If you haven’t already booked your year-end holiday, there are plenty of reasons to stay in Singapore this December. First, we have Zoukout, the biggest party of the year (of course), then cool indie acts like Lenka and Perfume Genius are making their way here, and then there’s yoga festival Blissout, which features headliners The Naked and Famous.
CONCERTS
Indie pop heads will be glad to know that Lenka is in Singapore to promote her new album, “The Bright Side.” Expect to hear songs like “Trouble Is A Friend”, “Everything At Once” and the hit single,“The Show.” Dec 1
Bring your mom to see Sir Elton John for his All The Hits Tour. He may belt out songs like “Rocket Man” and “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me.” Dec 2
LITERARY
Performance poets Marc Nair and Steph Dogfoot will be reading at Trade Secrets, a poetry event held at the URA carpark. Dec 2
EAT
Kilo will be taken over by Thai chefs at the Pla Dib Invasion. They will serve dishes like Thai beef tartare with vodka and pandan juice, and beef rolls with mushrooms. Dinner costs $70 per pax. Dec 3
NETWORKING
Connect with those working in the sustainable fashion industry at Networking Night: Let’s Talk. Get a sneak peek of upcoming 2016 fashion projects at Artistry. Dec 3
CONCERT
Seattle-based composer Perfume Genius is back in town after Laneway, bringing more introverted, fuzzy, piano-backed songs from his latest album Too Bright, which was universally adored by the likes of music guide Pitchfork and Metacritic, an entertainment site. Dec 4
MARKET
The Barter Market is the place to swap stuff with local vendors. Check out what’s on their wishlist here and head to The Substation for this one. Dec 4
MUSIC
Singapore: Inside Out and Syndicate features Southeast Asian bands like Octover, The Inner Galaxy, and ChaChaChina. Expect some hip-hop and electronic tracks at this event. Dec 4
COMEDY
The Indian Invasion Comedy features four of India’s stand-up comedians like Kunal Rao, the co-founder of the East India Comedy YouTube channel, Sorabh Pant, Aditi Mittal and Sanjay Manaktala. Dec 4-5
EAT
Andsoforth’s latest interactive dinner is The Auction, where you have to bid for the night’s grand prize, Golden Cup, at a blackmarket auctions—all while you eat a delicious five-course dinner. The event location will be revealed 24 hours before the dinner commences. Dec 4-5, 10-12
DRINK
The Single Cask opened a couple months ago at Chijmes, and if you haven’t been down yet, here’s a good reason to: Ian Mcwilliam of Scottish distillery Glenfarclas will be doing three tasting sessions with just 15 seats each. Dec 5
FOOD
Meatliquor has rolled out an anti-brunch series, and the only slot left is on Dec 5—this is your last chance to gorge on mac and cheese, buffalo wings and gunpowder shrimp (and Champagne for an extra $30). Dec 5
SHOPPING
Kilo is cool enough on its own, but a night time market there just sends us over the edge. Sunset Pasar will have lots of stylish pre-loved goods, local singers, performance poets and artists taking the stage at the open mic event. Dec 5
FILM
Check out the fifth edition of Rendezvous with French Cinema (Juliette Binoche visited last year—swoon!), with over a dozen comedies, documentaries and dramas. The big highlight this year is Palme d’Or-winning Dheepan, in which a Sri Lankan Tamil Tiger flees to Paris. Dec 5-13
WELLNESS
If you haven’t signed up already, you probably shouldn’t wing the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore. But you can still line the route from Sentosa Gateway to East Coast Park to cheer the runners on. Dec 6
ART
Swing by Rally, an arts festival by anti gender-based violence org We Can!, where the Singapore Art Museum’s gallery and Glass Hall are taken over by performances, dance, spoken word, exhibitions and more. Especially intriguing is the UN Women’s Super Heroes workshop that celebrates female superheroes in comics. Dec 6
The Gajah Gallery is also showcasing the work of Malaysian abstract painter Sabri Idrus in a solo mini-exhibition at their new location, the Tanjong Pagar Distripark. His work is all about abstraction (think Jackson Pollock) and explores the techniques of painting and print-making. Dec 6-21
FILM
The Heritage Outdoor Screenings were postponed due to the haze, but the eight-film showcase is finally here, with the winners and finalists of the Singapore Heritage Short Film Competition. Titles include I Am Eurasian, which deals with identity, and Beneath the Spikes, about an Indian man who is pierced a hundred times to thank the gods for his son’s well-being at the Panguni Uthiram festival. Dec 11-12
EXPLORING
The Singapore Night Safari is transformed into a magical realm with Mystica, with surreal light effects, LED light performances and lots more. Dec 11-12
PARTY
With big name DJs like Kaskade and Tiesto, it looks like Zoukout is going to be bigger and louder than ever. There’s also local rapper Shigga Shay making an appearance. Grab your tickets while you can because this event is selling out fast. Dec 11-12
MARKET
Indie bookstore Booktique is having a Christmas fair with with local indie duo, Twigs & Vines, performing at this event. Grab a tome or two for your nerdy bookworm friend. Dec 12
FILM
Aspiring filmmakers can try to make a film within two days at the 48-hour Film Project. Leave your fatigue at the door and drink lots of coffee. Dec 11-13
Get ready for the latest installment of epic space opera Star Wars: The Force Awakens, with this geeky movie marathon screening the original trilogy. Dec 12
WELLNESS
Participate in outdoor yoga classes with instructor Sianna Sherman and Space & Light Yoga at Blissout. The day ends with indie band The Naked and Famous and local singer Inch Chua, who just put out a Pulau Ubin-inspired EP. Dec 12
FILM
Say what you will about the recent prequels, the premier of Star Wars: The Force Awakens on is going to get many people in a lather. Dec 17
PHOTOGRAPHY
Aik Beng Chia is known for photographing Little India after dark in a monograph called Tonight The Streets Are Ours. More recently, his photographs were exhibited at the Invisible Photographer Asia (IPA) Gallery. At this session, get his new book Sing Kar Por (he may even sign it). Dec 19
DRAG
The next edition of Riot! will be hosted by legendary homegrown drag queen Becca D’Bus. Divas Mona Kee Kee, Ashley Fifty and Noristar will be there to entertain, too. Tickets range from $25-40, while reserving a table costs $500. Dec 19
EXPLORING
Organized by Captivate, known for their challenging and fun escape rooms, Black Out has you playing a part of an amnesiac who wakes up in a boarded up room. Find clues and solve puzzles with your friends to find your way out. Through Jan 31
THEATER
Wild Rice’s year-end show, The Emperor’s New Clothes, makes fun of the SG50 phenomenon, with a vain Emperor who decides that he must have the most expensive and over-the-top National Dress Parade, ever. The cast includes Benjamin Kheng of The Sam Willows fame as well as veterans Lim Kay Siu and Siti Khalijah Zainal. Through Dec 12
LITERARY
Don’t miss this year’s Migrant Worker Poetry Competition, where the finalists perform their pieces along with their translations. Entries tripled last year, which included contestants from Bangladesh, the Philippines, China and elsewhere. Dec 13
SPORTS
The International Premier Tennis League: Singapore Slammers starts today. Catch tennis stars like Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Nick Kyrgios as they duke it out to be number one. Dec 18
EAT
5th Quarter is having a pre-Christmas dinner, so stuff your face with a Christmas Sharing Set that includes signature dishes like three-meat terrine, sirloin, porchetta, and yorkshire pudding. Dec 20-25
SHOPPING
Local design retailer Naiise is launching their annual Christmas pop-up store. The store will be selling food, fashion, stationary, books and Christmas gift sets and cards spanning over 3,400 sq ft. There is also a pop-up cafe featuring a different F&B name each week, and also an architecture-focused walking tour of the area by Archiwalks. Through Dec 24
