While we still have some time before the actual F1 race, the coming weekend is already set to zoom past as quickly as it’ll arrive, especially with an entire hodgepodge of parties, new club openings, comedy festivals, foodie things, Singapore’s own comic con… and that’s just the beginning.
Friday, Sep 8
NEW CLUB
The Singapore outpost of Shanghai’s Bar Rouge will finally be opening its doors to public this Fri night at 10pm. More info and first looks here. Sep 8
FOOD/DRINK
Feast on modern Cantonese and progressive fusion delights at Mitzo, in a specially curated six-course menu collaboration by Chef Nicky Ng of Mitzo and Chef Petrina Loh of Morsels. On the menu are east-meets-west dishes like Gin-cured Red Emperor Snapper and Black Truffle Crispy Roast Duck, which pairs easily with Mitzo’s selection of artisanal cocktails. Sep 8-9
DRINK
Start your F1 partying early with the Grand Prix Singapore Pub Crawl, which takes revellers through five popular Boat Quay watering holes, and comes complete with Night Race-themed games and prizes at all participating bars. In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the F1 Night Race, look forward to 10 complimentary shots and extended happy hours too. Sep 8-9, 15-16
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PERFORMANCE
Singapore’s indie radio station and champions of local music Lush 99.5FM may have ceased transmission last week, but that doesn’t mean it’s the end for the scene. With platforms like Marina Bay Sands’ Open Stage, a series dedicated to showcasing Singapore’s musical talents, there’s still hope. This weekend, catch performances by seven-piece multilingual outfit, Too Much Drama, and one of Singapore’s most prominent pop-rock bands, The Summer State. Dig into some bite-sized nosh from db Bistro & Oyster Bar, Osteria & Pizzeria Mozza and Adrift while you’re at it, and end the night with Marina Bay Sands’ light and water visual spectacle, Spectra. Sep 8-9
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FESTIVAL
Indulge in all things Thai at The Finest Thai festival, which combines food, crafts, fashion, design and living in a three-day lifestyle festival happening along Orchard Road. Organized by the Royal Thai Embassy. Sep 8-10
PARTY
1-Altitude is throwing a 10-day long jubilee in recognition of F1 race’s 10th year in Singapore, starting with a weekend bash held in partnership with Heineken and a full on race weekend shindig with Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve. Sept 8-9
Planning ahead for the F1 weekend? Check out where all the parties are here, where you should eat and drink here.
FILM
Part two of the Israel Film Festival takes place at The Arts House, where they’ll be screening four classic films such as the Israeli Academy Award-winning Desperado Square, which will give filmgoers a fascinating peek into the early days of Israeli culture and society. Sep 8-10
COMEDY
The same people who brought us RuPaul’s Drag Race Battle of the Seasons in Asia, is bringing five comedians to headline the Asia International Comedy Festival. The line-up includes Mikey Bustos, who parodied the notorious “Despacito” in nothing but speedos, and other acclaimed comedians from India, Israel, Canada and the Philippines. Sep 8-10
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ARTS
The Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) ends with a bang as outgoing Festival Director of four years Ong Keng Sen directs his swan song in collaboration with the National Theater of Korea in Trojan Women, a contemporary Asian musical which retells the tale of the fall of the ancient city of Troy, from the perspective of its surviving women. This emotional staging of the piece will be the first outside of South Korea, and will use various elements from K-Pop and the traditional Korean practice of musical storytelling called pansori. Sep 7-9
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FOOD
One of 10 bespoke brunches organized as part of the 1-Group’s License To Brunch, Bee’s Knees at The Garage presents The Perfect Pit Stop, a smartly curated menu of F1-inspired dishes. Look forward to race-themed, all-day brunch favorites like Traffic Light Pancakes and Monochrome Linguine. Sep 8-17
FILM
Over 10 days, the Singapore South Asian International Film Festival shines the spotlight on South Asian cinema, showcasing features, short films and documentaries that give insight into the many perspectives of South Asian diaspora. Besides the films, the festival will also be hosting a slew of workshops, masterclasses, panel discussions and live performances at various venues across Singapore. Through Sep 10
EXHIBITION
Lego has teamed up with the Piece of Peace executive committee (made up of Parco Co. Ltd., Lego Japan and Bau Communications) to showcase the various UNESCO world heritage listed sites built using Lego blocks as part of ASEAN’s 50th anniversary celebrations. Singapore is the first Southeast Asian country to host this once-in-a-lifetime UNESCO world heritage art exhibition. Through Sep 10
FESTIVAL
It’s going to be a showcase of art, sun, and sea as Southeast Asia’s biggest sand festival comes to Sentosa’s Siloso Beach. The three-week Sentosa Sandsation 2017 will be showcasing more than 30 expertly carved and out-of-this-world sand sculptures spread across 2,400 sqm of “exhibition space” on the beach. Singapore residents can enter the island for free on Sep 4-10. Through Sep 17
ART
Looks like it’s Silver Seniors September, as Silver Arts, Singapore’s only festival dedicated to the well-being of seniors, returns for its sixth edition with a line-up of performances involving more than 80 veteran artists, senior talents and art groups. Through Sep 24
Saturday, Sep 9
ART
Cycling doesn’t have to be mundane, especially not during Design Circuit, a novel cycling trail taking riders through the city’s most creative pit stops. Co-organized by Naiise and oBike, the 2km-trail consists of 10 curated stops chosen for their strong design influence in one or more of the following fields: retail, architecture, craft, art and food—and stretches from Orchard Road to Marina Bay. Sep 9
FILM
If you haven’t checked out any of the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) events, this is your last chance. Catch the hour-long closing film Lizard On The Wall, which was put together by acclaimed filmmaker K. Rajagopal and his crew in just under a month. Read our interview with him here. Sep 9
CONCERT
American emo band from Florida, Dashboard Confessional, makes their Singaporean stop as a full band, at D’Marquee @ Downtown East. All is well with the band—besides the six studio albums in their arsenal, they’ve also released a new single in April this year with electronic producer nothing.nowhere, as well as a four-track EP titled Covered and Tape. Sep 9
DRINK
Beerfest Asia may have come and gone, but the brew-based festivities continue at iBrew Challenge 2017, now in its 11th edition. The annual event sees local homebrewers come together to put their hops to the test and fight it out for Best of Show. Come thirsty—there will be more than 70 kegs of free-flow beers on-site. Sep 9
CONCERT
You’ve probably seen the videos or heard about it over the past few weeks, but The Great Singapore Replay is finally here. Local artists like Jawn, .gif and Jasmine Sokko take the stage at Clarke Quay Central to perform their reimagined versions of some of Singapore’s greatest hits. Also, reminisce your younger days and take part in eraser cup and chapteh challenges, check out an exhibition showcasing local album covers and more while snacking on kacang puteh. Sep 9
PARTY
Block parties make a comeback this month. Hosted by Piedra Negra, this F1 street party will be playing ’90s R&B, funk, reggae and hip-hop courtesy of DJs Jag, Titus, Gravity and Emcess Aubz. They’re also giving a free tequila shot to the first 200 people. Sep 9
MARKET
The never-failing Loewen Gardens market is back with a health and wellness farmers’ market where you can Browse and shop a wide range of essentials, from organic produce to sportswear, to nutritional cookbooks and naturally-based home products and even fitness training packages. Sep 9
CONVENTION
Singapore’s very own Singapore Toy, Game and Comic Convention (STGCC) returns to Sands Expo and Convention Center to celebrate 10 years of awesome games, toys and comics. On the line-up are renowned illustrator and animator Hiro Kanzaki, fan favorite and Marvel comic book artist Adi Granov (the Iron Man: Extremis series), and Italian rising DC comics artist Mirka Andolfo (Wonder Woman, Ms. Marvel, and Green Arrow). Sep 9-10
FESTIVAL
The award-winning mega music event, Music Matters, returns to Singapore for its seventh edition. Happening over two days and five nights, the festival will host the All That Matters industry conference alongside the live performance segment, which will see more than 40 bands from 14 countries take the stages of in and around Chijmes. Sep 9-13
EXHIBITION
The Substation asks all the tough questions with Discipline The City, a three-act exhibition exploring the politics of space, control and access in Singapore, through a series of experiential installations from local and international artists. Be prepared to leave disillusioned and wondering: who really owns the city? Through Sep 24
EXHIBITION
Asia’s largest mirror maze has landed in Singapore as a new permanent installation at Science Centre Singapore. The visually-appealing maze features 105 mirror cells, more than 17 interactive exhibits and experiments on light, a bunch of holograms and fake exits. Admission is free but you’ll still have to pay admission charges to the center itself.
Sunday, Sep 10
CONCERT
DIIV’s absence from last year’s Laneway Festival was felt strongly among fans as they had to pull out at the last minute because of a family emergency. They may not have returned “sometime later in 2016”, but hey, good things come to those who wait. Originally named Dive (of the same name as the track by Nirvana) and a solo recording project for Zachary Cole Smith in 2011, they’ve since renamed themselves and produced two full-length studio albums. Sep 10
FOOD
After a great first run, local Szechuan cuisine pioneer Si Chuan Dou Hua is bringing back last year’s well-received vegetable-based menu. This time, expect dishes rarely seen in a Chinese restaurant, like the Portobello Mushroom with Truffle and Orzo Pasta served with Szechuan Chilli Sauce, served as part of a course menu ($78-$98) that is filled with meatless (not strictly vegetarian) creations. Through Sep 15
FOOD
The popular Singapore Restaurant Month is now a full-fledged festival, thanks to the Restaurant Association of Singapore bringing together more than 200 chefs who will be preparing a locally-inspired dish at their respective eateries for the very first Singapore Restaurant Festival. Through Sep 30
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
