Ah, finally a short week. Easter eggs and Sunday brunch aside, the week calls for a myriad of films to watch, theaterworks to catch and parties to be at before the long weekend; unless of course you’re off for a short trip. In that case then, bon voyage.
Monday, Mar 26
Sakura Matsuri at Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay
FESTIVAL
Why fly to Japan when you can see blooming sakuras in Singapore? This month, Gardens by the Bay is holding its first ever Japanese festival Sakura Matsuri (or Cherry Blossom Festival) over at Flower Dome; featuring 23 different varieties flown in from Japan and Europe. Through Apr 8
FILM
Mammia Mia! Here We Go Again is all set for release later this year. Make sure you know what went down in the first film, Mamma Mia!, where 20-year-old bride-to-be Sophie Sheridan goes on a journey to find out who her father really is after reading her mother’s diary. Catch it at Workcentral. Mar 26
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
Tuesday, Mar 27
Dodo Bird at Treasures of the Natural World in ArtScience Museum
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
FILM
Not all films are just about entertaining. Enter Stories That Matter an annual program held by Objectifs to address critical issues through both film and photography. This third edition’s theme is borders, tackling matters of physical, social and political borders that both define and restrict communities and laying out on the table possible ways of collaboration and change. Apart from exhibitions and seminars, this program will also be screening Singapore premieres of five documentaries. Through Apr 29
THEATER
Hot on the heels of The Imaginarium of Disco David, local nomadic theater group And So Forth is back with a new pop-up feast planned. Adventures in Grimmsneyland will focus on the darker sides of fairy tales—as evidenced by the reference to the Brothers Grimm, whose folk tales were anything but pleasant—and take audience members through various worlds. Through Apr 21
Wednesday, Mar 28
A piece by Lee Mun Choong at Hail, Chinese Culture!
EXHIBITION
Singapore’s most esteemed disabled artists exhibit oriental works in a series of three parts at Hail, Chinese Culture!, organized by local charity organization Very Special Arts Singapore and Pan Pacific Singapore. Through Mar 30
FILM
Follow Walter Mitty, an otherwise unassuming employee at a magazine in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, as he finally sets on a real adventure instead of spacing out and dreaming about being an undeniable hero. Catch it at Workcentral. Mar 28
DRINK
It’s double trouble at Smoke & Mirrors as mixologists from two renowned Indonesian bars—Arrack & Spice from Jakarta and The Night Rooster from Bali—takes over bartender duty for the night. They’ll be serving a selection of four cocktails each, all going at only $20. Part of Smoke & Mirrors’ guest bartender series. Mar 28
THEATER
Non-profit dance company P7:1SMA (pronounced as Prisma) and current recipient of National Arts Council Seed Grant FY2017-2020 is staging Ngopi, an original contemporary dance production that draws similarities between coffee culture and real life; both of which restores human faith in all sense of the word. Mar 28-31
Thursday, Mar 29
Lany
CONCERT
Barely months after their sold-out show in August, Los Angeles-based indie pop trio Lany is returning to Singapore for a one-night-only show at Capitol Theatre. Expect the band’s same R&B-infused dreamy pop and atmospheric synths, bound to please even the most mainstream of Spotify users. Tickets are sold out, so you gotta find alternative means if you really wanna go. Mar 29
TALK
Remember that third language you picked up in university but slowly forgot because you didn’t have anyone to practise it with? If you still have it in you, join in the Singapor BlaBla Language Exchange where you can join various language groups to improve your skills. Mar 29
PARTY
It’s a public holiday eve, so what better way to get it on than with some of the cheesiest ’90s hits and misses at this edition of OverEasy Orchard’s Guilty Pleasures. Mar 29
FILM
Did you know only 13 percent of film directors in the world are female? Wrapping up the the Smash the Glass! festival is a selection of short films from Singaporean female filmmakers that are no less significant in Smash’s agenda. The selection includes works like Poets on Permits, Wu Song Slays the Seductress, and Inganeyum Oru Katha, among others, to bring to light the under-representation of women in the film industry. Mar 29
PARTY
Butane, the head honcho of Alphahouse Records and American DJ-producer, will be taking on the decks in Headquarters’ caged booth this weekend. Mar 29
DRINK/FOOD
Me@OUE, the slick restaurant and alfresco lounge perched at the top of the OUE Bayfront Building is closing for good. Make sure you make one last reservation there before it does. Mar 29
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. Mar 29
THEATER
As part of their 15th anniversary celebrations, Esplanade is putting five female artists into the spotlight with five special commissioned works under their developmental theater program, The Studios. Kicking it off is A Good Death, a story that follows a palliative care doctor who journeys with her patients through their final days, while at home, arguments over age-old concerns about what is best for ageing parents surface. Mar 29-Apr 1
Friday, Mar 30
Michelin Guide Street Food Festival 2017
FOOD
In an effort to make Michelin-starred cuisine more accessible (and to keep the hype train running), the inaugural Michelin Guide Street Food Festival took place in April last year to much deserved fanfare. This year, we’re looking forward again to tasting not just a few, but a lineup of 15 establishments recognized in the 2017 Michelin Guide all in one convenient place—Resorts World Sentosa’s The Coliseum. Mar 30-Apr 1
PARTY
The last edition of The Council Openair with Korean-born Berlin DJ-producer Hunee was so successful that they had to move a bigger joint just to cater to everyone. This time, they’re returning to the rooftop of 79 Circular Road for an evening of everything from deep house to techno courtesy of Myle, DJ Amber H, Sivanesh, Haan, Deen and Cats on Crack. Mar 30
FILM/PARTY
Our favorite party people The Glory Hoes continue their queer film series experience, this time with the screening of the 96′ comedy, The Birdcage; a film where two fathers and their son prepare to meet their future daughter-in-law’s religiously moralistic and conservative parents. It’s exactly what you’d expect—campy, hilarious and all-out fun. Pre-film dinner and afterparty included. Mar 30
SHOP
Looking for a spot to go thumb through crates of records? New kid on the Boat Quay block The Nanyang Club is throwing “Binyl”, a music marketplace “for music fans by music fans”; so you know you’ll be in good company (and tipples) while you’re there. Mar 30
HEALTH
Calling all Star Wars fans who’re looking for a way to stay in shape—sign up for a SaberFit Fitness Class at Safra Toa Payoh, where you can reap the benefits of a full-on, high energy workout while living out your lightsaber-wielding and -fighting dreams. Mar 30
FESTIVAL
Your favorite sustainable light art festival is back this month. i Light Marina Bay 2018 will once again bring together a vibrant display of innovative and sustainable light art installations. Artists from Singapore and around the world have been invited to transform the waterfront precinct for a visual showcase, along with music performances, a carnival, outdoor food fair and an interactive art inflatable park. Through Apr 1
EXHIBITION
You’d think a traveling exhibition from the London Natural History Museum would be hard to top, but ArtScience Museum’s upcoming shtick will trace 40 years of street art, from its controversial beginnings as expressions of counterculture, to its current standing as a major pillar of contemporary art. Art from the Streets will feature the works of the world’s top street artists, such as Banksy, Shepard Fairey and more. Through Jun 3
