The best things to do in Singapore this week (December 22-28)

Attention all Kpop Demon Hunters fans: HUNTR/X and the Saja Boys are landing in Singapore on December 22, for a pop-up based on the hit Netflix film. Snap photos at photo zones inspired by the cartoon, wander through immersive experiences, and admire themed installations and costume displays. Then, take home exclusive merch, including light sticks, posters, keychains, magnets, stationery, hoodies, and caps. Admission to the pop-up – held at *SCAPE – is completely free, but it’s best to book a slot here ahead of time.

From sunrise to starlight, Sentosa is celebrating its most enchanting season yet. Inspired by the new film Wicked: For Good, the island now glows in emerald and pink, with whimsical installations, themed bites and plenty of moments that feel straight out of Oz. To make these moments extra magical, Sentosa has unveiled its all-new Starter Charm, your exclusive key to unlocking the island's best experiences, including priority entry to Universal Studios Singapore and Singapore Oceanarium, sweet dining perks across Resorts World Sentosa, and even islandwide exclusives at thrilling favourites such as AltitudeX and Skyline Luge Sentosa. 

DBS/POSB Cardmembers enjoy an extra sprinkle of goodness too, including 10 percent off Sentosa Wander Pass bundles, RWS bundled privileges and access to over 60 Dine, Shop, Play and Stay deals across the island. Get your Starter Charm when you book a Resorts World Sentosa Wonder Experience or a Sentosa Wander Pass package. Experience the magic before it fades on January 4. 

Singapore’s nightlife gets a luxe upgrade this year with the launch of CHADA by Tin Box, the city’s newest premium boutique club at Suntec City. Since its opening in October, CHADA has been redefining the party scene with a curated lineup of global and regional DJs, including R3HAB, Blasterjaxx, 22Bullets, Bassjackers, Lizzy Wang and more. Across its exclusive 180-guest capacity, the petite club promises seamless service, premium bottle offerings, and intimate vibes that make every night feel like a private celebration.

Get hyped this December for a calendar packed with themed nights and special guest DJs, including Wukong on Christmas Eve, Ashley Kiara on December 26, plus Brennan Heart and Rave Republic on New Year’s Eve. Curated for the discerning partygoer, CHADA blends luxury with authentic music experiences, ensuring Singapore’s year-end celebrations soar to a euphoric high.

Book your tickets and tables here.

Manage post-Christmas withdrawals at The Sundowner’s Christmas Market on December 28. The Market marks the grand opening of the new Sundowner centre at Old Bukit Timah Fire Station, where it will also be held. After shopping for goods including fresh farm produce, handmade crafts, and ceramics, fuel up on Burnt Cones gelato, cocktails from Santai, and free pizza (while stocks last) from Secret Pizza Club. And that’s not all – take part in 30-min workshops ranging from kombucha brewing and coffee roasting to candle making and bee and ant encounters.

QT Singapore is throwing the Christmas lunch that your inner social butterfly has been manifesting all year. ‘Lunch, Bubbles & Secret Santa: Christmas at Cygnet’ is a four-course shared feast designed to turn strangers into friends and partners-in-crime for the afternoon. For $128, settle in and enjoy a seafood platter filled with oysters, prawns, mussels, Boston lobster and king crab legs, before choosing between a beef Wellington, porchetta and turkey roulade for your main dish. Pulling it all together are hearty seasonal sides and staple festive desserts.  Level up with a $58 free-flow package starring Billecart-Salmon Champagne, fine wines, beer and downright dangerous eggnog shooters.

The party doesn’t stop at the plates. Guests are asked to bring a wrapped gift for a rollicking Secret Santa swap – and yes, there’s a grand prize in the mix. One lucky diner will pull The Golden Ticket, unlocking a QT Suite Party for up to 15 friends, complete with canapés and cocktails. Bonus: every guest scores a complimentary cocktail at the Rooftop Christmas Pool Party with Therapy Room. 

Reserve your seat at the party here. 

Celebrate the holiday season with AIR CCC’s new festive menus, designed for sharing. Available from December 22 to 31, the menu offers a festive reinterpretation of the restaurant’s signature flavours, infused with Southeast Asian flair. Think pumpkin skin rolls, mahi mahi ceviche, Nice grouper with cassava miso, and lamb ribs glazed with onion koji. Then there’s dessert – an exotic take on the traditional chocolate log cake, featuring cardamom yogurt ice cream and a kenari crumble. And, if you happen to dine at the restaurant on December 27, be sure to save some time for alfresco chess games organised by Aliwal Chess Club on the lawn. Don’t worry if you haven’t brushed up on your chess skills; the games are open to players of all levels.

Usher in the new year at UOB Plaza, which will host a roster of events to celebrate the festivities. First up is the Festive Show, which runs until December 25. The show celebrates UOB’s community initiatives and showcases artwork by disabled artists. Then, the Tomorrow with UOB show transforms UOB Plaza into a futuristic portal that imagines Singapore’s future. Also on display at the exhibition are stunning artworks created for the UOB Painting of the Year competition. The festivities culminate in the Countdown Show on December 31, which features projections on the facade of UOB Plaza and Fullerton Hotel.

Wind down after the chaos of the Christmas festivities with smooth rhythms at a special Christmas edition of After Hours Jazz at Wildcard bar. From 9pm till late, savour the blissful sounds of soulful melodies, paired with one (or more) of Wildcard’s signature cocktails or a glass of wine. Whether you enjoy jazz or you’re just looking for a quiet evening, it's the perfect way to recharge during the festive season. 

How much do you really know about lion dance, apart from the loud drums and colourful costumes? Find out more about the history and heritage behind lion dance at Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre’s vibrant exhibition just in time for Chinese New Year. The exhibition showcases over 50 artefacts, including rare lion head designs in Hainan and Fujian styles. You’ll also be able to learn more about different lion dance styles, local lion dance troupes, and lion dance culture in Singapore today. Admission to the exhibition is free.

Singapore’s biggest Japanese pop culture festival is back for its biggest and most exciting edition yet. The festival, which runs from December 27 to 28, promises a plethora of events ranging from J-pop performances, anime showcases, and a cosplay spectacle. Fans of Japanese culture can also look forward to appearances by Japanese guest artistes, a sprawling Creator’s Alley, and fringe activities like crafts and gaming. The best part? You can attend for free by redeeming your tickets using your SG Culture Pass.

Westies loath to make a trip to the city centre for festive activities will be glad to know that they won’t have to go very far to partake in the celebrations. The Jurong Point Christmas Fair brings the season’s festivities to the West, with an array of artisanal pastries, handcrafted drinks, and delectable sweet treats. Among the offerings are matcha and genmaicha lattes from Ichigo by Tea Cottage, frozen custard from Crumble Culture, Korean walnut puff cakes from Kimhodu, and artisanal bakes from The French American Bakery. 

If you’re a fan of Dearborn’s signature granola and sourdough, you’ll be sure to enjoy Dearborn’s Christmas market, which returns from December 17 to 23 at their New Bahru outlet. Savour decadent donuts and bakes fresh from the oven, paired with housemade gourmet spreads – the new salted pistachio praline flavour sounds especially tempting. You can also stock up on their granola and coffee beans from the local roastery, Nylon Coffee. 

It’s a classic love story, with some (read: a lot) of Disney magic. Join your favourite characters Belle and the Beast, alongside their enchanted castle friends Lumière, Mrs. Potts, Cogsworth and others for this brand-new stage reimagining of the beloved 1991 animated movie.

This latest production of Beauty and the Beast is led by actors Shubshri Kandiah and Brendan Xavier as they bring the timeless tale about friendship and love to life. Enjoy and move along to all the nostalgic songs by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, including “Belle”, “Gaston”, and of course, the iconic “Be Our Guest”. The new and improved outing also features upgraded sets and new costume designs, and it’s infused with creative, cutting-edge technology.

It’s the season to be jolly and merry as Wiggle Wiggle welcomes you to its new hotel-themed activation at Plaza Singapura. Described as the lifestyle brand’s largest Southeast Asian pop-up to date, the festive and whimsical wonderland is bursting with its signature vibrant palette and introduces a bunch of new playful quirks for you to experience.

As you step into the space, you’ll be greeted by festive versions of Wiggle Wiggle’s popular characters Wiggle Bear and Little Play Bunny as they invite you to explore their colourful, winteresque playground. Every corner is decked out in festive cheer and a fresh line-up of Singapore-exclusive merchandise that will only be available at the pop-up store. Treat yourself or someone you love to Wiggle Wiggle’s whacky holiday collection, which includes a fruit mug, fabric sprays and ornaments. If you’re shopping for a more practical gift, level up someone’s office stationery with neon electronic calculators or a bright-coloured wireless keyboard.

Be sure to get your cameras ready too, as there are plenty of photo ops inside the space for some spontaneous fun. Roam the “hotel” grounds or check into the fantastical styled “guest rooms” for a snapshot.

All aboard! The Christmas Train Show at Gardens by the Bay is back with more festive fun for train lovers. Nearly 20 model trains will run along a 145-metre track inside the Flower Dome, now transformed into an American-inspired landscape complete with mini versions of the Statue of Liberty, Grand Central Terminal and San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.

In honour of Singapore’s 60th birthday, this year’s display adds a local twist with a specially commissioned SMRT train passing handcrafted landmarks like the Toa Payoh Dragon Playground and heritage shophouses. You’ll also find a Danish Christmas scene with a 5-metre LEGO tree and miniature Nyhavn, surrounded by 7,000 seasonal plants.

So you’ve been to weddings and birthday bashes, but a divorce celebration? Now that’s a first. Check it off your bucket list at The Divorce Party, Dream Academy’s whimsical dinner theatre comedy where the food is hot and the tea on exes is even hotter. Join the Choo Plastics Family as heiress Phoebe Choo (Sharon Sum) reclaims the single life after her disastrous marriage to Andy (Andrew Marko). Broadway Beng’s Sebastian Tan leads the chaos as matriarch Penelope “Penny” Choo Kim, alongside a riotous cast. Expect a three-course meal, dessert buffet, beach-chic dress code and plenty of saucy family drama. It’s the first in a trilogy following the outrageous Choo clan. Read our review here.

What if we told you that you could marvel at the paintings of iconic artists like Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Édouard Manet without even setting foot in France? The National Gallery Singapore’s latest blockbuster exhibition, Into the Modern: Impressionism from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, marks the largest showcase of French Impressionism ever seen in Southeast Asia. Featuring over 100 artworks by 25 pioneering artists, the exhibition spans three galleries and unfolds across seven thematic sections, each offering a perspective into the movement’s evolution from its early beginnings to the present day.

Whether you’re a peacock enthusiast or a curious newcomer, Peacock Power: Beauty and Symbolism Across Cultures uncovers the majestic bird’s impact across Asia. Featuring over 100 artefacts, from ceramics and clothing to intricate jewellery,  the exhibition traces the peacock’s symbolism, especially in Peranakan art and wedding traditions. It also debuts Thousand Eyes, a new ecological reinterpretation of the motif by Singaporean artist Ernest Goh.

Beyond the displays, visitors can explore peacock species and behaviours through holographic tech and interactive stations. Round out your visit with curated public programmes or join a guided tour for deeper insight into the stories behind the pieces.

Step into the world of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) at Healing Heritage, an exhibition tracing its roots from 19th-century medical halls to its role in everyday Singapore life today. Split across five thematic zones, it spotlights milestones in TCM’s history – from community-run clinics to charitable institutions offering affordable care. It looks into the present and future too, exploring how digital diagnostic tools and halal-certified products are modernising this age-old practice. With archival materials, recreated settings and immersive displays, the exhibition celebrates TCM as both a cultural legacy and a living, evolving tradition that continues to heal and connect communities.

Step into a radical vision of the future at the ArtScience Museum, where Another World Is Possible is on display from September 13, 2025 to February 22, 2026. The exhibition presents a distinctly Singaporean perspective on what lies ahead, emphasising environmental pragmatism, careful planning and a sense of responsibility for the world to come. This ethos is reflected throughout the exhibition’s architecture, design and artworks.

Highlights include pieces by filmmaker and speculative architect Liam Young, alongside works from both international and local creatives such as Björk, Torlarp Larpjaroensook, Osbourne Macharia, Ong Kian Peng, Jakob Kudsk Steensen, Ming Wong and others, offering a thought-provoking exploration of how art and design imagine possible futures.

Mahjong, congkak, Go...there innumerable Asian games we're sure are part of your fondest childhood memories. This September, the Asian Civilisations Museum is exhibiting Let's Play! The Art and Design of Asian Games, which takes a look at how these games, whether sporty or strategic, have evolved and shaped communities and traditions over time. Explore more than 150 games, and actually try them out at interactive installations. There'll be fun outdoor set-ups and talks and programmes throughout the exhibitions long run, too (until June 7, 2026). 

The Gallery Children's Biennale returns to National Gallery Singapore from May 31, 2025 to March 29, 2026 for its fifth edition, themed Tomorrow We'll Be.... Coinciding with the Gallery’s 10th anniversary and Singapore’s 60th birthday, this year’s event invites visitors to explore the possibilities of their future through the values of joy, kindness, dream and love. Families can look forward to eight immersive and multi-sensory installations by local and international artists, alongside a series of engaging programmes designed to inspire creativity and reflection.