Forty-three; that’s 43 incredibly exciting events happening in a span of 31 days. October’s all cut out to silence naysayers who think “Singapore is boring” because clearly, the city’s dotted with a bunch of film screenings, gigs, block parties and festivals that you can get behind; not to mention the Oktoberfest drinkathon and Halloween parties that’ll get firmed up later in the month. We can’t wait.
FESTIVAL
If you’ve been falling behind in the social responsibility department, take heart—Green is the New Black, Singapore’s only conscious festival is back, to help whoever’s interested improve the way they think, live and consume with a series of talks, a Mindful Marketplace and more. Oct 1
FOOD
German bar and restaurant Brotzeit is starting Oktoberfest celebrations here early at all their outlets with a weekend of merryment where you can enjoy free-flow beer packages and a special Oktoberfest menu—filled with dishes like Roasted Pork in Dark Beer Sauce and German Beer Pudding—while Germanic band AnTon & The Funny Guys keep you entertained at the Vivocity outlet. Through Oct 1
CONCERT
Progressive metal biggies Dream Theater will be returning to Singapore for the fourth time this year to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their RIAA gold-certified record, Images & Words, as part of their “Images, Words & Beyond” tour. Oct 3
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FOOD
Whether you’re in Orchard, Novena or Downtown, Marmalade Pantry has you covered this Halloween. Indulge in their quirky Halloween edible decorations in the form of mini ghosts, eyeballs and bats or their cupcakes ($4.90) when you drop by any one of the outlets this month. Otherwise, the Downtown and Novena outlets are hosting a Halloween-themed brunch from 11:30am-2:30pm on Oct 29 ($25-53), with activities like neon tattoo sessions, DIY Halloween treats and a scavenger hunt. Come in your costumes for a chance to win a night’s stay at Oasia Hotel. Terms and conditions apply. More here. Oct 1-31
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FILM
Tan Pin Pin’s latest documentary, In Time To Come, finally opens in Singapore at the Filmgarde Cineplex in Bugis+. Read our interview with her as she shares more about the film, media censorship and… mosquito fumigation. Through Oct 4
FESTIVAL
The island’s annual festival celebrating architecture is back—this year with the theme “Building Agency”. Held across multiple venues, Archifest 2017 will see a lineup of more than 50 curated exhibitions, tours, talks and installations, to bring the public closer to appreciating our built environment. Oct 4-11
CONCERT
Brooklyn-based MC, entrepreneur and social activist Talib Kweli pops by Kilo to spit some words over at Kilo Lounge. With close to 20 years worth of material, Kweli is currently one of the world’s most talented and most accomplished Hip Hop artists. Oct 5
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FOOD
Get set for a bone-chilling Halloween this year with Cold Stone Creamery, as they unveil their new ominous creation Cookies ‘n’ Screammm; a generous scoop of pumpkin ice cream mixed with wriggly worms, bloody berries and Oreo cookies ($6-10.50). Top up $1.20 for a plain waffle bowl, or $1.90 for a dipped waffle bowl. Terms and conditions apply. More here. Oct 1-31
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ART
The collectively beloved graphic interchange format (GIF) takes center stage at this year’s Noise x GIF Fest, which spotlights the artistic medium and its role in digital art, entertainment and creative communication through over 50 original GIFs done by both professional and amateur artists in SIngapore. Oct 5-11
PARTY
Bangladesh-born and New York City raised, indie-electronic artist Jai Wolf takes inspiration from hip-hop to classical music and even punk rock for his music. His track, “Ease My Mind”, was picked up by multi-instrumentalist Skrillex, and the rest was history. He’ll be commanding the decks at Phuture. Oct 6
WELLNESS/CHARITY
This year’s Pink Ribbon Walk marks 20 years of breast cancer awareness, so to celebrate, the Breast Cancer Foundation has organized an all-new Pink Ribbon Parade to enliven the festivities and celebrate solidarity. There’s the 3.5km walk and a new 5km run; or you could just soak in the positivity (and pinkness) at the Pink Ribbon Walk Carnival. Oct 7
If you can’t make it for the Pink Ribbon Walk, find out about other runs you can take part in here.
WORKSHOP
All you aspiring button pushers, this one’s for you. Swee Lee Music is hosting a DJ masterclass at Kilo in conjunction with the launch of the two new instruments. Joining them is Mike Wolf from Hong Kong’s leading DJ & music production platform Sol Passion and local house DJ Oliver Osborne. Oct 7
FILM
The National Gallery Singapore is messing with minds and shaking things up with Painting with Light, a showcase of more than 30 award-winning feature-length and short films exploring the multi-sensory medium of art. Oct 7-29
EXHIBITION
For the first time ever, you can bring your beloved cats and dogs to take part in the world’s first pet-dedicated art exhibition. Happening at the School of the Arts, the PAW-sitive: Interactive Art for Pets by Wellness exhibition aims to use interactive art to improve overall wellness of pets, specifically dogs and cats. Through Oct 8
FILM
Golden Village’s annual LGBT-centric Love & Pride Film Festival returns for 12 days, screening films curated by the Singapore Film Society at their Suntec City and Great World City outlets. We’re pretty excited about Being 17, an intense French drama film about a boy’s mother in his son’s bully under her care because his mother has fallen ill (obviously romance ensues after). Through Oct 8
FESTIVAL
Celebrate the Mid-Autumn festival amongst flora and fauna at Mid-Autumn @ Gardens by the Bay, set up with sprawling lantern displays amidst a lush garden setting. Stroll through extravagant lantern sets in both the indoor and outdoor exhibits, or simply enjoy the nightly cultural performances, a food street featuring Asian delights, and craft booths offering activities like lantern decorating and umbrella painting. Through Oct 8
FILM
Co-presented with the Embassy of Finland, the Finnish Film Foundation and the Finland 100 team, the inaugural Finnish Film Festival will be held at The Projector, screening a variety of films that showcase their social and natural landscapes like Little Wing, a moving tale of a young girl who goes on to find her biological father after being raised by her erratic and immature mother. Oct 12-15
THEATER
In celebration of Sing’theatre’s 10th anniversary, they’re staging their own adaptation of Forever Young, a comical jukebox musical from the original European hit by Swiss writer Erik Gedeon, at the School of the Arts. Oct 11-21
CONCERT
British sportswear-slash-streetwear label Fred Perry Singapore will be bringing in Gary Powell, drummer of English rock outfit The Libertines, for an exclusive DJ set for the upcoming edition of the label’s gig series, Subculture Live. Oct 13
EXHIBITION
The third edition of Objectifs’s Women in Photography group exhibition spotlights eight international and local women photographers and their works exploring domesticity and family. Follow Belgian photographer Bieke Depoorter around North America where she documents the homes of strangers who let her stay a night in I Am About to Call it a Day; or peruse uncomfortable portraits of Bangladeshi housewives and housemaids in Jannatul Mawa’s Close Distance. Oct 13-Nov 19
PARTY
Whether you know them by the bleeps and bloops of their seminal track “Rej”, there’s a lot to be said about esteemed German tech house duo, Ame; especially after being in the scene for about 12 years now. But we’ll let their live set at Zouk do the talking instead. Oct 14
HERITAGE
Take a walk down the colorful streets and back alleys of Little India and gaze at beautiful murals and street art while learning about the historical and cultural importance of the precinct at the Little India Heritage Trail, hosted by docents from the Indian Heritage Centre. Oct 14-15
EXHIBITION
Robots have invaded the ArtScience Museum and everyone’s invited to take a peek at what the future of cybernetics, artificial intelligence and genetic modification might look like at the HUMAN+: The Future of Our Species exhibition. Come with an open mind as you interact with life-like humanoids and find out how robots are already living among us. Through Oct 15
PARTY
One of our favorite things to happen on public holiday eves is Zouk’s iconic Mambo Jambo. Once a Wednesday staple at the old premises on Jiak Kim, the night will be filled with nothing but good vibes, synchronized dance moves and familiar tracks from yesteryears. Oct 17
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FILM Not into Hollywood blockbusters? The student-run Perspectives Film Festival returns for a super-sized 10th edition with a total of 11 films—four of which are Singapore debuts and three are restored classics—across seven days. The line-up is no doubt exciting, but we’re more excited that this year, the festival spotlights three women-centric films, made by women filmmakers who have pushed boundaries for the industry. More info here. Oct 20-22 & 26-29 |
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CONCERT
Summer may be over but dream pop lives on in form of Fazerdaze, the project of New Zealand artist Amelia Murray. For her debut show in SIngapore, she’ll be joined by Gareth Thomas on bass and Andrea Holmes on drums. Oct 20
FILM
A Design Film Festival is one of the more stylish and highly anticipated film festivals in Singapore, is back for its seventh edition. Catch Dries, this year’s designer biopic which shines the spotlight on one of the industry’s most private designers, Dries Van Noten or the Black Mirror-esque eye-opener You’re Soaking In It, which blows the top off the advertising world. Oct 20-29
CONCERT
Missed Backstreet Boys when they came to Singapore in 2015? We admit, we haven’t really thought about them much since then, but now that they’re returning to SIngapore, it’s all coming back to us: “I Want It That Way”, “ Shape Of My Heart”, “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)” and “Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely”… and the list goes on. Tickets are sold out, but you can always turn to Carousell. Oct 21
PARTY
Plan ahead for this one guys. Urban Ventures is back for its seventh block party, and this time, they will be taking over Keong Saik Road once again, transforming the street into a bustling block party filled with food, music, art, markets and lots of socializing. Oct 21
CONCERT
After playing DJ sets in 2010, 2015 and 2016, Anoraak will be performing live at Canvas, dishing out some of his “sunniest” material in years. The French synthpop artist is the founding member of the Valerie Collective, which lent its prowess to score the stylish soundtrack of the 2011’s crime drama staring Ryan Gosling and Bryan Cranston, Drive. Oct 21
More gigs to last you the year, right here.
CONCERT
Despite some of us being as old as (or older than) the famed Final Fantasy video game series, indulging in its awe-inspiring and sometimes melancholic soundtracks never feel out of place. In celebration of its 30th birthday this year, Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy, the official symphony concert tour of the series, will be performing the tracks live for one night only at The Star Theatre. Oct 21
FOOD
Here’s one for the carnivores: everyone’s favorite meat buffet restaurant The Carvery beefs up their menu with the return of the Great Meat Feast, featuring a new-and-improved, international line-up of pork cuts and beef carvings. Through Oct 22
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PARTY
Month in and month out, our favorite dynamic duo WEELIKEME & KiDG (known for their EATMEPOPTART events) deliver a blend of indie rock, electro, punk, and indietronic power pop at parties without fail. This Halloween, they’re taking their repertoire of indie-flavored everything to the skies at Kinki Bar’s Terror at the Funhouse night from 8pm, where you can enjoy wicked Macallan whisky cocktails at $20. Oct 28
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FESTIVAL
Haw Par Villa gets a new leash on life this month as Noise Singapore takes over to host their inaugural Noise Invasion Festival with a line-up of music performances by the likes of Sam Rui and M1LDL1FE, a street dedicated to food, an art market, workshops and more. Oct 28
FESTIVAL
Now on their seventh edition, Universal Studios Singapore’s Halloween Horror Nights returns on select nights, all circling the central theme of the seven new incarnations of sins present in modern society—cruelty, deception, malice, manipulation, narcissism, perversion and obsession. Through Oct 29
EXHIBITION
Monsoon Song is Singaporean artist Fyerool Darma’s second solo exhibition, two years after he debuted with a series of paintings exploring the Malay identity and dissociation. His latest draws from the aesthetics of urban subcultures, traditional ceremonies and the folk craft of Singapore, Malaysia and the region. Through Oct 29
[SPONSORED]
WORKSHOP
Inspired by the 2001 Japanese animated fantasy film Spirited Away, Oriole Coffee + Bar, a coffee specialty cafe in Somerset, will transform into a mysterious lofty moonlit Japanese palace filled with silent masked creatures, resembling No-Face. Have a feast on their Glutton Platter ($32), featuring fried mantou with chili crab sauce, honey-sesame wings and candied black pepper bacon. At this edition of #OrioleCreates, you’ll learn how to put together a mysterious forest terrarium complete with a No-Face figurine, airplant and lush moss in a glass vessel. Terms and conditions apply. More here. Oct 29
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FOOD/DRINK/WORKSHOP
Robert Parker Wine Advocate (RPWA) is launching their inaugural GastroMonth, where you can skip waiting lists of revered restaurants in Singapore and enjoy a whole month of wining and dining, workshops, and more. Oct 30-Nov 26
FOOD
Shuck away at Ginett Restaurant & Wine Bar’s self-proclaimed Oysters Festival, which will roll out the finest oysters from the French ocean, including the Grand Cru de France, a vintage, special deep-cupped oyster that’s earned the title “Royal Oyster”.Other signature oyster varieties that will be available include oyster La Royale N1, La Royale N3, Wild oyster N3 and Fine Selection, with prices starting at $5. Through Oct 31
FOOD
Mexican king of the (Duxton) hill Lucha Loco is stepping up with their first Taco Libre event, featuring tacos made by six of Singapore’s top chefs like Artichoke’s Bjorn Shen, Cheek by Jowls’ Rishi Naleendra and Dave Pynt of Burnt Ends over 12 weeks (rotates every fortnight). These chefs will be vying for top suds as the “Ultimate Taco Champion”. Through Nov 4
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FOOD
Quayside Isle @ Sentosa Cove ups the ante on its spook level this Halloween with a heady mix of promos and fringe activities. Head over to Sabio by the Sea, Tapas Bar & Grill and enjoy some festive grub like their Frankenstein Sandwich (goat cheese & guacamole sandwich with olives “spiders”; $12) and 3-Eyed Monster Pasta (black angel hair pasta with beef meatballs & tomato sauce; $14) to prep yourself for the restaurant’s creepy Haunted House. And if you come fully dressed in your freakiest outfits while dining at Museo, you’ll enjoy 20% off their set menus. Don’t forget to collect your treats after dining in by yelling “Trick or Treat!” at participating restaurants. Terms and conditions apply. More here. Oct 28-29
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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. Check out the exhibition to explore events and portrayals of World War II beyond just your textbook syllabus. Through Mar 21 (2018)
