Singapore Night Festival 2019 Highlights: Aerial Acts, Light Art, And Local Bands
PUBLISHED August 19th, 2019 06:00 am | UPDATED May 18th, 2020 02:04 pm
You know the drill — once again, it’s time to get lit at the Singapore Night Festival. Taking place all across the Bras Basah and Bugis Precinct from 23 to 31 August 2019, it’s the same lengthy extravaganza of spectacular lights, cultural performances, local music, and museum exhibits that we’ve come to love. There’s plenty to see and do as usual, but these are the highlights worth staying out late for!
Fuerza Bruta
The renowned Argentinian troupe Fuerza Bruta is set to headline this year’s festival with gravity-defying aerial acts. It’ll be standing room only at the Cathay Green as their acrobats soar right overhead on suspended stages, but really, you’ll want to stand for this. There are no stodgy stage boundaries for this immersive spectacle, and you’re welcome to high-five the performers, break into mass dance, and get yourself bombed with plenty of confetti. With laser projections and groovy music to boot, it’s no wonder their shows are always sold out internationally.
Fuerza Bruta will run from 29 − 31 August 2019 at Cathay Green, Orchard Road, Singapore. Tickets are priced at S$15 (standard) and S$12 (group booking of min. 5 tickets) via SISTIC.
Dazzling Night Lights On Iconic Landmarks
The iconic Night Lights returns this year with 16 light artworks, providing whimsical makeovers to our otherwise familiar landmarks. Sites to hit up for the ‘gram include the Stamford Court Clock Tower which will be transformed with playful animations, and the National Museum of Singapore as it comes alive in eye-popping blues and yellows. To get hands-on with the light play, stop by the S.C.U.L.P.T. Installation at Armenian Church, where you can even step up to take control of laser beams.
Night Lights artworks will be installed from 23 − 31 August 2019 at various locations around the Bras Basah – Bugis District, Singapore. Admission is free.
Retellings of the “Ramayana”
Southeast Asian folklore is in the spotlight this year, and there are few tales in the region more iconic than the Ramayana. This major Sanskrit epic depicts the heroic feats of Rama, the legendary prince of ancient India. Catch a lyrical retelling with Gamelan Asmarada’s Poetry and Bronze as the epic is performed and sung to the stirring sounds of gamelan. And for a vibrant rendition through classical Indian and Javanese dance, check out Anjaneyam – Hanuman’s Ramayana by Apsaras Arts.
Poetry and Bronze: Instrumental Adaptations of Serat Ramayana and Anjaneyam – Hanuman’s Ramayana is happening from 29 to 31 August 2019 at the National Museum of Singapore and Dhoby Ghaut Green respectively. Entry is free.
Immersive exhibitions @ National Museum of Singapore
Things are starting to heat up at the National Museum of Singapore with immersive art installations that take a closer look into global warming and nature’s power. Collapse! by French filmmaker Luc Jacquet is a chilling audio experience that transports you straight to the scene of Antarctica’s collapsing ice glaciers, and other installations to check out include Light Society’s Whispers, a hypnotic experience of the power of wind.
Collapse! and Whispers will run from 8 August to 8 September 2019 at the National Museum of Singapore, 93 Stamford Rd, Singapore 178897. Admission is free.
Band performances at Dhoby Ghaut Green Festival Village
Whether it’s jazz or funk, Mandopop or rock, there’s a jam for everyone at the Dhoby Ghaut Green Festival Village. The lineup features a slew of local bands, including MOTUS, a 16-member outfit known for their wicked samba beats, and Flame of the Forest, a fusion group with smooth blends of classical Indian and Western sounds. You’ll also have the chance to catch regional talents like Malaysia’s SONUO, Thailand’s The Note, and the Philippines’s MenAcoustic.
Band performances at Dhoby Ghaut Green Festival Village will be happening on 23−24, 29−31 August 2019 at Dhoby Ghaut Green, 9 Penang Rd, Singapore 238459. Admission is free. See here for the performance schedule.
Singapore Night Festival 2019 is happening from 23 to 31 August 2019 at various locations across the Bras Basah – Bugis Precinct. Entry is free for most events, tickets required for selected programmes. Check out the full program line-up here.
Top Image: Fuerza Bruta
