It's that time of the year again when the arts and heritage district of Bugis-Bras Basah transforms into an illuminated playground with plenty of interactive light installations. Feast your eyes on the kaleidoscope of kinetic visuals projected onto the facades of buildings in the vicinity. And that's not all – the massive midsummer bash is also loaded with a myriad of street performances, Instagram-worthy light sculptures and larger-than-life art installations from August 23 to 31.
Commemorating the Singapore Bicentennial, the Singapore Night Festival zooms into works with elements of Southeast Asian folklore and traditions. To ensure you're not missing anything out, we've narrowed down seven highlights to catch at the Singapore Night Festival. You might want to charge your camera for this.
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August 29-31
Follow the thumping beats by this year’s festival headliners, globally-acclaimed Argentine troupe Fuerza Bruta. Treat your senses to an immersive theatre show performed over and around a standing audience – think suspended ‘stages’, lighting visual effects, up-close-and-personal encounters and aerial acts. And with plenty of confetti, you best believe it's a 360-degree sensory party you won’t want to miss.
Cathay Green at 8.30pm, 9.45pm, and 11pm. $15.
Until September 8
Let the waves of this dramatic art installation sweep you away into another world. Put together by the Canadian group Light Society, Whispers transforms the space into a captivating space that encapsulates all elements of wind. Acting like a wind therapy session, the experiential piece showcases that power of the invisible force by changing from a hypnotic-like build to a breathtaking amplitude of strength that combines forces both subtle and powerful to elevate the overall experience.
Gallery Theatre, National Museum of Singapore at 10am to 7pm (August 8-22, September 1-8), 10am to midnight (August 23 & 24, 29-31), 10am to 10pm (August 25-28). Free.
August 23-31
The main stars of the festival are, of course, the light artworks that illuminate the facades of the city’s iconic buildings. Also tucked in unexpected spaces, the Night Lights return with 16 light artworks comprising of both projections and installations.
Don’t miss Keep Dreaming, an exploration of a whimsical wonderland bathed on the National Museum of Singapore. For the first time, witness the Stamford Court clock tower along Stamford Road as a canvas for playful, animated projection titled Tropicana. Over at Armenian Church, look forward to an interactive large-scale projection that combines technology, human interaction and music called S.C.U.L.P.T. Here, you can play with the form and appearance of the church’s centuries-old chevet with the use of laser beams. There’s also a new pop-up experiential dome, Project:Dome, at the Singapore Management University’s (SMU) Campus Green where light art is accompanied with performance.
Various locations including National Museum of Singapore, Armenian Church and CHIJMES from 7.30pm to midnight. Free.
August 29-31
See the story of Prince Rama come to life by internationally renowned Indian dance-theatre company Asparas Arts. As told through classical Indian and Javanese dance set to an original score, this cross-cultural production is performed by artists from Singapore, India and Indonesia. It sheds light on the compelling juxtaposition of Indian and Southeast Asian depictions of the Ramayana epic.
Otherwise, gather the fam for a kid-friendly storytelling and dance production, Sita’s Magical Forest. Follow Sita into the magical forest as she comes across animals and enchanted creatures such as an eagle, a bear, a sea monster, a golden deer, as well as Hanuman – one of the most important characters – and his band of monkeys.
Dhoby Ghaut Green Festival Village at 7pm (Sita’s Magical Forest) and 8.30pm (Anjaneyam – Hanuman’s Ramayana). Free.
August 29-31
Singapore-based theatre troupe Sweet Tooth by Cake returns with a treat in the form of a roving theatrical act. Catch three unique characters wander through the walkways along Queen Street, National Design Centre and SMU Campus Green. If you’re lucky, you might get to see them burst into spontaneous performances along the walkways and alleys or even before the iconic buildings. Expect the unexpected with MMO.
Various locations including National Design Centre, SMU Campus Green and along Queen Street at various timings. Free.
August 23 & 24, 29-31
Bigger and better, the signature Festival Village returns with two camps – one at Dhoby Ghaut Green and the other at the newly-pedestrianised Armenian Street Park. Take a break from all those light art hunting and refuel with a plethora of tasty bites while soaking up the sounds of jazz, hip-hop and traditional New Orleans brass music by New Stream Brass band. Don’t miss the zestful dance number by homegrown tap-dancing talent Rhythm Nation, too.
Armenian Street Park Festival Village from 6pm to midnight and 8pm to midnight on Thursday. Dhoby Ghaut Green Festival Village from 6pm to midnight. Free.
To ensure that you cover the best bits of the Singapore Night Festival, from Night Lights to performances, check out the festival Google Map on your mobile phone here.
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