In the blink of an eye, the Lunar New Year season is over and it’s time to get back into the working groove. You can at least look forward to an interesting week filled with new things to do; from the start of the inaugural Singapore Mental Health Film Festival to the first fight of the year organised by Singapore Pro Wrestling, and from new local theatrical shows to the return of the annual Michelin Guide Street Food Festival.
MUSIC
After their first appearance here back in 2017, four-man South Korean indie icon Hyukoh is back in Singapore for a concert at the Esplanade. Expect the same infectious melodies and alluring vocals that make them so good to watch live. Feb 18
FOOD
More than a happy hour oyster deal, Humpback’s First Annual Oyster Festival is here in celebration of the salt-water bivalve with plenty of oyster dishes, oyster-inspired games, gin cocktails made using Four Pillars, and lots more. You just might become a shucking pro by the end of it. Feb 20-21
FILM/HEALTH
The first of its kind here, the Singapore Mental Health Film Festival hopes to tackle negative attitudes and lack of awareness of mental health issues through the medium of film. Other than screenings, there will also be a line-up of panels for those hoping to deepen their understanding of the issues raised. Feb 21-24
THEATRE
Confront your existential crisis with local theatre company Toy Factory Productions’ The Transition Room, their first play of the year. For an hour and 15 minutes, get whizzed away on a journey of identity and existentialism as you follow protagonist Mike through a series of mysterious rooms—each one inhabited by a unique character. Feb 21-Mar 2
WRESTLING
It’s gonna be a knock-out night at Singapore Pro Wrestling’s first live fight of the year at SPW Boiling Point. Defending SPW Southeast Asian champion “Lokomotiv” Ivan Markov, known for slamming opponents off high platforms and crashing them through steel chairs, will be fighting against some of the best Singapore has to offer. You won’t want to miss this. Feb 22
PARTY
It’s hip hop club Fleek Singapore‘s second anniversary, and everyone’s invited to their new crib over at Raffles Boulevard to celebrate. Resident DJs from Pandemic Crew will be joined by guests from AOS Collective to tune up the dancefloor, making sure it’s bound to be a night to remember. Feb 22
PARTY
Love Silent Disco? There’ll be plenty of chances to groove this month as they bring their rockin’ headsets down to the ArtScience Museum atrium for many nights of partying as part of i Light Singapore 2019. Feb 22-23
FOOD/FESTIVAL
The annual Michelin Guide Street Food Festival returns this year to The Coliseum at Resorts World Sentosa, where 15 establishments featured in the Michelin Guide Singapore 2018 will be banding together for a whole weekend to offer Michelin-approved eats at more affordable prices; and without all the crazy wait times. Feb 22-24
DRINK
Looking to taste before you buy? The Straits Wine Company is throwing a TGIF Tasting at Tai Seng for three consecutive Fridays at their Leong Huat Building warehouse, where different wines will be up for sips every evening. Time to put those ang bao monies to good use. Feb 22 & Mar 1
THEATRE
Pangdemonium is dialing back the fantasy for the first show of their 2019 season. Stripping things down to the foundation of pure dialogue and acting, the they will present Late Company—a simple but searing look at cyberbullying and society today. Feb 22-Mar 10
EXHIBITION
Working at the intersection of art and technology, local artist Andre Wee presents a solo exhibition of traditional and new media works (where both oil paintings and digital creations alike shine) with Within Without, held at the Mulan Gallery. Part of Singapore Art Week 2019. Through Feb 23
ART
Get in touch with some Chinese culture at Huayi 2019 taking place at the Esplanade. This 17th edition has a full roster of free and ticketed programmes happening over 10 days, with perfromances by indie bands, famed musicians, local artists and more. Through Feb 24
FESTIVAL
Sustainable light art festival i Light Singapore returns for a massive Bicentennial edition commemorating 200 years of being colonised Singapore’s founding. A total of 32 artworks set to the theme “Bridges of Time” will be on display, and will be for the first time include being installed on six iconic bridges around the Singapore River and Marina Bay. Expect a larger festival area too, with installations extending to Fort Canning Park. Through Feb 24
FESTIVAL
Crowd favourite Light to Night returns for its third year, with a bumper six-week edition to span both Singapore Art Week and the Singapore Bicentennial in February. While the second half of the festival has been themed to honour Singapore’s histories, the first two weekends will see installations and programmes emphasising new perceptions of art via the five senses. Through Feb 24
EXHIBITION
From Cold Storage to Tiger Balm, come chart the evolution of print advertising in Singapore from the 1830s to 1960s at Selling Dreams: Early Advertising in Singapore. Aside from just print advertisements, the exhibition at the National Library also includes interactive multimedia stations for you to experience life as a consumer in early Singapore. Through Feb 24
EXHIBITION
At State of Motion 2019: A Fear of Monsters, your worst nightmares will be pulled apart for in-depth interrogation as installations, paintings and video works reimagine our childhood fears in odd new ways. Go on a guided tour or explore the 11 Kampong Bugis venue yourself; just don’t be startled if you find a chill running down your spine. Through Feb 24
EXHIBITION
Rediscover two ubiquitous hallmarks of Singapore in yesteryear at Sticks by Sebastian Chun, inspired by the childhood game “pick-up sticks” and bakau piling, a technique once commonly used to construct scaffolding. Come by and take in the views as the sculptures come alive at night. Through Feb 24
CARNIVAL
The second coming of the Prudential Marina Bay Carnival is here, set to transform the Marina waterfront into a colossal fairground filled with rides, games, food, and of course, plenty of pretty lights. This time, entry is free, and with more rides to check out than before. Through Mar 24
ART/FESTIVAL
A brand new arts festival, The Future of Our Pasts Festival, hopes to bring Singapore’s micro-narratives to life, reimagining communities and places of the past and present. Nothing is off the table; the festival will explore various facets of Singapore history—from more well-worn icons like the Sungei Road Thieves Market, to lesser-known stories like the history of classical composition by Singaporean composers. Through Mar 17
EXHIBITION
Trace the Polaroid camera’s fascinating history at the National Museum of Singapore’s latest exhibition, In an Instant: Polaroid at the Intersection of Art and Technology, featuring over 200 Polaroid artefacts and artworks from the original collection. Through Mar 31
EXHIBITION
The ground-breaking Minimalism: Space. Light. Object exhibition spanning National Gallery Singapore and ArtScience Museum traces the origins and evolutions of the Minimalist art movement, in more than 150 works loaned from all over the world. Check out our quick picks here. Through Apr 14
EXHIBITION
Asian Civilisations Museum and London’s British Museum are coming together to present Raffles in Southeast Asia: Revisiting the Scholar and Statesman, to illuminate the different sides of founding father Sir Stamford Raffles himself. Peer into the historic Raffles Collection on loan from the British Museum, that comprises largely Javanese and Sumatran objects Raffles personally collected during his time in the region. Through Apr 28
EXHIBITION
One of Singapore’s smallest minority communities is finally having their moment in the spotlight at Chetti Melaka of the Straits: Rediscovering Peranakan Indian Communities. Come hear the lesser-known stories of the Chetti Melaka, also known as Peranakan Indians—descendants of early South Indian migrants who to Singapore in the 15th and 16th centuries, and married local Chinese or Malay women. Through May 5
