It’s a party-filled weekend, with everything from psytrance and dark techno to R&B and a double dosage of all things that fall under the “indie music” banner. But it won’t be a wholesome one if you don’t inject it with a couple of exhibitions and arts events (SIFA is ending this weekend, btw) during the day.
Friday, May 11
Vini Vici
PARTY
It’s going to be a huge night at Zouk when Israeli duo Vini Vici drops by. Established in 2013, these producers are one of the biggest acts of psytrance, and have already received approving nods from biggies like Armin van Buuren and Infected Mushroom. May 11
FOOD
From Chinese xiao long baos to Italian ravioli, dumplings are a universal food that can be found in most cultures. It isn’t surprising that the Polish have their own iterations of dumplings. While pierogis are usually more common, Poland is known for dozens of other dumplings, which is what the Polish Dumpling Festival at So Sofitel Singapore is all about. You can also enjoy a bunch of other traditional dishes, like the barley soup “Krupnik”, pork tenderloin with chanterelle mushroom sauce, and more. May 11
FOOD
Enjoy satisfying hawker cuisine like prawn paste chicken wings, nasi lemak and salted egg yolk chicken pasta at the Tiger Street Food Pop-up: The Deck, where Singapore’s next generation of hawkers get to showcase their culinary best. May 11
TOUR
It’s one thing to take a walk through hell at Haw Par Villa during the day, and a whole other experience if you go at night. The twilight tour of Haw Par Villa is back—check out the infamous 10 Courts of Hell, King of Ghosts, the upcoming Hell’s Museum and the Aw family memorials. May 11
PARTY
You can’t really put a finger down on Hodge‘s music because it’s always evolving. To say that it’s techno would be pigeonholing his work. This Bristol artist takes it upon himself to create a sound that’s so unique to him by blending the bass weight of dubstep and bringing other electronic genres together seamlessly. He’ll be making his Singapore debut at Headquarters. May 11
MARKET
A new month calls for a new Katong Square market, which, with its vinyl records and vintage goods, touts itself as Singapore’s only true blue vintage flea market. Resident booths include familiar names like The Retro Factory, Memory Lane and The Great Vinyl Exchange—where you can pick up anything from retro haute couture to Art Deco pieces. This month, shop alongside live entertainment by local band Street Crickets, the market’s line-up of old-school DJs, and a magician. May 11-13
MARKET
If you’re in the area, pop by Tanjong Pagar Centre to pick up hand-sewn pouches, accessories and other trinkets from local handicraft entrepreneur Ohhgranny at the Andes Festival Market. May 11-17
FESTIVAL
The Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) is back and this 2018 edition marks the changing of the guard at the helm as Singapore Repertory Theatre director Gaurav Kripalani takes over the festival. He’s promised to make this a more accessible festival this year. Expect more than 100 events spread over three weeks by performers from 15 countries at 13 venues. Through May 12
FILM
Your favorite outdoor cinema series, Peroni Sunset Cinema on Tanjong Beach returns for a second run, presenting blockbusters like Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, The Shape of Water and more. Through May 13
DRINK
The Festival Village may be over but you can still enjoy the rest of Singapore Cocktail Festival’s fringe events around the city, which include cocktail bar tours, exciting parties, workshops, great drink promos and more. Through May 13
FILM
The long-running European Union Film Festival (EUFF) is back for its 28th run, returning once again to their newfound home from last year, National Gallery Singapore. The festival presents more than 20 gripping, provocative and hilarious films from across the Europe. Check out our picks here. Through May 20
MUSICAL
Watch Elle Woods teach her friends to bend and snap in Legally Blonde—The Musical at the Mastercard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands. This multiple Tony award-nominated musical, which first premiered on Broadway in 2007, remains just as fab under the creative team that brought us Big League’s My Fair Lady—director Jeffery Moss and Tony-nominated choreographer Bob Richard. May Through May 20
MARKET
The Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) turns 80 this year. And to celebrate, they’re throwing an eight-week arts festival to showcase the school’s diverse talents. As part of the festival, a series of festival markets will take place each weekend, featuring craft-makers and jewelers, local fashion labels, original artworks and vintage collectibles. You can even be part of the excitement and book a booth here. Through Jun 3
THEATER
After sold-out success in London, Los Angeles, New York and Hong Kong, UK-based theater company Secret Theatre Project is finally coming to Singapore, bringing to locals their unique style of interactive theater. The experience essentially takes audience members on a high-budget theatrical production that can include anything from deciding a central character’s fate to journeying through a full-blown haunted house adventure. Through Jun 10
EXHIBITION
Singapore-based Taiwanese indie pop art illustrator and designer Billy Ma will be showcasing pieces from his Sexy Sin City series at casual French dining eatery Merci Marcel, as part of the restaurant’s first-ever art exhibition. Each piece presents an otherwise provocative history of familiar Singapore neighborhoods juxtaposed against seemingly unassuming and less charming modern structures. Through Jun 15
Saturday, May 12
Temple Cellars’ Funk’d Fest
DRINK/FOOD
Everything warrants a festival these days—even bacteria, believe it or not. Hip bottle shop Temple Cellars is organizing Funk’d Fest, Asia’s first ever fermentation festival, celebrating all things fermented including foods like yogurt and sambal belacan, and of course beer, through 16 retail vendors. May 12-13
FILM
Ah, another Studio Ghibli classic. Canvas will be screening 2004 Japanese animated fantasy film Howl’s Moving Castle. Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the film follows Sophie, a young hatter who was cursed by an evil witch. She meets Howl, a wizard living in a magic flying castle, and joins him as part of the resistance fighting an on-going war with another kingdom for his king. May 12
PARTY
Finnish music duo Super8 & Tab will be filling up the intimate space of Canvas with their high-energy trance set as part of their third studio album Reformation album tour in Singapore. May 12
DRINK/PARTY
If you still haven’t checked out the newly revamped Bar Canary at Grand Park Orchard, the Tiki Cheeky Pool Party is the excuse you need. Have a tiki cocktail by the poolside, an ice cold beer, or just lounge the day away on an inflatable flamingo float. May 12
FOOD
Annual pop-up secret dinner party, Le Diner en Blanc, is back for its sixth edition. This year, they’re celebrating the global 30th anniversary of the chi chi event that first started in Paris across all 80 participating cities worldwide, including Singapore. You’ll only know where it’s gonna be held on the day itself. May 12
PARTY
Your usual Poptart night is upsizing itself and spreading across two floors at Kinki this Saturday. With DJs weelikeme and KiDG on the roof and Thievves (from Disco Hue) and Zhan in the restaurant, you get double the dosage of indie disco, britpop, indie rock and all that good stuff. May 12
DRINK/FOOD/PARTY
After about half a month of celebrating all things Polish, Poland Shiok! 2018 is throwing a massive closing party at Ola Beach Club to end this year’s festivities with a bang. Try refreshing Zubrowka cocktails, take part in water activities, munch on Polish BBQ grub and more at this day-to-night soiree. May 12
PARTY
Bangkok’s Mendy Indigo takes over Tuff Club as the fitness instructor on duty this Saturday, serving you dark and melodic techno realness till the wee hours of the morning. May 12
DRINK/FOOD/PARTY
Boogie down to the north-eastern part of Singapore and get hot and sweaty at former industrial canteen turned co-working space by day and cool dive bar by night 21 Moonstone’s daytime rooftop party. Work that booty to R&B tunes courtesy of DJs Kenneth Francis and Krumbs, or just chill over beers, cocktails and BBQ nosh. May 12
THEATER
The beloved annual Shakespeare in the Park by the Singapore Repertory Theatre was put on hold last year, but it returns this month thanks to a crowdfunding campaign. They’ll be staging Julius Caesar in its well-loved setting of Fort Canning Park. Through May 27
EXHIBITION
Human Version is an introspective exhibition filled with photographic and videographic works designed to explore the nascent relationship between humans and robots. Held at Alliance Francaise de Singapour’s La Galerie, the all-encompassing exhibition will give you a rare insight into research labs often kept away from the public eye. Through Jun 2
Sunday, May 13
The Great Race: Contemporary Chinese Zodiac by Laurina Paperina
EXHIBITION
Chinese New Year may be long over, but this new exhibition looks at the Chinese zodiac through the eyes of European artists. The internationally renowned Mazel Galerie from Brussels has commissioned The Great Race, a new exhibition that takes source material from the traditional Chinese zodiac. Through Jun 30
FILM
Catch the 1990 Tim Burton classic, Edward Scissorhands, at BluJazz, and be in awe all over again as Edward falls in love with Kim against all odds. May 13
WELLNESS
Kick off your Sunday bright and early by taking up an outdoor yoga class at the Botanic Gardens with one of Urban Yogis’ guest teacher, Naoko. May 13
FILM
Spirited Away remains one of the best animated films of all time. Epic soundtrack aside, this Japanese animated fantasy film has gone on to win numerous awards, including Best Animated Feature at the 2003 Academy Awards. Be captivated by 10-year-old Chihiro, who faces the task of working in the abandoned amusement park to free herself and her parents, who who were transformed into pigs when they stumbled upon the creepy park. May 13
EXHIBITION
You’d think a traveling exhibition from the London Natural History Museum would be hard to top, but ArtScience Museum’s current shtick traces 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 features the works of the world’s top street artists, such as Banksy, Shepard Fairey and more. Through Jun 3
FOOD
Goodwood Park Hotel’s annual durian festival returns with all-time favorites like durian puffs, crepes, strudels, ice cream and more. Through Jul 22
EXHIBITION
Peranakan Museum’s latest exhibition, Amek Gambar: Peranakans and Photography, delves into the Southeast Asian history of photography through the pictured lives of the Peranakan community in the region. Through Feb 3, 2019
