This Vesak Day long weekend, you’ll want to spend it at the Dempsey enclave, what with several markets and an art exhibition taking place, as well as an organic wine party courtesy of the Drunken Farmer. Want more? Carl Cox hits the decks at Marquee this Friday and Zouk is celebrating its 28th big bash all weekend—we expect a forecast of heady evenings ahead.
PARTY
Expect nothing but the best as house and techno legend Carl Cox takes over the decks of Marquee Singapore this Friday. Come prepared to break into a dance frenzy with the international music festival veteran and Ibiza regular at Singapore’s newest (and biggest) nightclub. May 17
DRINK/HEALTH
Treat your body right on Friday night with a round of HIIT and night yoga classes, before indulging in a glass of natural wine at Drunken Farmer’s Flower Moon Party. Feel free to have more than a glass—no chemicals in natural wines mean little to no hangovers the day after. May 17
PARTY
Zouk Singapore turns 28, which is kind of insane to think about, but a great excuse for a(nother) party. The weekend-long Art of Clubbing commemorates all the things that make Zouk great; kicking off with an all-star line-up featuring Swedish trio Brohug, and closing with a total Zouk classic: Mambo Jambo (duh). May 17-19
BOOK/ART
DJ and party expert Bobby Luo is publishing his own queer photo art book titled Freakdom: The Book, and he’s throwing in a 10-day art installation exhibit Chateau Haute Glue at Dover Street Market while he’s at it. Be sure to grab a copy while you can. May 17-28
PARTY
The inaugural Joo Chiat Rock Festival celebrates the Eastside district’s 60th anniversary, with a music festival by the sea, fringe activities, and food and drink stalls. Happening at Siglap Outfall, East Coast Park, the bash will be headlined by live performances from local musicians including Ffion and M1ldl1fe. Westsiders, stay away if you don’t want to be bombarded by snooty Eastside contempt. May 18
MARKET
Singapore’s favourite farmer’s market at Loewen Gardens, Frank Food, falls just in time for Vesak Day, bringing the freshest local produce and bakes to the table for all. Come for the organic stuff, then stay for lunch at Carrotsticks and Cravings. May 18
MARKET
A couple minutes’ drive from Loewen Gardens, you’ll find the Dempsey Village Farmers Market also in full swing. The farmers market at Siri House offers more than just a curation of organic artisanal goodies; there are also various workshops, cookouts and cook-offs scattered throughout. Seeing that the Dempsey region will be abuzz this Vesak Day weekend, you might as well make a day of it here. May 18
DRINK
In the lead-up to Singapore Cocktail Festival, Nutmeg & Clove is celebrating their 5th anniversary with a series of guest bartender shifts, traversing Bangkok (Ann Pinsuda of The Bamboo Bar) to Australia (Matt Linktaker of Melbourne’s famed Black Pearl). Get chummy with Nutmeg & Clove’s former bar managers too, who will be returning from their respective bars for a joint homecoming shift on opening night. Through May 18
SHOPPING
Homegrown success Naiise is opening a duplex store at Jewel Changi Airport, and everyone’s invited to the open house of brand new Naiise Iconic. Shop for gifts, grab a drink at the tea bar, have a pastry treat at the pantry area, and even get to walk home with a gift bag worth over $100. May 18-20
FILM/FESTIVAL
Film frenzy begins this weekend, with the return of the European Union Film Festival. Take your pick of 27 films from across Europe; whether it’s high-energy action flicks, musical comedies or even disaster movies, you’re bound to find something to watch. Through May 19
FOOD/FESTIVAL
An entire festival dedicated to beautiful eggplant-based creation? Yes please. The quirky Singapore Hummus Festival by Beirut Grill is back for a third edition with a new menu of creamy flavours to complement their signature kebabs and wines. Through May 19
EXHIBITION
Luxury fashion house Hermes has always boldly bridged the worlds of fashion and art. At the new Hermes Heritage exhibition at Liat Towers, the third chapter In Motion offers an open dialogue between objects from the Emile Hermes collection and Hermes’ archives and contemporary collections. Through May 19
FESTIVAL
The Royal Thai Embassy’s annual Thai Festival returns to Orchard Road, with enough food, fruits, and fashion from the Land of Smiles to send you on a Bangkok binge for the next year. Through May 19
THEATRE
The next Pangdemonium production dives straight into the complexities surrounding #MeToo. Written by local playwright Ken Kwek, This Is What Happens to Pretty Girls finds its weight in real accounts from over 100 women and men Kwek interviewed. Read our interview with him here. Through May 26
ART/FESTIVAL
The island’s leading premiere arts festival is back and, in its 42 year, going strong as ever. The Singapore International Festival of Arts comes chock full of genre-blending performances and experimental shows from the world’s most renowned arts practitioners (think composer Ryuchi Sakamoto and theatremaker Tadashi Suzuki). Need to decompress after all the sensorial stimulation you’ll be experiencing? Head straight to the Festival House after for post-show drinks with the cast and creative team. Through Jun 2
FILM
Running as part of SIFA, Singular Screens curated by the Asian Film Archive brings together a stellar line-up of international and local cinema that could certainly rival the programme at the Singapore International Film Festival. Catch Asian flicks like Singapore’s own Demons, or more popular foreign favourites like Too Late To Die Young, from the producers of Call Me By Your Name. Through Jun 2
EXHIBITION
Not your average gallery showcase, Rewild Our Planet is a social augmented reality experience held at ArtScience Museum that uses technology to bring to life planet Earth’s many beautiful landscapes. Go on a journey that’s out of this world, and arrive (hopefully) with a greater inward appreciation for our bountiful world. Through Jun 2
MARKET
The Geylang Serai Ramadhan Bazaar is back, pasar malam-style, with spreads of open-aired stalls hawking wide varieties of street food. Break fast with your Muslim friends and feast on everything from the classic Ramly burger to refreshing Thai milk teas. In response to the rising concerns around overpriced Instagram food fads monopolising the bazaar in previous years, Wisma Geylang Serai has taken measures to ensure that 60 percent of its stalls will be offering more authentic eats from the bazaar’s heyday—and for the first time in over 40 years, all stalls will be 100% halal. Through Jun 5
THEATRE
The longest running show in Broadway history, Andrew Lloyd Weber’s The Phantom of the Opera, is back in Singapore. If you missed it the last time it was here in 2013, the musical masterpiece makes its long-awaited return to the Sands Theatre. Through Jun 8
EXHIBITION
Singapore’s Golden Boy street artist Speak Cryptic is holding a solo exhibition at Gillman’s Chan + Hori Contemporary. Open My Heart, Ease My Task, Loosen the Knot on My Tongue takes reference from a prayer of Moses; on this the artist draws to present his collection of drawings, paintings, installations, public art and performance-based work. Through Jun 9
FOOD
Gemmill Lane’s secret supper series, the Jeremmy & Friends Supper Special at Le Binchotan, is back to satiate your late-night munchies, starting with a bang thanks to a collab with microbrewery Level33. Fill up on elevated comfort favourites and mark your calendars for more guest chef collabs happening on certain weekends. Through Jun 29
DRINK/TRAVEL
The Whisky Festival at DFS is back, this time, with their first-ever pop-up bar (till Jun 10) at Changi Airport Terminal 3. Learn more about the aged spirit while sniffing on vaporizers and sipping on samples of your choice—pick from brands like Bruichladdich, Compass Box and Glenmorangie—all while vibing to live jazz hits on certain dates. Through Jun 30
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
EXHIBITION
Food packaging—beautifully crafted plastic wraps, carton boxes, tin cans and more that inform, entice and make you wanna fork out dough you don’t have. But is that all there is to it? Journey through the history of modern day food packaging in Singapore at the National Museum’s Packaging Matters exhibit, and you just might find a renewed appreciation for all them compelling coverings. Through Sep 15
EXHIBITION
The ArtScience Museum’s next big showcase is a whimsical one sure to be a hit with all audiences. Leading us all through the rabbit hole is Wonderland, which celebrates all the intrigue of Lewis Carroll’s timeless universe, and invites you to step through the looking glass for an immersive museum experience. Our guide to the exhibition here. Through Sep 22
