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Shakespeare in the Park
Photograph: Singapore Repertory TheatreThe crowd enjoying themselves at Shakespeare in the Park 2018 – Julius Caesar.

The best things to do in Singapore this May

Make it May-morable with concerts by the hottest stars and the return of all your favourite festivals

Cam Khalid
Written by
Cam Khalid
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May is nothing short of a-may-zing. It kicks off with Labour Day – hello long weekend, goodbye Monday blues. Then there’s Star Wars Day on May 4, aka May the Fourth be with you, where fans of the mega sci-fi franchise dust off their Stormtrooper suits and Jedi robes. But one date you won’t want to forget is May 14, aka Mother’s Day, where we celebrate the queens in our lives.

That’s not all – there are plenty more dates to save too. Festivals such as Singapore HeritageFest, Singapore Cocktail Festival, European Film Festival, Pesta Raya, and SIFA are all making a comeback this month, and each promises to be even bigger than the last. Other may-jor events to fill up your calendar include Blackpink's two-night concerts, Shakespeare in the Park’s retelling of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and a Cirque du Soleil-esque show featuring the adorable characters from Shaun the Sheep. The wait is also over for Bird Paradise as it takes flight on May 8. With so much to see and do, you’re in for one sweet, sweet month.

RECOMMENDED: 101 things to do in Singapore and the best events to look forward in 2023

May-jor things to do this May

World Vision 30 Hour Famine Camp
Photograph: World Vision

World Vision 30 Hour Famine Camp

World Vision’s 30 Hour Famine is back! For the first time, it’ll be held on Lazarus Island and Sentosa from May 29 to 30. As part of a global youth movement, this two-day camp takes on an Amazing Race approach – besides tackling the signature 30-hour food fast, expect lots of team-based educational activities and fun challenges. With the 30 Hour Famine encouraging youths to walk in the shoes of underprivileged children, you’ll leave with a more empathetic understanding for children facing the dire issues of hunger, poverty, and a lack of education.

The camp is open to those aged 13 to 30 years old, and you’ll get to bring home freebies when you complete the camp. Make sure to also join in the fair at Sentosa’s Emerald Pavilion on May 30, where there'll be a lineup of family-friendly activities till 7pm. All proceeds from camp registration fees will be donated to World Vision’s One Life Fund, a project that supports children in out-of-home care with special learning needs in Singapore. From now to May 21, register now for $45 here.

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  • Art
  • Film and video
  • City Hall

When you step into a contemporary art exhibition nowadays, it's usually decked with moving visuals. But prior to the sleek projection technologies we've gotten familiar with were early video installation works that broke out across Southeast Asia in the 1980s and 1990s. Travel back in time and navigate through the rich history of this popular medium at National Gallery Singapore’s latest exhibition. Stroke your chin as you observe the video artworks from pioneering artists including Apinan Poshyananda’s How to Explain Art to a Bangkok Cock, Dr Baharudin Arus’s Medium is the Message, and Chng Nai Wee’s Sin of Apathy. Plus, keep your eyes peeled for an egg-citing performance by some cock-a-doodle-doos!

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  • Things to do
  • City Life

Set to take flight this month is Bird Paradise, the new 17-hectare park that's home to over 3,000 birds from over 400 avian species across eight large walk-through aviaries. And yes, most of these birdies made the successful move from their former nest at Jurong Bird Park. There are eight stunning, walk-through aviaries modelled after the different biomes of the world – think African rainforests, South African wetlands, and Australian dry eucalypt forests. Walk among free-flying birds, including some of the world's most threatened species and one of the largest populations of Hornbills under human care. 

For the soft launch period between May 8 to May 26, single-park admission tickets will be going at a special rate of $38 for adults, $23 for children (three to 12 years old), and $20 for senior citizens. Visits from May 27 onwards will be at the full price of $48 for adults, $33 for children (three to 12 years old), and $20 for senior citizens.

  • Music
  • Music

How do you one-up a headlining set at Coachella? By taking over the National Stadium for not one but two epic nights – well, in the opinion of us Singapore Blinks anyway. The K-Pop superstars are one of the biggest girl bands on the planet, being the first Korean female group to reach a billion YouTube views, and the most-subscribed-to music group on the platform. They also broke three Guinness World Records with the single Kill This Love. If you’ve been a Blink since day dot, then fire up your best singing voice for tracks like Pink Venom and Shut Down from their Born Pink album, which has garnered 100 million streams on Spotify. Accompanied by precision-engineered choreography, expect nothing but a visual feast from Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa, and Rosé. How you like that?

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  • Film
  • Kallang

New Oscar-worthy blockbusters are great, but there are always a lot more screenings to take your film-going dollar to. Back on the big screen at The Projector, the European Film Festival (EUFF) is bringing a slice of Europe through 24 acclaimed films from 23 countries. As Sweden is this year's featured country, the festival opens with the Swedish drama Hilma, which tells the story of the revolutionary artist and feminist pioneer Hilma af Klint. Besides gut-punching tragedies, there are also documentaries, musical comedies, and family-friendly films to satisfy every movie-watching appetite

  • Music
  • Music

Honne translates to "true meaning" in Japanese, and that's the type of energy the British electro-soul duo encapsulates in their music. Together, James Hatcher and Andy Clutterbuck put a spring in everyone’s step with a hybrid of warm synths and dreamy electronic sounds topped with feel-good lyrics. Count on them to keep you warm on a cold night with hits like Location Unknown, Day 1, and Someone That Loves You. This marks the pair’s return since their Neon Lights gig four years ago. And you'll want to score tickets to this one too, because it'll be the first time that they will be playing songs from their latest EP Let's Just Say The World Ended A Week From Now, What Would You Do?.

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  • Kids
  • Festivals
  • City Hall

It's never too early to expose your little ones to art. Unlock their creativity with a multi-sensorial art adventure at National Gallery Singapore as it turns into a colossal warren of imagination. Themed Let’s Make a Better Place, the fourth edition of the Gallery Children’s Biennale decks the National Gallery Singapore with 11 art installations by artists around the world. Each installation spotlights one of four core values which include care, collaborate, imagine, and respect. These artistic concepts also highlight the relevant issues of today – in an easy-to-digest manner for kids, no less. Your young heroes can look forward to immersive experiences that go beyond imaginative play, inspiring them to take an active role in bettering the world.

More things to do in Singapore

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