The best things to do in Singapore in August

Celebrate National Day on August 9 with all the fun activities planned for Singapore’s 59th birthday! Of course, the main draw is the National Day Parade, which returns to the Padang this year. But even if you can’t catch it in person, you can still partake in family-friendly heartland celebrations on August 10 at Yishun, Punggol, Buona Vista, Bishan, and Paya Lebar – there will be fireworks set off at these locations too. Looking for the best places to see the Marina Bay fireworks on August 9, though? Find out more here. Read all about the NDP celebrations this year with our guide to the occasion.

Get ready for an unforgettable evening of passion, power, and pure musical exhilaration. For the very first time, Singapore and Melbourne’s finest orchestras and choirs are joining forces to bring Carl Orff’s 1937 epic Carmina Burana to life. This groundbreaking work – which translates to "Songs of Beuren", a collection of 13th-century songs from a Benedictine monastery in Bavaria – reimagines a range of texts from sacred prayers to love poems to bawdy tavern songs with a modern twist. Experience a heady mix of soaring melodies and pulsating rhythms, spanning from the fiery intensity of Stravinsky's The Firebird Suite to the raucous energy of Orff's masterpiece. With nearly 300 performers on stage, this promises to be a visual and auditory feast. 

Buy tickets here.

Singapore’s biggest nightclub, Marquee Singapore, is turning up the heat this August to celebrate the Little Red Dot’s 59th birthday – and it’s all about national pride. Throughout the month, it’s hosting a series of resident DJ nights featuring local talents like Fvder, Nash.D, and Zippy, whose signature styles span across unique EDM sub-genres from psy trance to a blend of hardstyle and dark techno. Also taking the stage are three of Singapore’s hottest hip-hop artistes – Alyph, Shigga Shay, and Yung Raja – to turn the place upside down with their groovy beats and infectious energy. Find out more here.

At outdoor weekend festival Sands for Singapore, it's time to do good while having an incredible time out. It's the 10th edition of this signature Marina Bay Sands charity event, and this year, it's themed ‘Where Hearts Come Together’. We're brought together to enjoy nightly live music performances, tasty bites from gourmet food trucks, and upcycling workshops. 

There'll also be a range of unique pop-up stalls at the Giving Marketplace where you can pick up a handcrafted bag or freshly baked pastry, to aid meaningful causes and social enterprises. 

You'll also want to swing by Marina Bay Sands before the festival weekend, from August 16 to 25, to try artisanal ice cream at Scoops of Hope. All flavours are novel and created by Marina Bay Sands’ pastry team and renowned celebrity chef restaurants, including Bread Street Kitchen and CUT by Wolfgang Puck. This annual festival is free for all, happening over August 23 to 25 from 5pm to 11pm. Find out more here.