The best things to do in Singapore this August

Over three weekends, the Bras Basah.Bugis (BBB) precinct takes on a new life as the sun sets. Back for its 17th edition, the Singapore Night Festival returns with a fantastical twist, featuring a programme inspired by myths, legends and folklore from Singapore and across Southeast Asia. Expect larger-than-life installations, live performances and immersive experiences that bring stories of the Merlion, Sang Kancil, La Galigo and many other legendary figures to life, turning the arts and museum precinct into an enchanting wonderland after dark.

If your idea of a perfect weekend involves hopping from one tasty bite to the next, make a date with Jiak by the Quay at CQ @ Clarke Quay on August 22 and 23, from 3pm to 10pm. This one-weekend-only festival brings together some of Singapore's favourite restaurants and homegrown brands, serving up exclusive creations that put inventive spins on familiar local flavours. Tuck into laksa linguine from Home Dawn & Dusk, and chilli crab tteokbokki at Hanjip, or Peking duck tacos and satay shooters from Mimi. 

There are plenty more treats to discover, alongside interactive workshops like edible cookie painting (redeemable with a minimum spend of $20 at CQ or any Jiak by the Quay booth), a complimentary customised artwork of your favourite dish on canvas, live entertainment and pet-friendly experiences, making it an easy day out for foodies and families alike. ICYMI, you'll still be able to enjoy selected festival-exclusive menu items at participating CQ dining outlets until September 13. Find out more here.

If your social calendar is looking a little empty, Kaya at The Standard has plenty of ways to fill it. Swing by on Saturday or Sunday from 11am to 3pm for the Weekend Brunch Club, where breakfast classics and Japanese-inspired brunch plates are made for slow mornings. Then rally your colleagues for the Buy 2, Get 1 Weekday Set Lunch, where every third set is on the house. 

Evenings are just as tempting – Kaya After Dark Happy Hour pours $10 highballs and cocktails every night from 8pm to 10pm. Looking for an even better deal? Swing by from Sunday to Wednesday for Highball Hour, where the first 30 glasses are just $5 each for a standard highball. Thursdays, meanwhile, are reserved for Ladies Night, with free-flow red, white and prosecco with any food order, plus $10 highballs all night. Pair your drinks with Kaya's new izakaya menu, featuring the shareable Kani Nabe with snow crab, ikura and uni crème folded through claypot rice, and you've got your next lunch, date night or after-work hangout sorted. Find out more here.

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To coincide with the 2026 Singapore Night Festival, the annual eco-conscious Green-House Festival returns to Temasek Shophouse for its fifth edition with a day-to-night lineup. Centred on the theme Don’t Waste A Good Time, the event highlights sustainable dining with a six-course dinner co-curated with Nottofu made entirely from discarded ingredients. Visitors can also explore a marketplace of over 70 local sustainable brands spanning fashion, beauty, and lifestyle, alongside hands-on workshops such as crafting herbal dehumidifiers or dog-safe chendol.

Presented by ART AGAIN, NAUTI: All Things Naughty and Nautical pairs paintings of bumboats with sensual nude sketches to examine how societal views contrast celebrated symbols of modernisation with hidden depictions of the human form. Surprisingly, many of these contrasting works were created by the same artists. The showcase features over 50 mid-20th-century artworks from 15 private collections, including pieces by local masters Cheong Soo Pieng, Chua Ek Kay, Anthony Poon, Ng Eng Teng, and Teng Nee Cheong.

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.

The fourth edition of the Outdoor Fair returns with a two-day lineup for sports and adventure enthusiasts. Spread across interactive zones, the event features a Discovery Zone with sports massage and recovery demos, live bouldering obstacle courses, trail runs, and free Pilates sessions. A major highlight is the debut of the Singapore Snow Expo, offering ski and snowboard gear, expert travel advice, and a free ski trip giveaway. Participating brands include Fjällräven, Mammut, Goliath, Helinox, and Nitecore.

Singapore’s first and largest shochu festival, Shochu Yoka Loka, brings together four Japanese-owned brands – Suiraku, Isego Honten, Orihara Shoten, and Meihin – at One&Co for a day of unlimited tastings. Guests can sample over 100 types of shochu, including rare and exclusive labels, and meet guest representatives from three renowned Kagoshima distilleries. Each ticket includes a complimentary bento box prepared by Chef Jing of Suiraku, with options to join a post-event masterclass led by top shochu sommeliers.

National Gallery Singapore presents Crossings, a solo exhibition dedicated to the Malayan-born Singaporean artist Lai Foong Moi – her first in over six decades. A key yet understated figure in local art history who trained at NAFA and in France, Lai captured transitional Singapore life through portraits, still lifes, and landscapes of women and workers. A key highlight is Crossing (Home Coming), an oil painting depicting two women and a boy on a boat that subtly reflects on migration and nationhood.

Following its debut at Milan Design Week, where it earned a Special Mention at the Fuorisalone Awards, Prototype Island arrives at the ArtScience Museum. Inspired by Singapore's constant state of evolution, the exhibition features 15 experimental in-development projects by local designers addressing challenges in community care, technology, and infrastructure. The homecoming presentation marks the start of a year-long collaboration between Marina Bay Sands' ArtScience Museum and the DesignSingapore Council.

To mark Singapore’s 61st birthday, the National Museum of Singapore is hosting a celebration packed with family-friendly workshops, craft activities, heritage hunts, and mini-concerts. The festival debuts the 4th Migrant Workers Photography Festival under the theme Favourite Haunts, alongside Voyage of Icons, a nightly projection-mapping show by artist Howie Kim tracing Singapore's journey. On August 9, all exhibitions – including Once Upon a Tide: Singapore’s Journey from Settlement to Global City and Singapore Odyssea – will be open for free, with a live NDP screening on the Front Lawn.

The Pop Toy Show returns for its sole 2026 edition, focusing on the 20th anniversary of Pop Mart’s iconic character Molly. Attendees can look forward to anniversary merchandise, collectibles, and appearances by creator Kenny Wong alongside fellow artists Libby Frame (Peach Riot), BAO (KUBO), Kaka (Nyota), and Chokocider (DUCKOO). Collectors can also queue for the first-come, first-served release of Matt Gondek and Ron English’s Lil’ Shit POPaganda figurines, limited to 100 pieces.

Confluence Art Space presents The Quiet Revolutionary, a month-long exhibition dedicated to late Cultural Medallion recipient Chua Ek Kay. Gathering over 50 career-defining works spanning three decades, the showcase traces his impact on contemporary Chinese ink through his blending of classical techniques with abstraction and modern composition. Highlights include his atmospheric depictions of old Singapore streets like Cecil Street and City Hall, as well as the 2.5-meter-wide lotus illustration Peace by the Pond.

Katong Square, Kim Choo Kueh Chang, CREO Customs, and Grand Mercure Singapore Roxy transform into a neon-lit playground for Kampung Elektrik. Over four days, the street festival brings together over 30 local indie fashion and lifestyle brands – including VIVRE activewear, Untaian, Tonêff, and Pakar Batik – giving visitors a chance to meet the creators. Live music features musical duo Jack and Rai alongside Amanda Tee, Krysta Joy, and a Southeast Asian "batik trance" house set by Better Say Yess.

MINT Museum of Toys presents Stitched with Hope, Driven by Speed, a pop-up exhibition exploring women’s history and femininity across two chapters. Century-Long Journey of the Modern Woman displays antique Asian dolls, Barbies, Chanel and Hermès accessories, and rare perfume bottles, alongside pop culture icons like Shirley Temple. Meanwhile, Tin 2 Turbo highlights eight pioneering women in motorsport with historic racing memorabilia. Interactive programmes include drink-blending, perfume bars, model-making, and an October screening of Le Mans.

Renowned Japanese contemporary artist and photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto’s first major solo exhibition in Southeast Asia lands at Singapore Art Museum. Arranged in a continuous mandala layout based on the five Buddhist elements, Form is Emptiness features over 60 works and personal fossils spanning five decades of his practice. Highlights include the 2023 calligraphy installation Brush Impression, Heart Sutra alongside classic black-and-white photographs like U.A. Walker, New York (1978) and Tyrrhenian Sea, Scilla (1993), showcasing his work across photography, sculpture, and architectural design.