’s effect on nature and painting ‘Dede Eri Supria’ to provoke thought about poverty amongst industrialisation and economic wealth in society. Craving for more food for thought? There’s also a roundtable talk by the curators, lectures on topics like political art movement and short films featuring themes like domesticity of women.

Until Sep 15, Sat-Thu 10am-7pm, Fri 10am-9pm, at Singtel Special Exhibition Gallery, City Hall Wing, Level 3, National Gallery, 1 St. Andrew’s Road, S178957. Tickets to the exhibition from $10, while admission to programmes is free. For more info, visit https://www.nationalgallery.sg/see-do/programme-detail/28983113/awakenings-art-in-society-in-asia-1960s-1990s.

Photo: Koh Nguang How

At the Scentscational Orchids display at Gardens by the Bay, you have to heavily rely on your sense of smell to appreciate the exhibits — there are 58 types of orchids with various scents, categorised into delicate floral, sweet floral, spicy floral and intense floral. Cheem. The interactive nature of the display, coupled with the natural beauty of our national flower, makes for a good time for the entire clan, we reckon. Who knew there was so much to make scents of when it comes to orchids?

Until Sep 22, 9am-9pm, at Cloud Forest, at Gardens by the Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Drive, S018953. Admission charge to Cloud Forest applies. More info at http://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/.

Photo: Gardens by the Bay

You don’t have to be a fan of Alice in Wonderland to enjoy this engaging, immersive and very Insta-worthy multimedia exhibition. The curious, the young and the young at heart will have a field day poring over original production costumes, magic lantern slides, visual sound effects combined with projection mapping and even a physical ‘Lost Map of Wonderland’ to experience interactive content during the exhibition, as well as online after your visit. With so many mediums telling the Alice In Wonderland story on display, make your time here even more magical at the ‘A Hat-trick of Clever Tricks’ workshop which involves math and logic.

Until Sep 22, 10am-7pm, at ArtScience Museum, 10 Bayfront Avenue, S018956. Tickets from $12, while a fee of $5 applies for the workshop. Tickets are no longer available for the workshop. For more info, visit https://www.marinabaysands.com/museum/wonderland.html.

Photo: Marina Bay Sands

If you like floating inflatables, this one's for you. The latest showcase by ArtScience Museum takes you through five chapters of the history of inflatable sculptures. With more than 40 artworks, including eight giant inflatable sculptures, visitors will be in for a bouncing good time this June and beyond. Read our full review here.

May 25 - Sept 29, 10am–7pm, ArtScience Museum, 6 Bayfront Ave, S018974. Tickets from $12. For more info, visit https://www.marinabaysands.com/museum.html.

Forget about snapping Insta-worthy pix of our monuments and take a moment to appreciate the beauty of our historic landmarks through sketches done by three artists from the silver generation. This exhibition features poignant sketches of 18 national monuments like the Sri Mariamman Temple and Sultan Mosque. It travels through seven locations islandwide, beginning with the Jurong Regional Library (until Jun 29), before moving on to the likes of the Marine Parade Public Library and library@harbourfront.

Until Dec 30, selected NLB libraries. Free admission for Singapore Citizens and PRs. For more info, visit https://www.facebook.com/NationalHeritageBoardSG/.

Photo: Francis Theo