The best things to do in Singapore this April

Transport yourself to the scenic landscapes of Türkiye at Tulipmania, located at the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay, where larger-than-life replicas of majestic Turkish landmarks are standing against the backdrop of hundreds and thousands of tulips. These include the Trojan Horse from the battle in ancient Troy, carved pillars of Göbekli Tepe, and rustic conserved stone houses of Mardin. Keep your eyes open for intricate touches like traditional mosaic art, colourful stained glass lamps, and Turkish carpets. There’s also a floating hot air balloon installation near the Flower Dome’s entrance – needless to say, a popular photo spot that’ll take shutterbugs to cloud nine. Get a close-up look of tulips of various species and shapes, all in one place. These include the spiky Fire Wings, the rounder Spryng Break, and unique Striped Crown with varicoloured stripes and speckles. Other species of florals from the Middle East – such as poppies and bellflowers – are also blooming within the same exhibit. Find out more about Tulipmania 2025 and book your tickets here.

Plan a family day out to New Art Museum Singapore for Wonders of Nature, the newest kid-friendly exhibition that highlights the significance of the natural world. Featuring works by eight international artists including Yayoi Kusama and Go Yayanagi, the exhibition unfolds across five sections, each offering interactive artworks and immersive projections that bring the beauty of nature to life through art.

The PropNex Family Zone is a new 2,000-square-metre outdoor playground at Gardens by the Bay, designed for maximum fun and adventure for kids and kidults. Scale the Supertrees-inspired climbing towers that glow at night, have a go on the swings, and hop across installations shaped like kueh lapis and ang ku kueh. You’ll also notice bunny-themed elements here – a nod to the Families for Life mascot, Becky Bunny. The star of the playground is a pair of nine-metre-tall towers inspired by Gardens by the Bay’s iconic Supertrees. Young adventurers can scale the climbing nets and cross from one tower to the other via a wooden suspension bridge and zoom down a metal tube slide.

After a seven-month wait, Blue Bottle Coffee’s first permanent café in Singapore is finally open. The 42-seater is located with Japanese retail store Lumine in Raffles City, and begins welcoming guests today. Taking on Blue Bottle’s signature minimalistic design, the store features light wooden furnishings, a sweeping metallic coffee counter, and plenty of natural light let in through floor-to-ceiling windows. Here, you can cop the brand’s merchandise, including coffee cupping spoons, mugs, tote bags, matcha powder, and a range of coffee grounds. On the menu are nine freshly brewed espresso-based drinks (from $6.50), two cold brew options (from $7.50), and of course, Blue Bottle’s signature drip coffee which uses a special house blend ($10). Blue Bottle also has a range of pastries by Bakery Brera, including two Singapore exclusives – the coconut kouign-amann ($8) and pandan canelé with kaya. Find out more about Blue Bottle Coffee Singapore here.

Kinokuniya’s affiliated stationery brand NBC Stationery & Gifts will be closing its Raffles City outlet on May 4, 2025, so take this chance to shop the store's closing sale. For those who are unfamiliar with the Japanese brand, it is well-loved for not just its wide range of premium Japanese stationery, but also its character-themed merch featuring IPs like Rilakkuma, Sumikko Gurashi, Studio Ghibli, Sanrio, Smiski, Mofusand and more. Think plushies, notebooks, stickers, blind box figurines, and even jigsaw puzzles that you typically wouldn’t be able to find elsewhere in Singapore. More updates can be found via NBC Stationery & Gifts’ Instagram page.

This year’s vOilah! France Singapore Festival celebrates 60 years of bilateral relations between France and Singapore. Look out for the Two Rivers and City of Others exhibition highlighting the cultural exchanges between both countries. French and Singaporean artists will also hold live theatrical performances, comedy shows, and musical productions. Find out more here.  

If cute storybook-like animal paintings are something that you can appreciate, be sure to visit Wisps in the Enchanted Garden – the first solo art exhibition by Tokyo painter Saito Sho that’s being held outside of Japan. In special preparation of this showcase, the artist himself travelled to Singapore on a maiden visit and used his experiences as inspiration for his newest artworks – think pandas swimming in Marina Bay Sands’ infinity pool, the Merlion lounging on a beach, and familiar local motifs like the durian. Catch this whimsical showcase at I.F. Gallery till the end of May. Find out more here.

Hold space for Wicked as the musical is arriving at our shores this March. Crowned as Broadway’s fourth longest-running production, Wicked follows the story of two witches, Elphaba and Galinda, in the time before and after Dorothy arrives in Oz. It delves into the intricate relationship between Elphaba, who transforms into the ‘Wicked Witch of the West’, and Galinda, who becomes ‘Glinda the Good’, while exploring the themes of identity and self-acceptance. Find out more about Wicked the musical in Singapore here.

J-hope of BTS will embark on his first solo world tour, ‘HOPE ON THE STAGE’, with Singapore as one of the pit stops – he will be performing at the Singapore Indoor Stadium for two nights, on April 26 and 27, 2025. Find out more here.