If you don’t have a holiday planned this year, fret not. There are a whole bunch of events that will let you experience cultures of other countries without having to take out your passport. Here’s a list of major international cultural events you can check out in the coming weeks.
Pretend you’re on a Caribbean cruise
We’ve talked about how Caribbean culture has established itself in Singapore in a big way two months ago, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down.The upcoming Caribbean Cruisin’ Party will transform Jiak Chuan Road into a Caribbean-style carnival, with live music by Slingshot and other artists, a fashion show, dance performances and more. And yes, there will be alcohol and food too—expect loads of rum-based cocktails and BBQ dishes you can dig into. Oct 22
Ain’t no party like a Brazilian carnival
Kult Kafe brings the culture of Brazil to Singapore with the return of their Brazilian carnival, Ritmo do Brasil. It’s all about samba, with samba dance performances from SambahLah!, SambaBomBom! and international capoeiristas, music by Bantus Batucada Band, football freestylers from the Urban Street Team wowing people with their tricks, and of course typical Brazilian drinks like the Cairpirinha to go along with some sizzling Brazilian BBQ. Oct 23
This film festival will take you to different parts of Japan
Learn more about both Singapore and Japan through the power of films at the non-profit SJ50 Film Festival, where they’ll be screening a selection of short films from both countries, including James Khoo’s Hentak Kaki, Tariq Mansor’s The Apple of My Pie, Kanji Tsuda’s City of Silence, Yusuke Kabuki’s Another Kyoto, The Tea and more to celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations. Oct 21-28
Untold secrets of Argentina
Discover the wonders of Argentina through Comilona, a food and wine festival that where you can enjoy three nights of dinner collaborations with famous Argentinian cooks, sommeliers and more. Each night, they’ll prepare five-course meals with wine to pair with dishes Argentine beef, Aji Molido, Cedron and Cumin for your dining pleasure. Oct 26-28
Don’t miss out on pints of weizen and platters of bratwurst
There’s still time to enjoy some great German beer and bratwursts as Oktoberfest continues this month with a bunch of events that go on well into the end of the month. Through Oct 28
Get your geek on at this anime festial
Here’s another way you can connect with Japan. Asia’s biggest anime, games and cosplay event, Anime Festival Asia, is coming to Singapore next month. Indulge in all things Japanese pop culture, including a marketplace to buy anime collectibles and props if you want to join in the cosplay, along with performances by a whole slew of Japanese musicians like Aimer, Konomi Suzuki and others. Nov 25-27
The other side of Palestine
See a different side of Palestine at Singapore’s first Palestinian Film Festival happening next year. The festival will showcase five films that will unravel the different facets of Palestinian life that’s usually rarely or never seen by the public, as opposed to the civil unrest and violence often portrayed by the media. They’re still in the midst of raising funds for the festival, so check out their website to see how you can help. Jan 19-22, 2017
