It’s the last week of March and it’s set to be one filled to the brim with many small but hella fun things to do. Let your inner poet be heard at an open mic sesh, introspect with the return of Esplanade’s theatre developmental programme and dine on dystopian hawker food, all before ending the month on a high at a new rooftop party series or at the first Car-Free Sunday of the year.
Tuff Club
DRINK
In the next episode of Tippling Club’s Once Upon a Time guest-shift series, Shinichi Itoh from Oto in Manila, and Johnny Tsai from Bar TCRC in Tainan will be concocting five cocktails as part of a one-night-only five-course pairing event. Mar 25
FOOD
Legendary Chef Kenjiro ‘Hatch’ Hashida of Hashida Sushi Singapore fame will be taking over the kitchen of Neon Pigeon for a special Freaky Hashida nine-course omakase menu available for just two evenings. Get the beverage pairing too, presented by Sawahime Sake. Mar 25-26
MUSIC
Synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys are no strangers to the Singapore stage, having been in the 2014 F1 entertainment lineup. This year, the group is set to perform at the Star Performing Arts Centre, following the release of four-track satirical/ballad album Agenda that jibbed at the recent political climate. Mar 26
OPEN MIC
Founder of Other Tongues minority voices literatary festival and smashing poet Pooja Nansi will be taking centre stage at Merry Lion’s regular poetry open mic sesh Spoke & Bird. Check her out, or take to the stage yourself and show the world how lit your oratory skills are. Mar 27
PARTY
It’s time for another Tuff Club session and for this edition, deep house duo Detroit Swindle will be in charge of shaking up the dance floor. Get ready for a mid-week boogie filled with free-flowing undergound tunes. Mar 27
SHOPPING
Enjoy flash deals, prizes and promos on Lazada that all lead up to their epic 7th birthday celebration on Wednesday, where over 80 brands will be offering surprise boxes of goodies at steep discounts, while 100 over more merchants dish out sales of up to 80 percent off storewide. There ain’t no better time to shop. Mar 27
ART
GIFs are now a part of the way we text and send messages, but what if we told you there’s an entire showcase dedicated to it? Drop by Noise GIF Fest by Noise Singapore this week for an immersive digital art experience from the GIFs by 30 young art makers as they transform the visual arts exhibition space at Blk 7 Gillman Barracks into a state-of-the-art digital showcase site. Mar 28-Apr 1
THEATRE
Theatregoers rejoice, for The Esplanade’s inspiring developmental programme is back. The Studios will be presenting Singaporean works—both old and new—that have been developing under keen mentorship for the last year, all unifying under the theme of ‘The Weight of a Stone in a Pocket’. Mar 28-Apr 27
FOOD
Everyone’s sinful ice cream indulgence Magnum has released a new flavour—Macadamia Salted Caramel—and you get to taste it first at their pop-up Pleasure Garden at Chijmes. While there, snap a photo or two in the massive playground space designed to delight and deliver delicious doses of dopamine. Mar 28-31
MUSIC
Slick on the keys both onstage and off, English singer-songwriter Tom Odell proves his musical dexterity to fans and critics who even go as far as comparing him to Elton John. Shadowing the release of his latest gospel-inspired album Jubilee Road last October, catch him at the *Scape Ground Theatre. Mar 29
DRINK
A belated celebration of International Whisky Day, Komyuniti at Yotel Singapore in collab with Nomad Whisky will be offering a treat for all who come. Join fellow whisky lovers and clink to glasses of Nomad’s Outland Whisky neat or on the rocks going for just $8, all while having exclusive bar grub like rosemary garlic fries and marmite chicken. Mar 29
PARTY
The first stop in the newly launched country-themed Wanderlust Party Series by Propeller rooftop bar will be Japan, where free-flow Japanese cuisine, sakes, Roku gin, highballs and Kirin beer await. Happening over two days, it’s essentially a nighttime rooftop brunch party, with the venue decked in appropriate spring season decor and live food stations, and while DJ Stephen Day keeps the atmosphere upbeat till late. Mar 29-30
FOOD/EXHIBITION
For two nights only at The Substation, feast on SAD: The Last Meal, a provocative food-meets-art dining experience where local chef Ming Tan in partnership with visual artist Debbie Ding presents a four-course menu of dystopian hawker food. Be prepared to feel things. Mar 29-30
FESTIVAL
The first Car-Free Sunday of 2019 has expanded into a three-day afair, taking over the streets of Telok Ayer and the Civic District to bring us a heritage-themed weekend of fun. Viral video makers Our Grandfather Story will be presenting interactive installations and activities, Telok Ayer Arts Club will be throwing a street party, a few temples will be opening up their doors for an open house, plus relive your school days with recess sessions, kampung games, PE lessons and more. Mar 29-31
MARKET
Think 300 brands, two floors and over 6000 sqm of curated fashion-centric collections. Boutique Fairs Singapore brings Spring and Summer to the table with exquisite seasonal fashion, lifestyle and home decor finds, perfect for getting some proper shopping done. Mar 29-31
FILM
Your annual dose of French culture is back again. Alliance Francaise’s staple event Francophonie Festival is ever-ready to celebrate the diversity of the French language and intercultural dialogue on our sunny island. See some of our picks here. Through Mar 30
FESTIVAL
It’s cherry blossom season, and the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay is blooming with beautiful pink petals for Sakura Matsuri 2019. Throughout the month, the different weekends will offer different fringe activities too (like carnival games, anime concerts and more), so you got reasons to go back more than once. Through Mar 31
TALK
Leading ladies in their field—the likes of Rita Ora, Pooja Nansi and Inch Chua—are making an appearance at the month-long Made by Women series happening at Apple Orchard Road. All sessions are free to attend, with registration required. Through Mar 31
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
ART
OH! Open House returns, but this time, there is no art walk, no tour, and no neighbourhood. In a departure from all previous editions, the arts collective now presents Passport, where six pop-up art experiences will be held at six different homes across Singapore, all presenting a work surrounding the themes of citizenship, identity, belonging and privilege. Through Mar 31
FESTIVAL
The Singapore Heritage Festival is back for its sixth year running for a special Bicentennial edition (like most arts festivals this year) that seeks to uncover hidden stories in unexpected spaces—from bus stops to Bedok—and spotlight selected neighbourhoods in Singapore. See our pick of events here. Through Apr 7
EXHIBITION
What do national service, shamans and an apocalyptic Singapore have in common? They’re all tied to some form of mythic tradition—and are each explored in this year’s edition of Stories That Matter. Look out for the highlight of the programme—four feature-length documentaries from Brazil to Singapore that interrogate the role both traditional and contemporary myths play in our lives today. Through Apr 14
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
FOOD
In need of good steak at reasonable prices? Pop-up steakhouse The Feather Blade is where you need to be. The London’s Flat Iron-inspired restaurant will be setting up shop at where Club Street stalwart Zui Hong Lou operates, dishing out quality cuts for just $21 every weekend for a limited time; chow down while you can. Through Apr 29
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
EXHIBITION
Held poignantly at CBD gallery Hatch Art Project, I Would Prefer Not To Do Anything is a look at deep-rooted fatigue in today’s society. See artist Iqi Qoror’s surrealist works curated to give an intimate look into our universal state of burnout, worsened by an overwhelming culture or need to constantly project positivity. Through May 16
FOOD
There never needs to be a reason to gorge on durian, but Goodwood Park Hotel gives a mighty good one every year regardless. Come celebrate their annual Durian Fiesta, this time with six new exquisite D24 durian desserts, four perennial favourites, and a majestic appearance from the Mao Shan Wang in the form of a cheesecake. Through Jul 14
