The Christmas festivities may be over, but it’s time to shift your gears into New Year mode as we approach 2018. In the days leading up to the potentially raucous NYE celebrations, indulge in a prelude of comedy, films and exhibitions.
Tuesday, Dec 26
COMEDY
Catch everyone’s favorite drag queen comedian Kumar as he dishes out his usual antics, politically incorrect rants and Singapore issues-based jokes at Canvas. Dec 26
FILM
Spend Tuesday nights watching a free movie at Popcorn Movie Nights, over at Palawan Green in Sentosa. This week’s chosen film, Love, Actually, tells the intertwining stories of nine people through the complexities of love. Dec 26
FESTIVE
Make your year-end celebrations a blast with City Square Mall’s array of Transformers- and space-themed attractions. A must-see at their Out-of-this-World Christmas is the 10-minute Stellar Light Show that takes place every 30 minutes at the outdoor park area, before taking a spin on the Christmas carnival rides and checking out the Transformers appearance onstage. Through Dec 31
FESTIVE
Gardens by the Bay transforms into Singapore’s biggest yuletide affair in its fourth edition with a whole bunch of fairground activities, food stalls in partnership with Savour, performances including a circus act with gravity-defying acrobatics, and more. Through Dec 26
EXHIBITION
On the 75th anniversary of the fall of Singapore, the National Museum of Singapore remembers 1942, with their first large-scale, blockbuster war exhibition featuring more than 130 artefacts from 10 overseas museums and institutions. It’s the biggest collection of war stories to date, but go because the exhibition explores events and portrayals of World War II beyond just your textbook syllabus. Through Mar 21, 2018
EXHIBITION
A cursed gem, a dodo and a giant stuffed sloth walk into a museum; the punchline is that they’re here to stay till the end of April. Treasures of the Natural World , the traveling exhibition from the Natural History Museum in London, makes its first and only stop in Southeast Asia at the ArtScience Museum, bringing over 200 of the London museum’s star artefacts Through Apr 29, 2018
Wednesday, Dec 27
FESTIVE
It probably doesn’t get more thematic than at Universal Studios Singapore. They’re transforming the entire New York and Hollywood zones into a starry, snowy world. Go on a ride on Santa’s sleigh, help out the elves at Santa’s workshop, and as night falls, revel with Marilyn Monroe and Betty Boop as a song-and-dance takes place under twinkling lights and a beautiful projection mapping. Through Jan 1, 2018
EXHIBITION
The problematic issues surrounding climate change and the ocean take center stage at this exhibition presented by the NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore. Featuring contributions by 12 artists, filmmakers, composers and researchers who made trips to islands in the Pacific, The Oceanic focuses on large-scale human interventions in oceanic ecospheres. Through Mar 8, 2018
EXHIBITION
In a stunning collab between National Gallery Singapore and the Musee d’Orsay in Paris, Claude Monet and his contemporaries grace our sunny island with over 60 Impressionist masterpieces in Colours of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musee d’Orsay, featuring works like the dreamy Le Bassin aux nympheas, harmonie rose. Through Mar 11, 2018
EXHIBITION
Curated by acclaimed art historian Lorand Hegyi, The Artist’s Voice brings together the works of 34 contemporary artists from around the world, to reflect on socio-political issues and the human condition through mediums ranging from sculpture to video. Through Mar 18, 2018
Thursday, Dec 28
WELLNESS
Now that Christmas is over, learn to take care of yourself and join in the twilight edition of Urban Yogis’ Pop-Up Yoga series at on the MBS Boardwalk. Dec 28
PARTY
The new room at Headquarters by The Council will be opening its doors sooner than we anticipated. Head over to the underbelly of Boat Quay and join in the opening celebration of Upstairs, where you can enjoy stiff cocktails with a view. The party continues into the weekend. Dec 28-30
MARKET
The people who brought you Artbox Singapore are back with an even bigger market. While the former ended up being a bit of a literal hot mess, one thing’s for sure—Singaporeans love their giant, overhyped markets. Enter Flashbang; Singapore’s first and largest creative retail “playground” that will take over the carpark space opposite Cineleisure. It’s been touted as a combination of Artbox and iLight Marina Bay. Through Dec 30
EXHIBITION
Kult Gallery brings fantasy cult favorite Dune by Frank Herbert to life through a variety of VR pieces, paintings, print and project mapping by local and regional artists in their new exhibition, Dune: A Sci-fi Art Show. Through Dec 30
FESTIVE
As with every year, bask in the Christmas spirit on Orchard Road with the annual light-up along the shopping stretch. They’re changing things up a little as this year, the lights will go into full force from 3pm every day in broad daylight. How, you ask? Find out here. Through Jan 1, 2018
Friday, Dec 29
PARTY
No, Zouk didn’t shove their Soulfeed night aside. Throwing the last one for the year, they’re going big with a double bill by bringing in German electronic musician (and one half of minimal techno supergroup Moderat), Apparat, who’ll be laying down complex ambient tunes (he’s also responsible for the theme song of Netflix’s Dark; and Australian producer A Friend Named Marcus. Dec 29
FILM/PARTY
Missed this year’s run of The Sound of Music at MBS? That’s fine, this is even better. Our favorite drag queens The Glory Hoes continue their queer film series, this time with the film version of the same title based on the fantastical Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. The Projector comes alive with more than just music; expect a dinner of all your favorite things, followed by the actual screening and an after party with DJ Bobby Luo. Make sure you sing “So Long, Farewell” before heading home. Dec 29
WELLNESS
If high-intensity interval training (HIIT) isn’t a challenge for you anymore, try doing it on water. Over at ParkRoyal on Beach Road, these low-impact classes will require you to do a fun, full body workout that include burpees, lunges, squats and aquaclimbers on a solid float in their pool. Dec 29
CONCERT
Class it up with a symphonic concert as The Philharmonic Winds performs holiday season classics and more, literally On The Fifth Day of Christmas at Esplanade Concert Hall. Dec 29
DRINK/WELLNESS
If you haven’t tried beer yoga, this holiday season is the time to do so. Get into various yoga positions while holding (and eventually, drinking) your beer and work all that Christmas goodies off while you’re at it. Dec 29
FOOD
You’ve probably seen a slew of Penang’s street art on social media, but if you’ve never given yourself the chance to head over to try the street food, fret not; it’s coming to Singapore. This month, head over to York Hotel for Penang Hawkers’ Fare, where you can stuff yourself with char koay kak, ban chang kueh and more at the 12 live stations. Through Jan 1, 2018
EXHIBITION
If you fancy yourself a cinema enthusiast, the Singapore Art Museum’s latest exhibition Cinerama: Art and the Moving Image in Southeast Asia is a must-go. In a series of immersive, multi-medium installations, the exhibition brings together the works of 10 artists and art collectives from across the region. Here are five you should check out. Through Mar 18, 2018
CARNIVAL
Get your adrenaline pumping at Singapore’s largest carnival. The massive Prudential Marina Bay Carnival will span across 25,000 sqm (or the size of three and a half football fields) at The Promontory and Bayfront, and boast more than 40 rides and games—most of which are from the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. Through Apr 1, 2018
