The best things to do in Bangkok this weekend (February 19-22)

Japanese songwriter Ichiko Aoba has just dropped Luminescent Creatures, an album that's getting serious love from all the fans. Aoba's known for pairing simple yet refined arrangements with deeply personal lyrics that feel like you've stumbled into a private universe containing just you and the music. The album captures all that dreamy intensity she's famous for. This new album takes inspiration from her travels around the Ryukyu Islands in Okinawa, where she went diving in the surrounding seas. The result is a dreamy collection that captures both the endless beauty and the thrilling unpredictability of the ocean itself.

February 19. B1,600-3,400 via here. KBank SiamPic Hall at Siam Square One, 7pm

If your weekend wardrobe needs a plot twist, Intersect Flea Market has returned with its after-hours ease intact. The Drop & Dig corner rewards patience: racks of pre-loved gems, odd little treasures and pieces that feel as though they have lived a life before you. Elsewhere, Thai designers and emerging labels set up shop, offering work that feels considered rather than churned out. As dusk settles, the Chill Out area earns its name. Friends sprawl across low seating, conversations stretch, someone laughs too loudly. A live band soundtracks the evening without demanding attention. It is the sort of market where you arrive for a quick look and end up staying far longer than planned.

February 19-22. Free. Slowcombo, 4pm-midnight

Pansan Klongdee builds his latest installation around a car that refuses to be defined. Activated through sound and live performance, the work opens with a BMW E34 salvaged from a junkyard off Rama II, its body intact, its future already sealed. The vehicle sits in a kind of purgatory: no longer fully machine, not yet scrap metal. That suspended condition shapes the entire enquiry. Speakers hum, performers circle, gestures repeat as if rehearsing a farewell. Metal becomes witness rather than object. The piece asks how we acknowledge things once their function fades, how we stage rituals for non-human lives and how release sometimes looks less like disappearance and more like a quiet change of state.

Until March 15. Free. Bangkok Kunsthalle, 2pm-8pm

SNAFU forms around a simple idea: electronic music works best when nobody guards the door too closely. The crew brings together selectors from different backgrounds, each shaped by distinct scenes yet happy to blur the edges. One night leans towards percussive house, another swerves through breaks or hazy techno, but labels matter less than feeling. Their sets favour conversation over hierarchy, letting influences overlap rather than compete. At their parties, strangers find common ground beneath low lights and steady basslines. Exchange sits at the centre, whether that means swapping records, stories or dance moves. What emerges feels open, unforced and generous, a reminder that the floor still offers a rare kind of collective release without demanding uniformity.

February 19. B250 at the door. Bar Temp., 9pm onwards

Red lanterns glow above the room as Madame Rouge readies her entrance. For Chinese New Year, she threads her heritage through high-drama cabaret, saluting the golden age of Cantopop with knowing glamour. Think lacquered waves, sequins catching the light and melodies that once drifted across Victoria Harbour now landing on the Goldsmiths stage. It feels affectionate rather than nostalgic, a love letter with a wink. From 7pm, Justin Mills sets the tone with selections that ease the crowd forward, before Madame Rouge takes over at 9pm. The evening balances reverence and theatrical flair, offering a celebration that honours tradition while happily bending it.

February 19. Reserve via Instagram: @goldsmithbarbkk. Goldsmith Bar, 7pm onwards

This exhibition asks a gentle but stubborn question: what if the profound sits quietly on your kitchen table. It suggests discovery has less to do with novelty and more to do with attention, the kind that spots a mountain hidden behind a single strand of hair. What rests within reach often escapes notice. Awareness forms through living, watching, reflecting and sensing how time nudges everything along. The room feels hushed, yet movement carries on through deliberate brushstrokes and thin washes of layered pigment. Still-life motifs hold tension between permanence and erosion, solidity and fragility, like tongue against teeth. Each element leans on its opposite. The painterly language distils small daily fragments, revealing a world in steady transformation, including the restless terrain of the mind.

Until March 8. Free. KYLA Gallery, 3pm-midnight

Zuma claims its terrace for a winter gathering that feels equal parts polished and playfully excessive. In collaboration with The Orientalist, the evening centres on a cocktail list derived from Iron Balls, each serve leaning aromatic, sharp and faintly theatrical. The skyline frames the scene while guests hover between bar and balustrade, weighing up one more drink. From Phuket, Dan Buri takes charge of the decks, joined by a live percussionist and dancers who weave through the crowd with practised ease. A one-night-only package keeps glasses topped up. It feels celebratory without trying too hard, a terrace party that understands timing, spectacle and the pleasure of staying out later than planned.

February 20. B950 for three cocktails. Book via here. Zuma Bangkok, 10pm onwards

Jelly Roll Jazz Club launches Swing Partout with the sort of optimism that suits brass sections and good shoes. The idea feels simple: take swing music and dance beyond familiar haunts and let it settle in unexpected corners of Bangkok. The first stop lands at Such a Small World, an intimate spot that rewards close footwork and brave beginners. From Brussels, Alex McCormack joins as special guest, bringing crisp lines and a generous teaching style. The evening opens with a Jazz Dance Talk, moves through a Solo Jazz class open to all levels and ends with a social party where strangers trade steps. It feels communal, slightly nostalgic and refreshingly unpretentious.

February 20. Free. Such a Small World, 7.30pm-11.30pm

A new residency from Yeti Out treats the dancefloor as shared studio rather than simple party. Known for hovering between sound, art and design, the crew sets up a genre-fluid series that favours curiosity over formula. Club music sits at the centre, though it rarely behaves predictably. Each edition passes control to DJs shaped by radio, visual culture and broader creative scenes, encouraging them to rework familiar anthems alongside obscure B-sides. Four-to-the-floor rhythms meet leftfield selections without friction, the mix unfolding patiently as the night stretches. The opening line-up features Arthur Yeti, Takky and DJ Kade, each bringing a distinct sensibility. 

February 20. B500-600 via here and B700 at the door. Siwilai Radical Club, 9pm onwards

Four comedians share one stage, trading polish for honesty and letting awkward pauses land where they may. Le’Ana Freeman leans observational, Kenny Simmons sharpens the room with dry timing, Demian Marshall toys with discomfort and Daniel Holmes pulls everything back with charm. Jokes feel lived-in rather than rehearsed. Behind the bar, signature cocktails keep hands busy and conversations loose, never stealing focus from the stage. After the last laugh, a DJ takes over, stretching the night without forcing momentum. It feels relaxed, slightly irreverent and refreshingly unfiltered, a reminder that comedy works best when it sounds like someone telling the truth to friends.

February 20. B300at the door. Reserver via www.alzuribkk.com or 093-575-0510. Alzuri BKK, 8pm-10pm

ONE OK ROCK has been smashing it in Thailand for a decade now. The Japanese rock quartet first hit Central World Live back in 2013, then Thunder Dome in 2016 and Impact Arena in 2018. Their most recent gig on December 12 2023 sold out completely, with thousands of fans calling it one of the best shows they'd ever seen. Now the band returns with their latest album DETOX performed live in full. Critics reckon it's their deepest and most globally ambitious record yet. Lead single Tropical Therapy has won serious praise from fans and music press alike for its raw emotion, powerful sound and genre bending approach. If their track record is anything to go by, this show is going to be massive.

February 21. B2,700-5,500 via here. Impact Arena, 7pm

Tom Enzy arrives in Bangkok with the confidence of someone whose tracks travel further than his physical form. The multi-platinum producer builds a catalogue of infectious tech house that racks up more than 300 million streams, numbers that speak the language of the modern industry. Still, statistics only tell half the story. At APT 101, crisp percussion meets basslines that refuse to sit still. Tom favours hooks that linger, rhythms that stretch a set without losing focus. The night promises tight mixing and a crowd ready for it, the sort of booking that turns a regular weekend into a minor talking point by Monday.

February 21. B500 via here. APT 101, 6pm onwards

Brit-rock finds a thoughtful interpreter in Buddhist Holiday, a group that treats guitars like confession. Their sound nods to ‘60s and ‘70s classic rock while carrying the wistful edge of ‘90s Britain, all jangling chords and quietly existential lyrics. Smokey rehearsal rooms rather than stadium grandstanding. On stage, melodies stretch and settle, sometimes slow and reflective, sometimes driving with intent. The band frames each set as a series of small stories about doubt, belief and getting through the week with dignity intact. It feels intimate, almost domestic, as if the songs belong in your own living room.

February 21. B550 via here. Format BKK, 8pm-8.45pm

An ambitious gathering sets its sights on widening the conversation around Thai contemporary performance, linking local practice with international perspectives. Choreographers, dancers, teachers, academics, producers and policymakers share one space, trading research, process and lived experience without hierarchy. The aim feels clear: position Thai work within a global frame while staying alert to its own cultural roots. The programme balances performance with reflection. International showcases sit alongside post-show discussions that trace the journey from tradition to present-day experimentation. Workshops sharpen the focus further, including a Master Class Open Lab led by Hiroaki Umeda, a Fast Track session with Olivier Dubois and a workshop guided by Hillel Kogan. It feels rigorous yet generous, serious about craft while remaining open to exchange.

February 21-24. Free. Register via here. Sodsai Pantoomkomol Center of Dramatic Arts and Bangkok Kunsthalle, 7pm-8pm

STILL House stands quietly among the glass towers of Asoke, a restored heritage home that favours memory over gloss. Its latest chapter exhibition unfolds through a collaboration between NORSE Republics and &Tradition, a name long associated with Danish craft and considered modernism. Rooms shift from domestic familiarity to thoughtful installation. Chairs, lamps and objects sit not as showroom pieces but as prompts for touch and contemplation. Soft scent lingers, sound hums gently, small tastings appear during workshops that encourage slowing down. The exhibition frames design as lived experience rather than static display, offering a brief retreat from the city’s insistence on speed without losing sight of its context.

Until April 15. Free. STILL House, 10am-7pm

Takuya Mitani paints girls who look as if they step from a dream you almost remember. Rooted in Pop Surrealism and Symbolism, his exhibition studies the thin line between purity and the stranger instincts we prefer to dress up politely. Six canvases present young figures adorned with ram horns, crocodile tails and carefully constructed wings. These details read less as fantasy than armour, protective gear for souls that feel both tender and feral. Each composition balances sweetness with unease, decorative calm brushing against something watchful beneath the surface. Mitani suggests myth never disappears; it adapts, shifts shape and lingers in modern life. The work asks you to look twice, then reconsider what innocence really protects.

February 22-March 22. Free. Joyman Gallery, 11am-6pm

Lunar New Year takes a detour through Kolkata, honouring the city’s Chinese community where soy sauce meets mustard oil without apology. The menu, curated by Sayantani ‘Zeena’ Roy, leans nostalgic and generous, built for passing plates across a crowded table. Chilli Chicken arrives glossy and unapologetic, Manchow Soup carries heat that lingers, Hakka Noodles tangle comfort with bite and Gobi Manchurian delivers that familiar sweet-spicy hit. Around the food, abstract canvases line the walls and vintage portraits nod to family histories that stretch across borders. DJ sets go in the background, keeping the room lively but never overwhelming conversation. It is communal, a celebration shaped by migration, memory and the pleasure of eating with your hands slightly stained in sauce.

February 22. Up to B500. Sababa BKK, midday onwards

An exhibition confronting Thai democracy arrives with unsettling clarity, pairing Manit Sriwanichpoom and Akkara Naktamna in a conversation that feels both personal and painfully public. Their works sketch daily existence beneath rigid political scripts where citizenship becomes an endurance test rather than an act of participation. Photographs and installations lean on sharp metaphors: veiled faces, constricted bodies, environments that appear breathable yet quietly hostile. Each piece questions authority’s gentle language while revealing how control slips through education, media, ritual. Viewers are left wondering what belief even means when vision feels filtered and breath negotiated. Are citizens misled, or simply surviving within limits imposed long before consent? The exhibition asks uncomfortable questions without promising answers, suggesting delusion may not belong to individuals alone but to a system sustained by repetition, fear and uneasy silence.

Until April 12. Free. West Eden Gallery, 11am-6pm

Thai illustrator Lili Tae, also known as Phindita Techamongkhalaphiwat, presents a solo exhibition curated by Jason Yang that feels like stepping through shifting layers of memory, dream and landscape. Her digital paintings grow from quiet encounters with forests, wandering paths and unexpected meetings with flora and fauna, reshaped through a deeply personal lens. Soft brushwork meets luminous colour, allowing realism to brush against fantasy and moments of gentle surrealism without losing emotional clarity. Figures appear suspended between waking life and subconscious reflection, suggesting stories half remembered rather than fully explained. Natural textures echo skin, water, leaves and shifting weather, giving each image a tactile presence despite its digital form. Viewers wander through scenes that feel intimate yet expansive, reflecting how imagination reshapes daily observation without ever fully separating from lived experience.

Until March 16. Free. GalileOasis Gallery, 9am-8pm

February Sundays gain a leisurely rhythm with Sunday Jazzy Brunch, a month-long series pairing thoughtful cooking with live jazz that gently reshapes the usual weekend routine. Each week introduces a new culinary theme, encouraging returning guests to experience familiar surroundings through fresh flavours and seasonal ingredients handled with quiet confidence. Expect towers of chilled seafood, flame kissed specialities and shareable plates designed for lingering conversation rather than hurried bites. Atmosphere leans warm and unpretentious, allowing romance to appear naturally without staged theatrics. The Namsai Trio provide an elegant soundtrack, their intimate arrangements drifting through the room like a soft afternoon breeze. Friends gather around generous tables, couples settle close over sparkling glasses, solo visitors find easy comfort among strangers united by music, laughter and the unspoken joy of slowing down.

Every Sunday. Starts at B1,500. Reserve via 02-649-8888. Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, midday-3pm

Hands still matter, even now. At Rosewood Bangkok, Made in Thai-Hands arrives through a collaboration with Play Art House, offering a thoughtful look at living craft traditions shaped by patience rather than speed. Curated by independent artist Seada Samdao, the exhibition brings together 10 Thai artists working between inherited techniques and contemporary thinking, without treating either as fixed. Moving through the space feels like travelling across different landscapes, guided by texture, material and touch. Threads hold hours of quiet labour, pigment settles through instinct and surfaces reveal years of repetition. Nothing rushes for attention. Instead, each work carries the weight of human effort and the calm confidence that comes from knowing a process deeply. While the rhythms of making remain central, the voices feel current, led by a generation carrying tradition forward with clarity rather than reverence. Craft here feels alive, personal and quietly defiant.

Until March 20. Free. G/F, Rosewood Bangkok, 9am-9pm

Song Wat turns playful without losing its sense of history. For Bangkok Design Week, the district becomes a walkable board game, stretching across streets that once carried trade, gossip and daily deals. Building on the earlier manhole cover project, this new chapter invites visitors to play merchant, navigating landmarks and stories that shaped the neighbourhood’s working life. Set along Song Wat Road at Tuk Khaek, Merchants of Song Wat reimagines the area as a network of warehouses and shops. Players move as caravans, trading goods, striking bargains with local businesses and slowly building their own corner of commerce. The rules stay friendly, the visuals clear, drawing from familiar colours and signs around the area. 

January 29-February. Free. Song Wat, 2pm-8pm on weekdays and 1pm-7pm on weekends.

A Kid from Yesterday returns with a fifth solo outing that feels quietly defiant. Somphon ‘Paolo’ Ratanavaree’s latest body of work steps back from certainty and sits without knowing, a rare move in a culture obsessed with definitions. Titled “Just” BEING BE/NG BE—NG, the exhibition borrows from Camus’ Philosophy of Sisyphus while nodding to the calm discipline of a Zen garden. The result isn’t comfort or escape, but acceptance of contradiction. Cigarettes sit opposite raked sand, everyday habits facing ritual stillness, neither winning the argument. This space doesn’t promise healing or answers. It allows doubt to exist without apology. Being human here means pausing, noticing and carrying on regardless. In a world eager for declarations, the show suggests something softer and braver: existing without explanation might already be enough.

January 17-March 1. Free. Street Star Gallery, 8am-6pm

Bangkok welcomes 2026 with a knowing wink as Muse Anime Festival sets up at JAM SPACE, a familiar meeting point for pop culture devotees. This is less trade fair, more shared obsession. Fourteen anime titles spread across 17 photo zones turn fandom into a walk-through experience, complete with oversized sets and scenes designed for lingering rather than rushing. Expect towering inflatables of Momo and Okarun from DAN DA DAN plus Rimuru, the eternally cheerful slime, looming large for cameras. Beyond the visuals, shelves fill with officially licensed pieces and harder-to-find imports, tempting even the disciplined collector. Food gets its own moment too, thanks to a themed cafe riffing on SPY x FAMILY and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. 

January 10-March 29. Free. 4/F, MBK Centre, 11am-9pm