Get the lowdown on the most incredible things to do this weekend in Singapore!
Yesss! August is looking pretty good, from new restaurants and bars to Singapore’s 55th birthday. This long weekend, we’ve got a spate of online and offline National Day activities to look forward to! Can we get a Majulah Singapura?
Fun things to do this weekend
Celebrate National Day
All weekend
Bust out the red and white, NDP theme songs and local delicacies – it’s our nation’s birthday! Celebrate with a livestream of a small-scale NDP parade, exclusive menus, special National Day events, and even a fireworks display right at your neighbourhood (if you’re one of the lucky ones).
Singapore classics get an upgrade
9 August, Sunday
Head over to tranquil Dempsey this National Day for an elevated brunch affair at Siri House. Try the baos stuffed with soft shell crab in chilli crab sauce and bak kut teh chawanmushi for small bites, duck noodles and soy-braised pork jowl for mains and pulut hitam and ice cream bread (a modern take on the old school ice cream sandwich) for dessert!
Siri Sunday Special – A National Day Brunch, two seatings at 11:30am and 2pm, Siri House, Block 8D, #01-02, Dempsey Road, Dempsey Hill, Singapore 249672
Online shopping galore
8 – 10 August
Lazada is throwing a massive sale with discounts of up to 90%. Expect big brands like Apple, Dyson, Under Armour, Skin Inc and Lenovo to be part of this 72-hour sale. The best part? You don’t have to wait till 8 August for prices to be slashed – just check out the pre-sale page and put down a deposit to be on the safe side. Plus, tune in to Mediacorp channels to snag some vouchers!
8.8 Lazada’s National Day Sale, shop online
Bottomless bubbly on National Day
9 August, Sunday
W Hotel sure knows how to ring in the nation’s birthday. Of course, there’s gonna be an endless flow of booze. So kick back with a few glasses of champagne before wolfing down all the good food at OTT brunch, Singa Sunday. Expect local faves like chilli crab, bak kut teh, chicken rice and sambal stingray amidst international entrees like smoked hamachi, ribeye and more!
Singa Sunday, 12:30pm – 3:30pm, W Singapore, The Kitchen Table, Sentosa Cove, 21 Ocean Way, Singapore 098374
Migrant workers in a Covid-19 world
9 August, Sunday
Presented by The Birds Migrant Theatre, a drama group made up of migrant workers from the Philippines, Indonesia and Bangladesh, this production hits close to home. For a small fee of $10, the online play, In Between, delves deeper into the lives of our migrant brothers and sisters as they navigate through the murky waters of Covid-19 in Singapore. There’ll also be a live panel discussion with the artistes after the screening.
In Between: A play by The Birds Migrant Theatre, 4pm-5:30pm, watch online
An uber-cool online party for National Day
7-9 August, all weekend
Brought to you by the National Day Ground-up Party team, this year’s party has a slew of activities which can experienced in two ways. The party mode features a virtual map of Singapore’s iconic architecture and the conference mode is hosted on Zoom with various breakout rooms. So what can you expect? Art jamming, Dungeons and Dragons and a cool human library where participants can “borrow” a person and talk about community building, tech and education.
National Day Ground-up Party, participate online
Same Singapore but with a different perspective
All weekend
You know the saying, “home is where the heart is”? Well, with that, 100 local artists are presenting their artwork online in relation to the shared spaces of Singapore come National Day. From a random coffee stand at Bras Basah Complex to the iconic Changi Airport, the Our Heartlands collection offers a different perspective on sites in Singapore.
Our Heartlands, view online
Experience the magic of science behind the screen
7 – 8 August
The virtual edition of Singapore Science Festival is teeming with interactive events and activities to get your science on. Highlights include X-periment, an emporium of the latest innovations by 25 tertiary institutions, live science shows by science busker extraordinaire David Price and a virtual record breaking activity. Yup, you can be part of the Singapore Book of Records for the “most number of people doing a science experiment together on an online platform” by attempting a “magic milk” experience.
Singapore Science Festival, various activities online
Blast from the past
Plan your own expedition around Singapore this weekend and explore historic sites like The Battlebox and Fort Siloso. Or take the road less travelled with our heartland history guide and check out the quieter ‘hoods of the city to get juicy insights into the nation’s past.
Run to show support for SG’s first responders
Those who have found a new love for running during the circuit breaker can keep the fitness flame alive with the HomeTeamNS REAL (regular exercise, active lifestyle) Run. Going virtual for the first time, (‘cos Covid), the theme this year is showing our support and appreciation for the guys from the Singapore Civil Defence Force and Singapore Police Force. Participants can sign up for three different categories (5km, 15km and 24km) based on their fitness levels.
HomeTeamNS REAL Run, sign up to participate
Open houses at museums and heritage institutions
7 – 10 August, all weekend
Whether you’re out and about or staying home, these places have myriad activities in store for you. Try your hand at The [email protected] Museum of Singapore, a digital scavenger hunt, or explore Asian Civilisations Museum’s (ACM) new permanent gallery, Fashion & Textiles, Jewellery and Ceramics, in the comfort of your home. Plus, scan QR codes around the Indian Heritage Centre (IHC) to enjoy curator-led guided tours at your own pace.
Open houses: National Museum: 7-10 Aug; ACM: 8-10 Aug; IHC, Malay Heritage Centre and Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall: 8-9 Aug
A delish online food festival
All weekend
Satiate your appetite this National Day with Oddle Eats’ Online Food Festival. Enjoy $55 bundle deals from 170 F&B merchants including Birds of a Feather, Yayoi, ParkRoyal on Beach Road and Bao by Ce La Vi.
Oddle Eats’ Online Food Festival, order online
Storied artefacts come alive
8 – 9 August
Thanks to the National Museum of Singapore, you can watch artefacts like the National brand rice cooker, the mace of the City of Singapore, Rasamma’s cap, a night-soil bucket and an Orang Laut basket trap talk lesser-known stories about Singapore’s history and heritage. And don’t worry about the entertainment quotient. The artefacts will be voiced by local comedians and theatre personalities like Fakkah Fuzz, Hossan Leong, Jacky Ng, Janice Koh, Rishi Budhrani, and Tan Kheng Hua.
Zoom into History, register online
National Day-themed online fiesta
9 August, Sunday
Singapore Sports Hub goes virtual for its National Day Fiesta this year. The theme for the 55-minute live show is ‘Onwards & Stronger Together’ and it’ll be hosted by the hilarious Michelle Chong in her popular Ah Lian avatar. Play around with the interactive map, get picture ready with Instagram filters, take up the #PlankThatSong challenge (yup, hold a plank while singing your fave NDP song), sweat it out with a K-pop fitness workout and more. The show will be available on Singapore Sports Hub’s YouTube channel on 9 Aug at 1pm.
National Day Fiesta by Singapore Sports Hub, watch on YouTube
