The best things to do in Singapore this week (Oct 5-11)

The Formula 1 drivers are now in town, ready to put rubber to tarmac from October 9 to 11. That’s three high-octane days with practice, qualifying and support races building to the grand finale on Sunday night. Surrounding all this racing action is an equally stacked line-up of live music entertainment, with big acts like Lana Del Rey, The Killers, Janet Jackson, Goo Goo Dolls taking over various stages around The Circuit. If you have a ticket, here's all you need to know about race weekend at our F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2026 guide. 

There’s always room to learn something new and start planning your career journey. From AI and digital skills to healthcare, finance, media and aviation, SkillsFuture Festival 2026 brings more than 140 events and activities to locations across Singapore, including the heartlands, from September 16 to October 28. 

Expect hands-on workshops, expert talks, career fairs, careers and skills advisory sessions, training opportunities, plus walk-in and virtual job interviews too, with plenty of chances to discover where your next step could take you – whether you’re a student figuring out your future, a working professional looking to sharpen your skills, considering a career switch or a lifelong learner with a curious mind. From AI-focused roadshows to community events happening across the island, the six-week festival makes learning feel a little more accessible and a lot more exciting. Find out more here.

Think you’ve seen everything at ArtScience Museum’s teamLab Future World? Now there are even more reasons to head back to the ever-changing experience. The beloved permanent exhibition has fully reopened with newly unveiled artworks and refreshed experiences. Discover artworks that exist in a state of constant transformation – water particles flow across the artwork space, while flowers emerge and respond to changing conditions, creating an interconnected environment where every movement can send a ripple through the space. 

And that’s just the start: must-sees including Crystal Universe, Animals of Flowers, Symbiotic Lives – A Whole Year per Year, and Light Sculpture with Paper Airplane remain part of the experience, with plenty of interactive ways for little ones to get involved, too. Find out more here.

If your post-race activities involve loads of music and dancing, Zouk’s got you covered for F1 weekend. The Circuit features an all-star DJ lineup across the Mainroom and Capital. Greek producer Argy kicks off Friday (October 9) with haunting melodic techno hits like 'Tataki'. On Saturday (October 10), Grammy-winning producer Mustard takes over with bass-shaking beats, alongside South Korea’s Siena spinning rave-ready pop remixes. If you prefer skipping the race for the party, Capital throws back-to-back nights of flowing bottles and resident DJs spinning late from Thursday (October 8). 

What do you know about the story behind Singapore's reserves? From October 10 to November 1, head to New Bahru School Hall for GIC's The Secret Vault: An Immersive Experience, a sensory-led journey through the decisions and principles behind safeguarding the nation’s reserves. 

Across six immersive zones, uncover stories from Singapore’s early financial history in The Archive, race against rising prices in The Global Inflation Hypermart, face uncertainty in The Weather Room and tend to an interactive garden in The Steward’s Gardens. Then explore GIC’s investments across global markets in The Globe, and shape the future you want to protect in The Reserves of Tomorrow. You’ll also receive a keychain charm created in collaboration with GIC’s social impact partner ART:DIS to take home. Entry is free, with registration here.

Proving that Korean cinema is anything but predictable, this year’s Korean Film Festival in Singapore opens with director Kim Mi-jo’s dark comedy The Journey to Gyeong-ju. The lineup spans recent releases like Mad Dance Office and award-winner Hana Korea, alongside a 4K 10th-anniversary restoration screening of Yeon Sang-ho’s landmark zombie horror Train to Busan. Film buffs can also cosy up under the stars at *SCAPE Playspace for a special free outdoor screening of the 2001 coming-of-age classic Take Care of My Cat.

Boat Quay's newest hangout space, Earworm, is a cross between a music space, pub, and diner founded by the Offtrack team. To celebrate its opening, the bar hosts a housewarming party packed with Thai Molam music, classic cocktails, and Asian-inspired bites. Zudrangma Records founder Maft Sai kicks off the stage with Thai funk and Southeast Asian folk, followed by a live set from his legendary band, Paradise Bangkok. Pam Anantr and Darker Than Wax’s Dean Chew then take over the decks to keep the dancefloor moving late into the night.

Celebrate World Batik Day with Worn. Made. Shared., a joint week-long programme by the Malay Heritage Centre and Galeri Tokokita exploring traditional textile art. Take part in workshops, discussions, exhibitions, and a guided Kampong Gelam walking tour covering historic batik businesses. Dive deeper into the living heritage via Sari Seni, a public lecture series co-organised with the NUS Department of Malay Studies featuring local artists Tumadi Patri and Ho Chee Lick. The festival closes out with a special two-day showcase highlighting a curated selection of their batik artwork.

Portugal takes over the Flower Dome as Gardens by the Bay presents its latest display, featuring 5,000 vibrant sunflowers across 20 varieties. The landscape recreates Portuguese streetscapes, scenic countryside, and a 6-metre-tall replica of the famous Belém Lighthouse. On 10 October, catch Experience Portugal for a one-day cultural celebration featuring cheese, cured ham, and wine tastings, alongside folk dances and movie screenings. Browse a photography exhibition capturing shared history, traditions, and language connections between Portugal and Singapore.

West-siders, drool over this: Isetan’s Japanese food fair lands at Jurong Point for the first time. The Momiji Matsuri Fair brings a street market setup featuring over 20 F&B vendors serving up autumnal treats. Feast on seafood delicacies from Ijima Shoten, takoyaki from Nakayama Shokuhin, and crispy karaage from reigning champion Higo Marunoya. Before heading home, stock your pantry with fresh Pione grapes, Akizuki pears, black garlic, and sakura honey, then browse Japanese-themed crafts at the accompanying artisan market.

Four nights of live music, 40 artists from 15 countries, and zero tickets required – Music Matters Live returns to CQ @ Clarke Quay for its 21st edition from October 2 to 4 and October 7. The free riverside music festival spans Fountain Square and Swee Lee, featuring Singapore’s St. Humain, Filipino indie-pop stars Lola Amour, New Zealand’s Borderline, and Australian duo Pierce Brothers. Special regional showcases spotlight talent from the Philippines, Japan, Nagaland, and Universal Music’s Southeast Asian pop roster. To wrap things up, October 7 sees the ‘Girls’ Night Out’ closing party celebrating female-led acts, featuring Mexican artist Bratty, Japan’s SARINA, and Singapore’s Haneri behind the decks.

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.

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.

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.