Elena Tay Hui Zhi
Themed “Singapore, the Great Port City”, the annual Singapore Night Festival (SNF) is back! With over 50 experiences scattered around the BBB precinct, this year’s festival recounts Singapore’s 700-year history as a trading port and its evolution into the bustling metropolis that we know today.
David Chew, 42, Festival Director of Singapore Night Festival, said, “We hope to encourage festival-goers to visit the museums and heritage buildings in BBB as part of SNF, and see them in a different light.”
Here are some must-see programmes and installations we’ve handpicked for you to check out:
1. Time is a Black Circle
Created by Dawn Ng, “Time is a Black Circle” is The Highlight Act of this year. This art piece welcomes everyone to partake in roller skating while immersing themselves in the vibrant ambience of discotheques from the sixties and seventies.
2. 700 Years
The iconic projection mapping showcase at the National Museum of Singapore is brought back to life this year with a twist! Adopting a theatrical perspective, “700 Years” portrays Seri Anggerik from the 14th century as she journeys to present-day Singapore.
3. SeaScape Symphony
A personal favourite of mine, “SeaScape Symphony” is an art installation that allows visitors to admire the marine creatures and aquatic life found along Singapore’s shores. The installation’s distinctive feature lies in its interactive element, allowing people to add their own “bubbles” to the Funan Kinetic Wall by blowing on specific parts of the installation.
4. Preserving Paradise
An art installation located in the family zone around Fort Canning Rise, “Preserving Paradise” is an interactive artwork that takes inspiration from Singapore’s first experimental botanical garden. This installation is just one amongst the many family-friendly programmes suitable for young children lined up this year.
5. We’ll weather the weather, whatever the weather, until we cannot
This theatrical outdoor performance features colorful characters that depict the safety that Singapore’s geographical location provides us against unpredictable weather conditions.
Feeling famished after walking around BBB? Fret not, as not one, not two, but three festival villages have been set up this year! Located at SMU Campus Green, Armenian Street, and CHIJMES, these villages boast a huge array of F&B stalls offering food choices from crepes to udon for you to savour.
You wouldn’t want to miss out on this year’s exciting programme lineup, so hurry along and make sure to bring your friends and family too!
For more information on the programmes scheduled this year, you can check out Singapore Night Festival’s website.
Singapore Night Festival 2023
Date: 18 to 26 August 2023
Timing: 7.30pm – 12am
Location: Bras Basah and Bugis
Tickets: Free admission with ticketed activities