The best things to do in Singapore this weekend (Apr 26-28)

Boutique Fairs is one shopping event that everyone should have on their calendar. With a gathering of more than 300 brands in one building across three days, you’re guaranteed to find whatever you’re looking for – even if you don’t know that you need it yet. As always, look forward to new participating brands, established stalwarts, and exclusive launches. Pop-up cafes and F&B booths will also be at the F1 Pit Building to keep you going and shopping!

There's nothing like a good perfume to express your personality and leave a deep impression on those around you. If you're keen on figuring out your signature scent, there's nowhere better to do so than at Chanel Parfumeur: A Fragrance Experience. Happening from April 26 to June 2 at CQ @ Clarke Quay, this event is centred on Les Exclusifs De Chanel, a fragrance collection inspired by the colourful life of the house's founder Gabrielle Chanel. Learn the stories and inspiration behind the range's 19 scents and even snag a preview of its newest fragrance. For a more personalised experience, take Chanel's personality test to discover your unique scent profile or try the 15-minute Le Quart D'Heure Alchimique fragrance experience to pinpoint your signature Chanel scent. 

Chanel VIPs, you could also be invited to an exclusive Chanel Parfumeur Masterclass. This takes you on a deep dive into the stories and ingredients behind iconic Chanel fragrances, led by fragrance experts from the house. They'll also be dishing styling tips on how best to wear its scents. On the second floor of CQ @ Clarke Quay, you may also step into immersive experience spaces inspired by Chanel's iconic fragrance Chanel N°5. Walk-ins are welcome, but it's best to make a prior booking here. 

It's been one year since Kurasu, the popular café from Kyoto, opened a coffee takeaway store in Somerset. Known as "The Stand", this hidden gem is one of our favourite stops for a quick (and delicious) coffee fix on Singapore's famous shopping belt. To celebrate The Stand's anniversary, Kurasu will be popping up at Open Door Store, a retail art space in Tai Seng. Sip fantastic coffee from Kurasu, browse Open Door Store's selection of art and merchandise made by local artists, and pick up exclusive bandanas designed by @trangdrawsbangs and printed by Open Door Store / Konstrukt Labs just for the occasion.  

Zoom in and tickle your mind at Japanese artist Tatsuya Tanaka's first-ever exhibition in Singapore. small Muji exhibition – Enjoying Everyday Items sticks to what Tanaka-san is best known for: playful miniature works depicting elaborate scenes from everyday life. In his work, it's not strange to see common vegetables like broccolis reimagined as trees or oranges fashioned into miniature suns. In the Singapore showing, Muji branded products are similarly reinvented in 19 miniature works that take inspiration from Singapore landmarks. 

You’ve heard the songs, you’ve seen a recording of the show on Disney+, and now the famous Broadway musical, Hamilton, is finally coming to Singapore. The musical is inspired by the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and examines themes of ambition, human relationships, and political power. Hamilton made its Broadway debut in 2015, and was awarded with 11 accolades, including the prestigious Best Musical award at the 70th Annual Tony Awards.

Paint the town orange at Spritz N’ Beats Festival, a new party series by Campari Group and Aperol Singapore. Its debut edition happens on April 27 at Robertson Quay, complete with Spritz-themed games, vibrant installations, and nonstop DJ sets. Don complimentary Aperol Spritz sun hats and beach visors and dance along to performances by some of the scene’s best DJs and selectors, such as Leland, Bongomann, HBN, and Mako. Don’t forget to collect your Aperol Spritz drinks from coffee carts around the party venue too. What’s more, you can enjoy Aperol Spritz promotions and sundown happy hours at Publico Ristorante, Rosso Vino, Boomarang, and Super Loco in the lead-up to April 27.

KK Market is back with the Seoulful Spring Market, where you can shop across a variety of Korean brands in fashion, beauty, and art. With the market featuring over 25 brands, you can expect to see unique creations from independent creators such as intricately designed jewellery by Mzuu and dainty tableware by Ela Dining. No market would be complete without food, so be sure to come hungry to enjoy a wide array of Korean food like kimbap, tteokkbokki, and rice cakes.

Find out more about Seoulful Spring Market here.

Discover the artistry of Leo Hee Tong, a renowned Singaporean painter, through NAFA’s upcoming exhibition Memories of Time: Leo Hee Tong 时光印迹： 梁其栋. Featuring around 50 paintings spanning his early and recent career, the showcase will take place at The Ngee Ann Kongsi Galleries from April 16 to 28, 2024. 

Explore Leo's life, memories, and imagination through his artwork, offering a glimpse into his journey as an artist. This exhibition marks Leo's sixth solo show in the last decade and holds significance as his first at his alma mater. Leo's artistic roots trace back to his time at NAFA, where he studied under the mentorship of Cheong Soo Pieng, a pioneer artist. Later, Leo expanded his artistic horizons at Ashiya Art College in Japan, where he encountered diverse artistic influences.

Celebrate Lau Pa Sat’s 130th anniversary and admire the new 10-metre mural by local mural artist and painter Yip Yew Chong. The striking mural is located at the external wall of Lau Pa Sat, and you’ll notice a seamless transition between the hawker’s founding days as the famous Telok Ayer Market that opened in 1824, to what it is today as one of the busiest lunchtime destinations in the area. Don’t miss this chance to view Yip Yew Chong’s masterpiece, possibly his last in a long time. While you’re there, swing by Lau Pa Sat’s retail store, Food Folks, to get your hands on illustrator Ah Guo’s new merchandise depicting the beloved hawker centre’s rich history.

Celebrate the rich cultural tapestry of Europe at the annual European Film Festival. This year’s edition features 24 films from 24 countries, offering a variety of perspectives and insights into histories that are representative of Europe’s shared cultural heritage. Opening the festival is Here, directed by Belgian filmmaker Bas Devos, a film about the deep human desire for connection in a world of transience and movement. Other highlights include 125 Years Memory from Turkey, which won Best Art Direction at the 39th Japan Academy Film Prize, and Norway’s Dancing Queen, a coming-of-age film delving into themes of romance and girlhood.

Check out the full list of films and purchase tickets here. 

The Asian Civilizations Museum and the Peranakan Museum have joined hands to present Fukusa, Japanese Gift Covers from the Chris Hall Collection, an exhibition that features fukusa, which are beautifully embroidered luxurious Japanese silk gift covers. You can also find kimonos and other related textiles from renowned collector Chris Hall, who holds one of the most valuable collections of Asian textiles in the world. Uncover varied ways of life that completely differ from ours, a variety of auspicious symbolic motifs such as lobsters and cranes, and how the politics of dress influence fukusa design in the late Edo period. Don’t forget to stop by the interactive station where you’ll be able to virtually design your very own fukusa.

Explore the creations of Yanyun Chen, Hong Zhu An, and Prabhavathi Meppayil, produced during their artists’ residency as they venture beyond their typical practices to experiment with various print and paper mediums. At STPI’s Creative Workshop, these artists engaged with unfamiliar materials, techniques, and collaborators. The exhibition showcases the outcomes of their projects, highlighting the artistic breakthroughs that occur during the enriching period of an STPI residency.

From April 12 to May 31, 2024, A Trail to Chase will feature 29 multidisciplinary functional art – think everyday furnitures with a twist – created by renowned artists like Fernando Mastrangelo, Charlotte Kingsnorth, and Vincent Pocsik. Visitors are invited to go on an introspective journey to uncover narratives and contemplate the interconnectedness of our world through extraordinary creations. As you traverse the gallery space, explore the beauty of shifted perspectives, where nature's allure meets modern innovation, while tracing the invisible routes of art's journey, uncovering stories of cultural heritage and art.

Looking back on your secondary school days as an adult can be jarring, with questions like “Why did I do that?”, and “Why were we put through such stressful times?” popping up in your head. Checkpoint Theatre’s upcoming production, Secondary: The Musical, is an exploration of secondary school life through the eyes of Lillin, a young teacher, and three of her students, Ming, Omar and Reyansh.

Directed by Huzir Sulaiman, Secondary delves into the nitty gritty of Singapore’s education system and societal values, as well as the ups and downs of being a teenager struggling to juggle various challenges presented both at home and in school. This musical is written and composed by weish, a Singaporean artist whose music has taken her all over the world, including the Sundance Film Festival and the Golden Melody Awards. Over the years, weish has experimented with different modes of storytelling, and Secondary will be her first-ever production. With her signature emotive soundscapes, Secondary promises to be a musical experience like no other, offering a unique twist to the classic genre.

You can find out more about Secondary: The Musical and purchase tickets here.

It's all girl power at ArtScience Museum's latest exhibition, Goddess: Brave. Bold. Beautiful. Curated by Australia's National Museum of Screen Culture (ACMI), the exhibition celebrates 120 years of female film icons. Singapore's iteration takes a special interest in Asian female stars like Maggie Cheung, Michelle Yeoh, and local superstar Fann Wong, alongside stars from countries like America, Australia and Europe. Look forward to other influential female figures in film and television, such as Marilyn Monroe, equal rights activist Laverne Cox, and Chinese American Hollywood star Anna May Wong. 

Visitors can indulge in a special collection of over 150 costumes, artefacts, and objects, curated to depict captivating visual stories of women in film. Dive into never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage, archival materials and projections to learn the untold stories of these stars. You can also take part in $5 guided tours, stunt masterclasses, and free film screenings. 

National Gallery’s latest show, Figuring A Scene, attempts to answer the all-important question, “What is art?”, with the exhibition divided into six different segments. These different points of focus hope to further aid our understanding of the displayed works beyond its historical or societal contexts. 

For example, in the segment ‘Fruit’, the show examines the diverse portrayals of the King of Fruits, Durian, throughout several mediums of art – from sculptures to paintings and photographs. With each medium offering its own unique point of view, visitors can reflect on its status during colonial times and uncover how this fruit has evolved into an iconic symbol of Singapore’s national identity.

Step into the Himalayas at Cloud Forest’s latest floral display, Azaleas of Shangri-la. Inspired by the utopia, Shangri-La, from the fantasy novel Lost Horizon, the floral display features over 15 varieties of azaleas in pink, red, yellow, orange, and cream, accompanied by stunning replicas of Himalayan architecture and artefacts. Additionally, explore a collection of traditional medicinal herbs and indigenous flora native to the Himalayas, including cordyceps, saffron, and rhododendrons, for a truly enchanting experience.

Find out more about Azaleas of Shangri-La here.

Back by popular demand following a sold-out premiere in 2022, Wild Rice’s Tartuffe: The Imposter is a modern and darkly comic reimagination of famous French playwright Molière’s 1664 play. Tartuffe follows the head of a wealthy family, Orgon, and his friendship with the charismatic con artist Tartuffe, who disguises himself as a man of faith. In a time where scam artists and false prophets have more agency than ever, Tartuffe: The Imposter highlights the consequences of trusting others blindly.

With the weather so blazing hot, nothing sounds better than a dip in the pool – or a full-on water fight. That's exactly what you get at Wild Wild Wet's first-ever Songkran Kids Festival. This April, the waterpark is transformed into a wonderland full of colourful, life-sized gummy bears. Kids can duke it out in water gun battles or test their agility at an inflatable obstacle course. There will even be splashy dance workshops for the little performers. Big-ticket Splash holders can groove out on the dance floor to electronic music with DJ Joeru, and kids above the age of 12 will get to try their hand at DJ-ing and master the art of scratching the board.

You can find out more about the festival and purchase tickets here.

If there’s one thing that Goodwood Park Hotel is known for, it’s for its delicious durian desserts. This year, its beloved durian buffet is back from April 5 to July 21 at the Coffee Lounge. Dig into new creations like the D24 Durianyaki, unique savouries like the D24 sourdough pizza with spicy chorizo and mozzarella, and signatures like D24 mousse cake and D24 puffs. 

If you’re a Mao Shan Wang enthusiast, wait for May 1, when the hotel’s Mao Shan Wang creations like mousse cake, puffs, and ice cream become available. Or take it up another notch with a Durian Fiesta Retreat, which comes with a $50 F&B credit per stay for Durian Fiesta a la carte menu items.

Explore a curated selection of 30 paintings by artist Cheong Soo Pieng, completed from the 1950s to the 1980s. Visitors can venture through the space segmented into three sections that will answer the following questions: “What makes a painting?”, “When is a painting complete?”, and “What is painting?”.

This exhibition is a special one as it is the first in Southeast Asia to utilise material analysis such as x-ray scans and infrared photography to unveil fresh insights into Cheong’s artistic processes. Visitors will be able to dive into Cheong Soo Pieng’s art journey and learn more about the ins and outs of his practice such as materials used, art approaches, and untold stories and ideas.

Every day, we stroll through familiar streets without grasping the profound history they conceal. Join Oh! Open House for a curated art walk through the Kampong Gelam neighbourhood. Get your steps in as you uncover the history of this lively district. 

The guided tour will not only lead you through historical landmarks but also introduce you to local businesses, hidden gems, and 11 distinct art installations exclusive to the area. Beyond delving into the past, you'll gain insights into the present-day communities and individuals shaping the character of this vibrant neighbourhood. Book your slot here.