The best things to do in Singapore this week (Sep 7-13)

Before cool boutiques and Instagrammable cafes, Kampong Gelam was a thriving Malay-Muslim quarter with deep royal roots and rich history. Travel back in time at Malay Heritage Centre’s Kampong Gelam Festival, a two-day programme of performances, workshops, discussions, and guided trails. The festival shines a light on diverse Malay communities, from Arab and Banjar to Bugis, Javanese, and Orang Kallang. Learn traditional rebana drum rhythms, trace the evolution of Nusantara music, explore kebaya craftsmanship, and discover handwoven Batak Ulos textiles. The main attraction takes over Sultan Gate Park, where you can spread out your tikar for an exclusive performance by legendary singer J. Mizan alongside a traditional bangsawan Malay opera retelling of the Ramayana.

Ready to press pause on your digital life? Head to New Bahru on September 12 and 13 for the StarHub Digital Wellbeing Festival, a free two-day celebration of finding a healthier balance with technology. Returning for its second edition, the festival brings StarHub’s “Power of Pause” to life through five wellness experiences. Challenge your friends to a game of table tennis at TopTable, get creative with watercolours at Chalk N Pencils, make a petite garden arrangement with Soilboy or find your flow with yoga by The Hush Retreats. There’s also The Lawn to browse and explore homegrown brands. Before you arrive, take StarHub’s Digital BMI here to discover your 5G persona and find experiences tailored to your digital habits and mood.

Paya Lebar Quarter Plaza is about to get extra busy as it transforms into a festival ground featuring free live tunes. Back for its third edition, Homegrown Festival boasts a stacked lineup headlined by contemporary R&B trio brb. and breakout star Regina Song, who went viral with her indie-pop single, "the cutest pair". Other acts sharing the stage include Forests, 10pm Noise Complaint, and Ice Cream Sundays, alongside artistes under the Music & Drama Company. Rounding out all things local is a festival village offering unique finds from homegrown brands. You can also catch the Homegrown Rising youth band competition, where six emerging acts take to the stage to battle for professional song production.

Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with Fenbao and friends at Gardens by the Bay. Throughout September, the Golden Garden, Supertree Grove, and Bayfront Plaza come alive at night with eight vibrant, neon-lit lantern installations inspired by the adorable Singaporean cartoon character. Take a stroll through moonlit gardens, luminous aquatic worlds, and celestial whale displays. Once you’ve snapped your pics, head to the Supertree Grove marketplace for family-friendly games, carnival rides, and rows of street food. Weekends feature lantern-making workshops and painting activities for kids. The festivities continue with electrifying LED lion dance performances, mesmerising dragon dances, and the high-energy Singapore Big Flag Championship.

Puppet traditions from Singapore and Japan meet at One Stage, Two Traditions: Living Heritage in Puppetry. Coming together for one day only, this cross-cultural performance spotlights two distinct art forms: Japan’s Awa Ningyo Joruri and Singapore's traditional Potehi hand puppetry. The two-hour programme begins with Web of Deceit, a Journey to the West tale performed by homegrown theatre group Paper Monkey as Sun Wukong outsmarts the Spider Demon. Then, Tokushima’s renowned Heisei-za troupe takes over with The Scene of The Pilgrimage Song, a heart-wrenching historical drama exploring a mother’s love and sacrifice. 

Parisian treasures, vintage linen wearables, and intricate tapestries – there are plenty of gems to uncover at Objects.re’s latest weekend market, Something Old, Something New. The Singapore studio is teaming up with local brands for a laid-back afternoon of curated shopping, featuring pre-loved favourites and new, original pieces. Browse Masa House for secondhand watches from Fossil, Seiko, and Guess, or update your wardrobe with Slow Jone’s hand-sewn apparel and Leap Studio’s sculptural jewellery. Woven Root offers rugs and homeware sourced from crafters in Palestine and Pakistan, while J.naiglass stocks quirky glass flowers and perfume bottles. Need a caffeine boost? Dilly Dally will be brewing fresh cups throughout the day.

Another edition of Public Garden is upon us as the popular art market returns to Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre for two days. Discover an exciting lineup of independent designers and artists spanning fashion, art, collectibles, and paper goods. Fashion lovers can look out for Dream Nicker’s nature-inspired jewellery, iMokey’s outerwear, and Li’s Atelier’s office wear. For quirky prints and bizarre merch, check out Macau illustrator Mr Bubbles, Japanese character designer OHIGEnoPON, and Hong Kong’s Lorak Institute with its brain-shaped pouches. Plus, Kotoko Bakery brings its miniature bread sculptures from Japan to Singapore for the first time, all crafted from real dough for decorating your boards and fridges.

If you missed the sold-out run of Fried Rice Paradise: The Makan Party last year, the food-meets-family-drama is back for a second serving of sibling rivalry. Settle down at the dinner table as chef-owner Bee Lean searches for an heir to her restaurant, letting you vote on the next Boss Lady between her daughters Fancy and Nancy. The pair face off in a massive cooking showdown full of spice. Adapted by Thomas Lim from Dick Lee’s 1991 classic stage musical, this interactive four-course dinner theatre reboot boasts a returning cast starring Serene Chen, Ching Shu Yi and Audrey Luo.

Forget pyramids and desert terrain. For its first-ever ancient Egypt-themed showcase at Lilytopia, Gardens by the Bay is swapping out dune landscapes for a rare look at the country’s past. Travel back in time to a lush garden filled with blooming lilies that once grew along the Nile, including the sacred blue water lily, which symbolises rebirth, the sun and the afterlife. Through a vivid palette of blooms, the showcase revives the faded colours of ancient Egyptian art. Presented alongside the display is A Glimpse of Egypt, an exclusive exhibition by Salwa Elhamamsy featuring dreamy, Impressionist-inspired oil paintings of Egypt’s breathtaking landscapes.

Over 100 exhibitions, talks, tours and loads more are happening across the island for this year’s Singapore Gallery Month. Presented by Art Galleries Association Singapore, the 2026 edition puts a deeper focus on the art of collecting, with a programme designed to help everyone get more out of their gallery visits. Whether you’re a first–time buyer or a seasoned collector, there’ll be plenty to learn, with participating spaces like FOST Gallery and ShanghART. Enjoy community gatherings, including rapid-fire “speed dating” at Gajah Gallery, or stay out late for Art After Hours at Tanjong Pagar Distripark for late-night talks, tours and interactive programmes.

One of Singapore’s most chaotic families is back – and they’re bringing even more mayhem this time around. The Choos cordially invite you to crash yet another gloriously dysfunctional family gathering: a masquerade party. Show up in your best silver or gold getup and prepare for family secrets and betrayal to spill around the buffet table. The Choos serve up drama alongside a wide spread of local delights, from laksa, rendang and satay to truffle egg croissants, kaya bread and butter pudding and Milo Dinosaur buns. Live chef stations will also be whipping up personalised plates of chicken rice.

Get to see Singapore as you’ve never seen it before. Or maybe you have, but you just haven’t been paying close attention. Presented by Objectifs Centre for Photography and Film, A Life in Colour is a landmark solo exhibition showcasing the archive of prolific photographer Tan Lip Seng. Timed alongside National Day, the exhibition captures everyday Singaporean life – from wet markets to construction workers – in vibrant detail, tracing the nation's journey to a modern metropolis. The showcase launches with a new photobook created with Tan's sons, featuring unseen final works that highlight his evolution from film to smartphone photography.

One of Southeast Asia’s leading contemporary artists is taking over the Singapore Art Museum for a major solo exhibition. Titled Afterimage, this three-month-long showcase centres on Manila-based artist Maria Taniguchi, exploring repetition, time and labour through monumental paintings, sculptures and video installations. The exhibition is anchored by her ongoing series of towering, untitled “brick” paintings featuring thousands of tiny, hand-painted black rectangles. Other highlights include her Java Plum wood Runaways sculptures and four moving-image works spanning 16 years.

Stock up your pantry with fresh local produce at the Central Singapore Market. Organised by the Central Singapore CDC, this roving heartland market runs until December 2026, popping up at locations like Bishan Active Park, Zhongshan Park and Upper Thomson. Each stop brings a fresh mix of eco-conscious creators and food entrepreneurs. Discover organic vegetables, gluten-free granola, plant-based deodorants and even edible insects. The July 26 stop offers sustainable fertilisers and truffle oil, while August 2 adds a dried flower workshop and live music.

Relive your favourite local Chinese dramas with Singapore TV: From Local to Global. Presented by Mediacorp and the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, this latest exhibition charts the evolution of Singapore Chinese television from the 1960s to today. The showcase features hundreds of original costumes, props, photographs and memorabilia from beloved productions. Visitors can explore immersive installations replicating classic sets, try their hand at dubbing a scene and share their hopes for the future of local television at an interactive voting wall.

We may not have Disneyland, but Sentosa is giving us something pretty close from now till September 20: a Magical Island Adventure! In collaboration with Disney Cruise Line, the island transforms into a playful day-to-night experience inspired by the seven themed areas aboard the Disney Adventure, now sailing from Singapore. Start your journey in the skies with a themed Singapore Cable Car ride, before wandering through Sensoryscape’s blooming, dreamlike pathways featuring Disney princesses and heroines and down to Palawan Beach for Big Hero 6's Baymax, Toy Story favourites and Marvel heroes. For the first time, the Southernmost Point of Continental Asia opens till 10pm, so can catch the islet glowing after dark with The Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, Lilo and Stitch, and Moana. 

Musée du Louvre presents its expansive collection of Islamic art in Southeast Asia for the first time ever at the Asian Civilisations Museum. The exclusive exhibition, Crosscurrents: Masterpieces of Mughal, Safavid, and Ottoman Art from the Musée du Louvre, brings together over a hundred ancient treasures from the royal collections of the "Gunpowder Empires." The objects chart their rise and fall, offering a glimpse into the forces that dominated West and Central Asia between the 16th and 18th centuries. This rich history is paired with ACM’s own collection of jewels to reveal the empires’ influence on distant shores like Southeast Asia during a time of expanding global trade networks.

It’s time to live out your Disney dreams at Gardens by the Bay. Floral Fantasy comes alive once again with the return of Disney Garden of Wonder, which opens from now until March 2027. For its second instalment, the impressive horticultural display features over 20 Disney and Pixar character topiaries spread across six zones. One of the biggest highlights at this year’s showcase is the debut of Anna and Elsa from Frozen. The Arendelle sisters each get their own floral setting, complete with a frosty archway and icy mountains, alongside other Disney princesses like Jasmine from Aladdin, Belle from Beauty and the Beast, and Rapunzel from Tangled.

Other returning favourites include Toy Story heroes Buzz Lightyear and Jessie, plus Winnie the Pooh and pals. You can also expect light-hearted installations that feature Disney icons in a more Singaporean setting, such as a playful display of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck operating a teh tarik stall.

Step into the Minecraft universe as Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue makes its Asian debut at Mandai Wildlife Reserve. From April 24 to September 13, fans of all ages can embark on a thrilling, interactive quest through eight larger-than-life themed rooms. Equipped with an “Orb of Interaction,” you’ll craft, build, and battle to save a village from a zombie attack – all in under an hour. Successful heroes can even claim a limited-edition in-game cape. With theatrical sets and plenty of photo ops, it’s a high-stakes, blocky adventure that brings the digital game to life in the real world.

Play and discovery collide at the National Gallery’s newest children's exhibition, When Art Meets Nature, opening April 30. Co-curated with Taiwan’s Taoyuan Museum of Fine Arts, the showcase transforms the gallery into a multi-sensory forest ecosystem. Explore Peace Forest by Soh Ee Shaun, a soft-sculpture playground that teaches kids about biodiversity, or dive into Where the River Runs, an interactive audio experience by Yenting Hsu centred on indigenous Taiwanese traditions. Through art and play, this immersive journey encourages young explorers to reimagine their relationship with the natural world and the creatures that protect our planet.

In this larger-than-life artwork taking over the National Gallery’s Padang Atrium, contemporary Thai artist Navin Rawanchaikul captures the dynamic and passionate cultures and lives that make up the diverse Singaporean community. Following a year-long engagement with migrant workers, indigenous groups and faith organisations, the artist’s revelations and discoveries are translated into spectacular billboard paintings, video interviews and a travelogue that celebrates their vibrant stories and voices.

The showcase is supported by an enriching two-part programme that highlights the people who have inspired the installation. Join in on fireside chats with the artist to explore behind the scenes and the empowering migrant stories. Singaporama Unfolded Part I centres on Kaugnay, an organisation for Filipina domestic workers, and its fabulous Trashion Show, while Part II traces the history of migration in Singapore. The latter presents a performance of a traditional Indian folk dance by Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC) Ambassadors, alongside a discussion on identity, community and collaboration.

Five women, over 50 artworks and one shared mission. This exhibition brings Southeast Asian artists Amanda Heng (Singapore), Dolorosa Sinaga (Indonesia), Imelda Cajipe-Endaya (Philippines), Nirmala Dutt (Malaysia) and Phaptawan Suwannakudt (Thailand) to display their work together in Singapore for the very first time. But more than just an art showcase, Fear No Power is a space to have a conversation about meaningful change and the artists’ decades-long commitment to it. Featuring photography, paintings, sculptures and performances that date all the way back to the 1960s, this multidisciplinary exhibition examines the concept of communal world-building across the region and what it means to forge a community. Every piece of work is an intimate and powerful reflection deeply rooted in care, collaboration and resistance.