In the blink of an eye, here comes March – marching spiritedly towards us. And if you feel that 2016 has been getting a tad bit dull (what have you been not doing?!), it’s definitely time to spice things up. Fret not! We’ve been sussing out hip events and exciting activities to fill up your monthly calendar. Visiting an art exhibition, shopping, eating and many more; we’ve got them all. So here’s our trusty list of things to do in Singapore for those who are down for some fun (or even for those who prefer some quiet me-time)!
1. Swing by the LPGA tour event in Singapore to cheer on your favourite women golfers
Watch 63 of the world’s best women golfers such as Inbee Park and Paula Cremer take on Sentosa Golf Club’s devious Serapong Course and compete at HSBC’s flagship women’s event – HSBC Women’s Champions 2016, which has been tipped as “Asia’s Major”. Are you ready to tee off with these pros?
2. Relive your good ol’ fan-girling days with Take That
The 2016 HSBC Women’s Champions also promises four days of world-class entertainment, especially for music aficionados. The four-day event will feature Take That, the celebrated UK pop boyband, who will headline the music line-up on Saturday, 5th March. Other local and international talents will include the highly acclaimed 29-year-old EDM artist, Jack Novak from Chicago, who will spin in the event amphitheatre in the early evening before gates open to the driving range, where Take That will perform.
3. Catch the colourful spectacle at iLight Marina Bay
Championing the message for sustainability through the form of light art, the fourth edition of Asia’s only sustainable light art festival will dazzle you as it transforms the Marina Bay waterfront into a kaleidoscopic display of light, colour and shadow created by local and international artists. There’ll also be a thrilling line-up of events and programmes happening over the four weekends, like fun boat tours, enriching artist workshops, electrifying performances and scrumptious outdoor dining options.
4. Get a little tipsy at CRAFT Singapore 2016
Dubbed CRAFT Singapore 2016, this festival is set to get revelries brewing at Marina Bay, coinciding with iLight Marina Bay 2016. We can tell you right now that you’ll be spoilt for choice, ’cos word has it that there will be hundreds of beers (and ciders!) being showcased from more than 25 local and international brewers. Expect boozin’ big players from Asia like Archipelago and Brewerkz, and even up-and-comers like Little Island Brewing Company.
5. Jazz up your March with SingJazz 2016
Singapore’s inaugural international jazz festival, SingJazz, is definitely beast of its own. Reflecting the fluctuating nuances of jazz itself, the third annual rendition of this music festival in Singapore aims to deliver yet another holistic hodgepodge of improvised solos, unorthodox arrangements, fragile intimacy and the craziest ideas that make music theory seem moot. Featuring a world of music in a line-up including Joss Stone, Hiatus Kaiyote, and the legendary Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club on their Adios Tour, this is a festival you won’t want to miss.
6. Have a little laugh at Margaret Cho’s Psycho Tour
Perk up your March with Margaret Cho’s Psycho Tour. Presented by LA Comedy Live, spend an entire evening with the three-time Grammy and Emmy nominated comedian who’ll make you laugh ’til you cry with her sidesplitting jokes. Witness how she’ll turn grave worldly matters like racism and rising cases of violence towards women to matters of amusement, without trivialising them.
7. Stay home and shop like crazy with Sephora.sg
Life just got a whole lot happier with the launch of the spanking new shopping site, Sephora.sg! Taking over former online beauty retailer Luxola.com, you can now have over 100 of the world’s best makeup, skincare, and fragrance brands right at your fingertips – from cult favourites like Urban Decay and NYX to classics such as Benefit Cosmetics and FRESH. (Psst…local delivery is free for orders above S$40)
8. Enjoy an incredible fusion of Berlin’s electronic music and photography at DECK
DECK is a fun, independent, communal art district for photography enthusiasts and the like, exposing visitors to the growing photography scene and photography art. This coming March, there’ll be an exhibition of Electronic Music and Photography from Berlin, co-presented by DECK & Goethe Institut Singapore. Pleasing both sight and sound, Club Berlin brings Germany’s hard-hitting dance music impulses to DECK, metamorphosising the space into a temple of techno.
9. Get your dose of intellectual brain-teasers at the Stories That Matter Film Screening
Gather your girlfriends for an unruffled film screening (March 5-12) at Objectifs. Join in Stories That Matter film screening – a plethora of documentaries, essays and narratives that delves into societal and cultural facets of the world. Tear-jerking and tongue-in-cheek, featured pieces from an array of countries such as Myanmar, Thailand, Iran, and Singapore appeal to various ethos and can even be personal, but undeniably relatable and thought provoking.
A slider with the ID of 479 doesn't exist.10. Let’s jam with PANAMA, live in Singapore!
A fan of Australian indie, electro-pop band: Panama? Good news! They’ll be coming to Singapore (March 6) to perform live for the first time ever. Winning the hearts of fans with their trademark electronic power ballads, get ready to shimmy to a couple of their synth-soaked songs like “Stay Forever”, “Always”, “It’s Not Over” and “Jungle”, on the 6th of March at The Substation Theatre.
11. It’s time to celebrate Easter Eggstravaganza
Celebrate the Easter season at Universal Studios Singapore (March 7-April 17) with vibrant decorations, giant Easter eggs and your favourite thrill rides. Expect lots of colourful photo opportunities there to egg you on.
12. Feed your thirst for great design work at Singapore Design Week 2016
Heads up all you design fanatics: Singapore Design Week (SDW) returns for its third instalment – hurrah! After earning the title of UNESCO City of Design, the design community in Singapore is more than ready to put forth their best (and most eye-popping) design ideas and works for the public. Highlights include the Innovation by Design Conference, Design and Make Fair @ NDC, President’s Design Award 2006 – 2015 * A Decade of Design Excellence and many more. You bet your bums we’re stoked!
13. Get your monthly fix of theatre with Manifesto By The Necessary Stage
Get your monthly fix of theatre with the collaborative, multilingual production by Drama Box and The Necessary Stage called Manifesto. Manifesto explores a series of events happening throughout 70 years and scrutinises the function of artists in history as well as politics. Manifesto tackles the burning question: do artists represent the voices for the marginalized or radicals who create havoc within society? Piqued your curiosity, haven’t we?
14. Shop ’til you drop at Boutiques at The Pit Building – Spring Edition
Dreamers, design-lovers, and all stylish peeps…good news! Boutiques at The Pit Building is the original, and largest, curated pop-up shopping experience in Singapore, and it’s returning for yet another showcase of unique indie fashion brands, uber-chic interior decor, and lifestyle products – all under one roof! Featuring 150 beautiful pop-up boutique stores, expect exclusive spring collection launches from a smorgasbord of hotter-than-hot independent designers.
15. Slurp that Ramen Keisuke lobster ramen like you mean it!
This swish new ramen joint – brought to you by the senseis behind Tonkotsu King and Tori King – is located right in the heart of Clarke Quay and open ’til 5am! Perch yourself over a flavourful bowl of umami-laden lobster broth ramen. If you’ve really worked up a mighty hunger, fuel up on sides like the tender beef tataki and pork gyoza.
16. Get organised with Life Hack: The Art of Getting Organised workshop
If you’re looking to achieve a more organised life, join in the inspiring workshop with The Change School entitled Life Hack: The Art of Getting Organised. This workshop is all about discovering how you can take control of your clutter and change the relationship you have with your stuff, so you can get on with the important things in life. You’ll learn how to identify the ‘hidden’ clutter in your life, how to take charge and get started, and most importantly, how to maintain a system that works for you.
17. Treat your eyes to an array of visual sensations at Gary Winfield Art Exhibition
This goes out to all artholics. This March, head over to REDSEA Gallery in Dempsey Hill to get your dose of creativity while admiring new masterpieces from Australian artist Gary Winfield. Winfield’s work dabbles on the existing thinking on consciousness, and attempts to envision these abstract notions through splashes of vivid colour on canvas.
18. Laugh out loud at the Magners International Comedy Festival
Getting caught up with work and need a breather? What better way to release some steam than to laugh your hearts out at Magner International Comedy Festival (March 10-12) in Clarke Quay and Boat Quay? Featuring 20 comedians like Paul Morrissey, Matthew Giffen and Lars Callieou who’ll tickle you with their witticisms and puns, this is one festival in March that’ll make you ROFL.
19. Feast on delectable Penang street food at Penang Hawkers’ Fare
You don’t have to fly all the way to Penang to taste its sinful street dishes. York Hotel Singapore is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its oh-so-popular Penang Hawkers’ Fare at White Rose Café (March 11-27). On top of devouring the smorgasbord of delectable Penang street food like char kway teow, Penang prawn mee and Penang laksa, there’ll also be a new sizzling fares to check out, exclusive cooking workshops to participate in and prizes to grab.
20. Gather your entire family for a movie screening at Singapore Botanic Gardens
Ready your picnic basket for a family-friendly movie outdoors at the lush Singapore Botanic Gardens. Plus, go and explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site to learn more about the marvels within!
A slider with the ID of 480 doesn't exist.21. Sneak away to Myanmar (Burma) to rejuvenate yourself
Wanna explore somewhere off the beaten track and relatively undiscovered? It’s time to check Myanmar (Burma) off your travel bucket list. With direct flights from Singapore clocking in at slightly less than three hours – now is the time to visit the land of golden pagodas. What to do there? From diving in pristine waters to riding a hot air balloon, Myanmar will blow your mind away.
22. Have a little sippy, or two, at Singapore Cocktail Week
An extra round, please! For the second time, Cocktail Week comes to Singapore from 12 to 19 March 2016 – hurrah! A yearly celebration of the vivacious local cocktail scene, this event features some of Singapore’s hottest watering holes and the region’s finest bartenders, restaurant bar takeovers, supper clubs and even cocktail brunches. There’ll also be more than 50 cocktail-related events for you to partake in, from cocktail workshops to bar tours around town, to downing signature concoctions crafted by well-known bartenders.
23. Please your tummy with Miss Lok
Street food, hot pot and bespoke cocktails come together in the newly opened neon-drenched noodle bar on Magazine Road called Miss Lok. It’s a crazy concept that wouldn’t look out of place in neo-noir film set in a futuristic Chinatown, but it’s also got the substance to back its style. This joint is wide awake ’til the wee hours, so if the post-pint munchies have got you craving for some grub, pop by and pick up a couple of lok lok sticks (dishes on skewers cooked in a variety of broths).
24. Spend a slow evening with Ophelia by Cake Theatrical Productions
Gather your gal-pals for a slow evening and catch Ophelia – presented by Cake Theatrical Productions in collaboration with Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. Inspired by Shakespeare’s infamous character, Hamlet, Ophelia is a theatre-piece that looks into intricacies of the mind and soul, and attempts to reveal the deep-rooted desires and motives which trigger tragedies, that put humans in a constant state of predicament.
25. Immerse in an Irish cultural experience at St. Patrick’s Day Street Festival 2016
Put on something green and grab a pint of Guinness at the St. Patrick’s Day Street Festival (March 19-20) at Boat Quay, where you’ll be regalled with live performances of folk music, dance and, of course, hearty Irish fare.
26. Channel your inner-hipster at Garden Beats Festival 2016
Homemade sandwiches and house music are finally a reality! Garden Beats Festival is a large-scale chill-out sesh at Fort Canning Park on March 19. Reppin’ the amorous deep house of Berlin will be Alle Farben and Jan Blomqvist, and Faul & Wad. Roping in more electronic, techy elements will be Klangkuenstler, and expect four-on-the-floor rhythms galore with LOVRA and Roscius. And on the local pulse, the Strongbow Stage will feature homegrown DJs Brendon P, Haan, KFC and Zig Zach.
27. Get excited for the Russian return of Shashlik
Long an icon of Russo-Hainanese cuisine in Singapore, Shashlik’s closure late last year was cause for mourning for fans of its signature borsch soup and steaks. You’ll be happy to know that Shashlik will be reopening this March. The new owners are sons of one of the restaurant’s longstanding waiters and have re-hired eight of the restaurant’s original staff.
28. Have one ‘last’ party at Rail Collidoscope in Singapore
The Rail Corridor Art Space throws its last concert and party (March 19). But rest assured that while this may be a farewell show for the Rail Corridor Art Space – it isn’t exactly goodbye! As it turns out, this gritty, guerrilla-styled arts space is merely shutting down temporarily due to piping works (phew!). Bustling with live music, graffiti, DJs and more – you don’t wanna be left out of this underground gig near Holland Village.
29. Treat your tummy at Singapore Restaurant Week
Back for its 12th edition, Singapore Restaurant Week has always been edifying in helping diners decide where to go for fancy nosh…at affordable prices, no less. Long Chim at Marina Bay Sands always been a bit out of your budget? Now’s your chance to savour it. Always wanted to pamper your loved one at Stellar at 1-Altitude? Pamper away. Singapore Restaurant Week is like a goldmine of gold-class food, with over 100 restaurants taking part in this global pursuit for culinary excellence.
30. Spend an evening with pop culture icon, Tom Jones
You know what’s really sentimental? The smoky golden voice of 75-year-old showman (and pop culture icon), Tom Jones! Since his last performance here at the 2013 Formula 1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix, Live Nation Lushington proudly presents legendary Welsh singer, TOM JONES for one special, nostalgic evening (March 31) at The Star Theatre, Singapore. Expect to hear his top hits like “It’s Not Unusual”, “She’s a Lady”, “Sexbomb”, and “I Who Have You Nothing”.
A slider with the ID of 481 doesn't exist.31. Discover Terra, a new rooftop bar that soars
Swing by Terra at Suntec City’s newly revamped Sky Garden, the latest brainchild of Limited Edition Concepts. Eye-level with the CBD horizon, Terra is the place for parties, for Latin nosh and cocktails, to mingle and simply get inspired. While you’re likely to be plastered along the bar, you’ll have a hard time not turning around, ’cos right behind you lies Terra’s very own DJ console that’s likely to attract the most discerning of ravers.
32. Check out what’s hot at the recently revived Gemmill Lane
Not too long ago, Gemmill Lane in Singapore was perhaps only known for two things: bar-restaurant-brunch-spot, Club Street Social, and French restaurant, O Batignolles. Lately, Club Street’s quiet little sister has seen more foot traffic, thanks to a handful of hot new openings along the street. We foresee back alley parties, street closures and more establishments to join the fold when Gemmill Lane hits big.
33. Get hungry for fine dining events at World Gourmet Summit 2016
WGS has garnered a total of 200 Michelin stars, invited over 300 international chefs, served one-and-a-half million delicacies, and showcased 150 wineries since its inception in 1997. For the event’s 20-year anniversary, it’s gonna be pulling out all the stops, featuring top restaurants like Open Farm Community, National Kitchen by Violet Oon, Tippling Club, Lokkee, Wooloomooloo, The Butchers Club and more.
