Whether you’re out and about merry-making the entire weekend or wrapping yourself in duvets to binge-watch the new season of The Crown in darkness, Christmas is here. And for those who are still trying to figure out which side of the fence they’re on, Singapore has not forgotten you. The show must go on, with parties, exhibitions and markets aplenty this long weekend.
Friday, Dec 22
Ryan Hemsworth
PARTY
Lovers of Ryan Hemsworth, wait no more. The highly sought-after Canadian producer and DJ will be back in Singapore, this time taking on the decks of the cool underground haunt of Mao. Dec 22
WORKSHOP
Are you a closet novelist with a treasure trove of short fiction stories to boot? Join like-minded people at The Hive Lavender’s “Write Your Own Flash Fiction” workshop, as author of The Infinite Library & Other Short Stories Victor Fernando R. Ocampo shows you the ropes of writing. Dec 22
MARKET/CHARITY
If you’re still in the midst of looking for a last-minute gift, at least do some good while you’re at it. You’ll be able to find first-hand knick-knacks and other apt Christmas gifts at the “Christmas with Impact” market, organised by Singapore-based events company Tabula Rasa. Part of the funds will go to the Bangladesh Refugee Crisis Relief. Dec 22
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. If not, you can always try doing Yoga. Dec 22
PARTY
Dance your socks off to a night of trance and psytrance at Piedra Negra’s last Astral Moon: The Spirit Wolf of the year. Dec 22
MARKET
Bringing cheer to the westerly heartlands for the second year running is the Church of the Good Shepherd. They’re setting up a Christmas weekend market filled with dazzling lights, choir and string performances, as well as festive stalls offering hot food, sweet treats and artisanal goods from local shops. Dec 22-23
PARTY
For 1-Altitude, Christmas begins on Dec 22 all the way through to Christmas Day. Celebrate the festivites at their Snow Ball (Stranger Things reference, perhaps?) as resident DJ duo Leonard Tan C and Jack T helm the decks for a weekend of merry-making. Dec 22-25
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 boasts more than 40 rides and games—most of which are from the UK, Germany and Italy. Through Apr 1, 2018
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
Saturday, Dec 23
Peggy Gou
PARTY
The guys behind Headquarters are rounding off the year with the fourth edition of their successful, ethereal pop-up series, Plastik Dreams; this time featuring the talented Berlin-based Korean artist Peggy Gou at the former grounds of dbl O on Queen Street. Dec 23
WELLNESS
With all the shenanigans happening this festive period, calm your mind and join a bunch of like-minded individuals in an Open-Air Meditation session at Botanic Gardens in the morning before you go on about your day to prepare for a long festive weekend. Dec 23
PARTY
A night of soul and reggae is going down at Singapore’s coolest parking lot bar as we edge closer to Christmas. A mish-mash of DJs from Singapore and the region such as Lady Emma (Singapore Soul Club), Ken (Lion Steppaz Soundsystem) and Djoha (Jakarta Soul) will be on deck to get you Dancing Under The Stars. Dec 23
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FOOD
One of the best things about Christmas—besides the gifting and reunions—is the unapologetically delicious Christmas nosh we reserve for our stomachs once a year. At W Singapore – Sentosa Cove, they’re bringing out the big guns over at The Kitchen Table, with offerings like freshly-shucked oysters, poached Boston lobsters, roast turkey with brussels sprouts, traditional stuffing and cranberry sauce, foie gras and duck rillettes terrine and roast beef rib with roasted onions. But if you’re looking for a more cozy and intimate ambiance, you can opt for the a la carte “Holly Jolly” menu at Skirt to enjoy prime cuts of meat, fresh seafood and grilled offerings. Dec 23-25
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PARTY
This is what summer Christmas looks like at FOC Sentosa: sun, sand, beats and booze. Head over to the Palawan Beach haunt as DJs Aldrin and Suren provide the beats as you bask in the sun with tapas dishes, food from five live cooking stations and endless glasses of champagne, G&T and Peroni. Dec 23
FESTIVE
It’s no Europe, but a first-ever Christmas Village set up at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza will ring the holidays to a sweaty close with a duplex carousel, Santa house, and pop-up stores featuring 25 popular brands including Starbucks and Toast Box. Through Dec 25
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
Sunday, Dec 24
“Emperor’s Palace” by Chris Foss, for Kult Gallery’s “Dune: A Sci-fi Art Show”
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
PARTY
After you’ve recovered from Peggy Gou’s set at Plastik Dreams, channel all the energy you have left to spend Christmas Eve with one of the key figures in Southeast Asia’s growing house and techno scenes, Sunju Hargun, as he dishes out a delicious repertoire of techno. Dec 24
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? Click here to find out. Through Jan 1, 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
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
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 conditioning through mediums ranging from sculpture and video. Through Mar 18, 2018
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
Monday, Dec 25
Christmas Wonderland 2017 at Gardens By The Bay
FESTIVE
Gardens by the Bay transforms into Singapore’s biggest yuletide affair in its fourth edition with a whole bunch of activities and performances including a circus with acrobatics and gravity-defying stunts, and much more. Through Dec 26
EAT/DRINK
No plans for the day? Say no more. Tanjong Beach Club welcomes anyone and everyone who prefers lazing on the beach on Christmas. They’re serving Oleron Fine de Claire oysters, Maine lobsters and Honey Glazed Baked Ham, and freeflow of selected cocktails with an additional $25. Dec 25
MARKET
The people who brought you Artbox Singapore are back with an even bigger market. While it 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
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
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
