Singapore Night Festival 2023 will have a roller skating rink, exclusive cocktails, projection mapping and more
Singapore Night Festival 2023 will be held from Aug 18 to 26 at the Bras Basah.Bugis (BBB) precinct.
A Stone’s Throw (Away) (left) and X O X (two kisses and a hug) (right) are two of the installations featured at this year's Singapore Night Festival. (Photos: WY-TO Group, Critical Craft Collective)
Prepare to add a dose of culture to your nights out as the Singapore Night Festival returns from Aug 18 to 26. This year's festival at the Bras Basah.Bugis (BBB) precinct will feature a slew of art installations and experiential programmes.
Since its inception in 2008, the Singapore Night Festival has become one of the country's most iconic art events – with 2016's iteration even attracting over 550,000 attendees. This year's event will take things up a notch by putting a new twist to its signature projection mapping spectacle and adding a roller skating rink to the mix.
Here are some of the things you can look forward to this year:
TIME IS A BLACK CIRCLE ROLLER SKATING RINK
Put on your roller skates and summon your inner Dancing Queen at this throwback to the 70s. Paying homage to the live discos at BBB decades ago, artist Dawn Ng has created a roller skating rink that serves as a "disco time portal".
Although Time is a Black Circle will only be activated at night, National Museum of Singapore visitors can still marvel at it during the day – without skating on it, of course.
Date and time: Aug 18 to 26, 7.30pm to 11.30pm
Venue: National Museum of Singapore, Gallery Theatre
Ticket: S$22 for tickets purchased from Jul 18 to Aug 17, S$27 for tickets purchased from Aug 18 to 26. Tickets can be purchased here.
ROVING PERFORMANCES
Attendees can also enjoy a few roving performances, namely Waterloo Street Stories – a collaborative project by the #WaterlooStKakis featuring photo exhibitions, music performances and more – and "We’ll weather the weather, whatever the weather, until we cannot" which reimagines Fort Canning Rise as a vast ocean with three fantastical sentient beings in striking colours.
Waterloo Street Stories
Date and time: Aug 18, 19, 25, 26, 7pm to 10pm
Venue: Waterloo Street
Ticket: Free
We’ll weather the weather, whatever the weather, until we cannot
Date and time: Aug 18, 19, 25, 26, 7.30pm to 7.50pm; 8.30pm to 8.50pm; 9.30pm to 9.50pm
Venue: Fort Canning Rise
Ticket: Free
PROJECTION MAPPINGS
No Singapore Night Festival iteration is complete without a projection mapping display. Titled 700 Years, this year's projection mapping will also be the first to feature a six-minute theatrical narrative. The story starts in the 14th century and stars a female protagonist who is transported to present-day Singapore. Be amazed as the projection takes you through Singapore's progress over the years.
There will also be another set of projections at Chijmes, featuring the artworks of three seasoned artists.
700 Years
Date and time: Aug 18 to 26, 7.30pm to 12am
Venue: Facade of National Museum of Singapore
Ticket: Free
Chijmes Projections
Date and time: Aug 18 to 26, 7.30pm to 12am
Venue: Chijmes
Ticket: Free
NIGHT LIGHTS INSTALLATIONS
Get your cameras ready to snap a few pictures at these installations. Located at the National Museum of Singapore, A Stone's Throw (Away) is inspired by the legend of the Singapore Stone which was flung from Fort Canning Hill to the mouth of the Singapore River by 14th-century strongman Badang.
This light installation reimagines the Singapore Stone through a series of interconnected light panels with illustrations of its story. Stand in front of the panels to activate them and watch the installation come to life.
You can then head over to Farquhar Garden at Canning Rise for Rimbun (fertile in Malay) which features projection mapping on lush greenery, with motifs inspired by traditional wood carving and batik prints.
A Stone's Throw (Away)
Date and time: Aug 18 to 26, 7.30pm to 12am
Venue: National Museum of Singapore, Banyan Tree
Ticket: Free
Rimbun
Date and time: Aug 18 to 26, 7.30pm to 12am
Venue: Farquhar Garden, Canning Rise
Ticket: Free
FESTIVAL VILLAGES
Take a break from walking and recharge at the various festival villages throughout BBB. The main festival village will be held at Campus Green of Singapore Management University where you can indulge in exclusive cocktails against a backdrop of live performances.
There will also be two other festival villages at Armenian Street and Chijmes.
Date and time: Aug 18 to 26, 6pm to 10.30pm on Sunday to Thursday, 6pm to 11.30pm on Friday and Saturday
Venue: Campus Green, Singapore Management University
Ticket: Free
PARTNER PROGRAMMES
Live out your Night At The Museum dreams with After Dark where interesting characters come to life after sunset at Children’s Museum Singapore. Listen to the stories from a postman, a baker and a bird watcher as you explore the museum.
Date and time: Aug 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 7.30pm to 8:30pm; 8:30pm to 9:30pm; 9:30pm to 10:30pm
Venue: Children’s Museum Singapore
Ticket: Free
EXPERIENTIAL PROGRAMMES
What's a festival without treats and tipples? Port Cities Food: A Culinary Pairing is a guided tour through Middle Road where attendees can enjoy kueh and cocktail (or mocktail) pairings, accompanied by stories that unveil Middle Road’s gastronomic heritage.
Date and time: Aug 18, 19, 25, 26, 5.30pm to 7pm
Venue: Various points throughout BBB
Ticket: From S$42. Tickets can be purchased here.
For more information on all events, visit the Singapore Night Festival website.
