Best Things To Do In Singapore This Weekend (May 26-28)

If you’re looking for new activities indoors for the whole family this weekend to escape the heat, here are a few to pencil in. Make time in your schedule this weekend to explore the worlds of fashion, food and even biodiversity as a slew of blockbuster exhibitions and shows open. Here are the events and happenings in Singapore you don’t want to miss out on this weekend.

Sensory Odyssey: Into the Heart of Our Living World

When: May 27-Oct 29, 10am-7pm daily (last admission 6pm)
Where: ArtScience Museum, 6 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018974

Explore the natural world in 8K at this exhibition that takes you on a multi-sensory journey, showcasing diverse ecosystems like you’ve never seen before. Fresh off its run at the French National Museum of Natural History, this visually astounding show is in Asia for the first time at the ArtScience Museum. Through ultra-high definition video projection, spatial audio and scents, visitors can expect to get up close with our planet’s incredible biodiversity in various ways, from joining animals at a watering hole in the African Savannah to swimming with giant sperm whales in the ocean. Tickets are $21 (adults) and $17 (kids) for Singapore residents. More info

Children’s Season 2023: Get Curious: All About Food!

When: May 27-Jun 25, 10am-12pm and 1pm-6pm daily
Where: National Museum of Singapore, Glass Atrium Level 2, 93 Stamford Road, Singapore 178897

What makes the June holidays better? Food, of course. This edition of the popular Children’s Season is dishing out fun, food-themed installations that will whet the kiddos’ appetites for learning. Interactive spaces and displays and family-friendly programmes let the young ones discover everything about our national pastime, from Singapore’s diverse food offerings to traditional food preparation. Admission is free, while some complementary activities may be ticketed. More info  

Now Boarding: Experiencing Singapore Through Travel, 1800-2000s

When: May 27-Nov 19, 10am-7pm daily (last admission 6.30pm)
Where: National Museum of Singapore, Exhibition Gallery, Basement Level, 93 Stamford Road, Singapore 178897

While everyone may be travelling again, here’s a way for you to travel… back in time. This immersive travel-themed exhibition traces the history of Singapore as a destination through the eyes those who have visited us on our sunny shores, from colonial times up until present day. The trip down memory lane goes through four thematic zones — transport, accommodation, F&B and sights and shopping — and it all starts at the airport's iconic analogue flip board. Once a centrepiece at Changi Airport, it now greets visitors at the travel-inspired showcase, which is also brimming with stories and objects that are key milestones. Share your travel stories on a limited-edition postcard (available with a donation to the museum) and pop them in the Singapore Post mailbox to send them to anywhere in the world via good ol’ snail mail. Various pop-up experiences will happen throughout the year, including a disco room that will be unveiled end May. Admission is free for Singaporeans and PRs. More info 

Where Your Senses Feast

When: May 15-28
Where: Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956

You’ve been to ArtScience Museum’s Future World exhibition, but have you had an utterly IG-worthy dining experience amid its displays? Or feasted in the middle of Marquee with theatrical presentations and live demos on stage? All this and more are happening at Marina Bay Sands’ two-week-long food and wine festival happening across its F&B outlets, featuring over 30 events like rooftop parties, unique dining experiences and mixology masterclasses. In the mood to indulge? The headliner Six Star Dinner event (May 19-20) is an astrology-themed dinner featuring a five-course menu by a (Michelin) star-studded line-up: Tetsuya Wakuda of Waku Ghin, CUT by Wolfgang Puck’s executive chef Greg Bess and guest chef Stefan Stiller of three-Michelin-starred Taian Table in Shanghai. Dinner in a pop-up pavilion, which goes for an eye-watering $996 per pax, will be accompanied by live performances and an audiovisual spectacle. More info

GIFFEST by EYEYAH!

When: May 18 to Aug 26, 9am-9pm daily
Where: National Design Centre Level 1 Atrium, 111 Middle Road, Singapore 188969

You’re used to seeing GIFs in the little rectangle that is your phone. But what if you could walk and discover a life-sized world of GIFs? Back for the third edition is what’s touted as Asia’s largest celebration of GIFs, GIFFEST is an immersive showcase where 50 local and international creatives will have an array of animated artworks presented in different ways, from a GIF ATM to a GIF DVD player (remember those?). And if the displays have you itching to create something of your own, there are hands-on workshops, talks and other fringe activities that may interest you. There are new fringe activities every two weeks, now that this third edition of the festival has been extended from its usual five days to a whopping three months. Free admission. More info

Vividly Maggie

When: May 13 to Jun 25
Where: ArtScience Cinema, ArtScience Museum Level 4, 6 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018974

In the mood to revisit Maggie Cheung’s film legacy? The Hongkong actress has retired from acting but fans can revisit Maggie’s works in the ArtScience Cinema’s latest film retrospective, Vividly Maggie. Seven iconic films, carefully curated to trace Maggie’s illustrious film career, will be screened throughout the six weeks: Song of the Exile (1990), Center Stage (1991), Comrades: Almost a Love Story (1996), Irma Vep (1996), In the Mood for Love (2000), Clean (2004) and Ashes of Time Redux (2008). Tickets from $10. More info

Shakespeare in the Park: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

When: May 3 to 28, Tues-Sun 7.30pm
Where: Fort Canning Park

Whether you’re looking for a unique date night idea or are a theatre lover who loves a different stage experience, here’s something for you. The well-loved Shakespeare in the Park makes its return, so get those picnic baskets and mats ready for a night of theatre under the stars. Fort Canning Park will be transformed into the Kingdom of Athenia with ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ taking centrestage this year. The production will stay true to the text but to spice things up, it’ll be set in a contemporary setting, but still remain as enchanting nonetheless. Tix from $60-$138. More info

MOVE! Around the World

When: Apr 27 to Jul 15. Open Tue-Fri at 1pm-7.30pm, and Sat 9am-5.30pm
Where: La Galerie, Level 2, Alliance Française de Singapour, 1 Sarkies Road Singapore 258130

Inspired by the Jules Verne’s classic Around the World in 80 Days, this interactive exhibition delves into the history and evolution of French transportation. Visitors can expect to pore over rarely seen collectibles and travel memorabilia at the exhibition, and learn more about French transportation innovations that have changed the way people travel by land, sea and air, whether it’s by the TGV train or the A380 aircraft.  Free entry. More info

Love, Kebaya travelling exhibition

When: Apr 4 to May 24
Where: Various locations

The kebaya has been submitted as an entry for the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List of Humanity, and the public can now learn more about the traditional garment with its roots in a shared heritage in Southeast Asian cultures by way of a travelling exhibition. The Love, Kebaya exhibition will be at the National Museum of Singapore’s Level 2 Platform from Apr 4-23, Gardens by the Bay Visitors Centre from Apr 26 to May 14 and Tampines Hub’s Our Festive Market from May 16-24.

On display are six kebaya designs created by craftpersons as well as photos of women from the Malay, Peranakan and Eurasian communities wearing the kebaya at different occasions, showing the garment’s evolution across different time periods. Admission is free. More info

Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience

When: Mar 1 to Oct 1
Where: Resorts World Sentosa, B1 Forum

More than five million people worldwide have stepped into this 360-degree immersive digital art experience, and now you can too. Meander your way through over 300 Van Gogh artworks across thematic zones to discover more about the iconic artist and his life. The main highlight is The Immersive Room, a 40-minute digital projection mapping that not only mesmerises, but allows visitors to literally be part of the scenery in Van Gogh’s most famous works. Need a little time for reflection and refuelling after? There’s a thematic café serving Janice Wong’s artistic sweet treats. Tickets from $15 (children) and $24 (adults). More info

Sneakertopia: Step Into Street Culture

When: Feb 25 to Jul 30
Where: ArtScience Museum, 6 Bayfront Avenue

Singapore’s first sneaker and street culture exhibition is a shoe-in, whether you’re a die-hard sneakerhead or just want to see JJ Lin’s personal sneaker and art collection up close (above, right). Yes, in the 10 colourful, immersive zones at this exhibition that has previously made waves in Los Angeles and New York, the Singapore edition has over 100 limited edition sneakers and 70 murals and installations. All of these take you into the world of sneaker and street culture and its cross influences with the worlds of hip hop, sports, and fashion. Tickets from $18. More info

Climate Changed

When: Permanent exhibition
Where: Hall B, Singapore Science Centre, 15 Science Centre Road

The unpredictable air-con weather we had last month was not just a coincidence — it’s due to climate change, of course. “Just like every other part of the world, Singapore is a victim of the impact of climate change and wetter condition in recent decades is one of the key indicators, especially over this region,” shares Associate Professor Lim Tit Meng of Science Centre Singapore. “If this trend continues, the rising sea level in this region can pose further challenges in the coming decades.”

To find out more about the very real threats of the climate crisis, head to the Climate Changed exhibition at Singapore Science Centre. Through immersive displays, interactive gameplays and other cool ways, you’ll get to learn more about climate change, the impact of our daily habits and what we can do to help at this permanent exhibition. Admission is free with every ticket to the Singapore Science Centre (from $8 for kids, $12 for adults). More info

Nature and Sustainability tours at Gardens by the Bay

When: Every Saturday and Sunday
Where: Gardens by the Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Dr, Singapore 018953

GBTB’s new Nature and Sustainability tours, which just kicked off last month, are held every Saturday and Sunday. The hour-long guided walking tours will take participants through the lesser-known sustainability features of GBTB and how our natural environment, biodiversity and climate change are intertwined. Who knows, you may even uncover hidden gems at GBTB that you may otherwise have missed without a professional guide, like, a plant that smells like root beer. Yes, really. Read more here. Free for Singaporeans and residents; pre-registration required. More info

Living Pictures: Photography in Southeast Asia

When: Dec 2, 2022 to Aug 20, 2023
Where: Level 3, City Hall Wing, National Gallery Singapore, 1 St Andrew's Rd, #01-01, Singapore 178957

In this age of ubiquitous selfies, it’s easy to forget the role that photography played throughout history. This exhibition at the National Gallery Singapore, which traces the history of photography in Southeast Asia, is a reminder of that. Split into five thematic zones, it features over 300 works from the mid-19th century until present day — start your journey delving into colonial and war archives, through to today’s digital age. More info