The best things to do in Singapore this weekend (Oct 9-11)

Orchard Road gets a massive dose of race-weekend adrenaline as Orchard Paddock takes over Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza from October 8 to 10. The three-night event transforms the shopping belt into a race-inspired playground running daily from 4pm to midnight.

Thrill-seekers can jump into Dorifto! SG go-karts, take on SIMFAI Solutions racing simulators, or admire a 2026 Corvette Stingray up close. There’s also off-track fun like life-sized UNO Elite F1 photobooths, neon chess challenges, and opening-night live gigs by YAØ and Alyph. Complete tasks across the event to collect stamps for the Circuit Card Stamp Rally – each stamp enters you into a draw to win a Dongfeng 007 Performance vehicle worth $218K. Fuel up along the way with sushi tacos and smash burgers at the Refuel Station.

This October, MARQUEE turns up the volume with a packed lineup of world-class DJs and crowd-favourite club nights. It kicks off with French hard-techno heavyweight Nico Moreno (October 2), known for his rapid-fire tempos, pounding kicks and raw rave energy, before Australian tech-house star FISHER (October 3) brings his infectious, dancefloor-focused sound to the club. 

The momentum continues into F1 weekend, with Grammy-winning DJ and producer Diplo (October 9) bringing his genre-hopping blend of electronic, hip-hop, house and pop to the decks. The following night, Anyma (October 10) makes his Singapore debut, pairing melodic techno with the giant-scale digital visuals and sci-fi storytelling that have become hallmarks of his immersive live shows. Then, Dutch EDM star Martin Garrix (October 11) closes out the race weekend with his signature high-energy festival anthems and soaring beats. 

The party continues with club nights Wonderland (October 16), ASTROLAB (October 17), and FTW! (October 21), which brings another mid-week bash to the calendar. FVDER, LIKKI, PIN and ZIPPY (October 23) then take over for a local showcase, bringing bass-heavy EDM, house grooves, genre-bending edits and crowd favourites across four distinct styles. Then rounding out the month are HALO (October 30), with Matisse & Sadko, DubVision, and Third Party, and a themed Halloween (October 31) party, bringing October to a big finish. 

No matter which party mood you’re in, MARQUEE knows just how to pair scale with strong programming every Friday, Saturday and Sunday – and it doesn’t clock off until 6am. Find out more here. 

ArtScience Museum’s annual festival In The Ether explores "sanctuary technologies" – ideas, practices, and experiments where computers work alongside humans to help us thrive. The lineup features Mimus, a curious, playful giant robot arm created by Dr Madeline Gannon and studio ATONATON that transforms heavy factory machinery into an interactive system responding to your presence. Beyond the installations, visitors can register for free hands-on workshops to build microchips, compile digital archives, and explore the inner workings of modern artificial intelligence.

Reinvention returns for four months of endless play and design at Singapore Science Park under the theme Allplay. Featuring installations, interactive challenges and activities by over 30 artists, this creative playground reimagines play as a way to inspire learning, change and positive action. Explore three family–friendly zones: PlayLab offers self–guided exhibits across five themes; PlayMission turns everyday actions into positive environmental impact through physical and digital challenges; and PlayCourt presents unique takes on sports like basketball and football outdoors. The programme refreshes regularly throughout its run with new workshops and collaborations, making every visit a fresh experience.

In its latest exhibition, Padimai Art & Tech Studio puts AI and cutting-edge technology at the forefront to explore how data and meme culture are shaping the future of Southeast Asia. Titled Islands in the Net, the showcase uses digital art and data archives to map the region’s place in the global network. Highlighted works include Safe Entry by Heman Chong, referencing the nation’s contact-tracing system, and A History of Intelligence in Asia by Ho Rui An. The exhibition also expands on the topic with research projects developed with major tech institutions.

No submarine? No problem. You can still embark on an aquatic adventure to the darkest parts of the sea with Into the Ocean: Journey Beneath, the latest exhibition from ArtScience Museum, made in collaboration with OceanX. Marking its world premiere, this showcase plunges you into the deep blue using advanced filming technology to gather unseen footage of the ocean for the very first time.

Featuring five immersive zones, the exhibition is designed to make you feel like you’re actually descending into the ocean: it starts at the surface and brings you all the way down to the seabed, each section revealing how mesmerising and vast the body of water can get. The cinematic ocean visuals are completed with the works of internationally renowned artists like Marshmallow Laser Feast, Marco Barotti and Jana Winderen, alongside scientific studies by the National University of Singapore. Interspersed between the research and artworks are interactive activities that aim to help both kids and adults understand the importance of marine conservation.

Ever wanted to explore the deepest depths of the ocean? Well, now you can – and you won’t even have to take a submarine to experience it. Science Centre Singapore has teamed up with Tara Ocean Foundation, a leading nonprofit oceanographic research organisation, for the world debut of One Ocean: Every Action Ripples. It’s a multi-sensory exhibition that uses ocean research, technology and storytelling to let you discover the hidden worlds of the deep blue.

Across 10 immersive zones, the exhibition reveals how the vast ocean connects us all and acts as Earth’s heartbeat. Discover the wonders of the sea through 360-degree projections, free-roaming VR, spatial soundscapes, interactive research exhibits and more. The exhibition’s main highlight is 7 Wonders of the Ocean, a captivating installation that lets you experience a whale migration, witness bioluminescent marine life, and come face-to-face with the Great Barrier Reef.

Other unmissable highlights include a replica of the Arctic’s Tara Polar Station, a section on Singapore’s marine life, and a virtual reality exploration of how ecosystems such as mangroves, kelp forests, and plankton communities help manage the world’s carbon cycle.

Once a trading port and now a commercial hub, the CBD isn’t just a workspace – it’s a district with plenty of forgotten stories, quiet characters and hidden memories. This is what Momentary Pulses: Art in the Central Business District, a commissioning series by The Everyday Museum and initiated by Singapore Art Museum, aims to uncover. Amid the city’s hustle and bustle are seven showcases by Singapore-based artists that have been seamlessly woven into public spaces along buildings and walkways. Each artwork has been designed to reflect, rather than distract, as it responds to the sights and sounds of the ever-evolving landscape. They invite us to look more closely at our everyday surroundings, pause, and let our imagination wander, offering a moment of calm and curiosity in a fast-paced environment.

In this larger-than-life artwork taking over the National Gallery’s Padang Atrium, contemporary Thai artist Navin Rawanchaikul captures the dynamic and passionate cultures and lives that make up the diverse Singaporean community. Following a year-long engagement with migrant workers, indigenous groups and faith organisations, the artist’s revelations and discoveries are translated into spectacular billboard paintings, video interviews and a travelogue that celebrates their vibrant stories and voices.

The showcase is supported by an enriching two-part programme that highlights the people who have inspired the installation. Join in on fireside chats with the artist to explore behind the scenes and the empowering migrant stories. Singaporama Unfolded Part I centres on Kaugnay, an organisation for Filipina domestic workers, and its fabulous Trashion Show, while Part II traces the history of migration in Singapore. The latter presents a performance of a traditional Indian folk dance by Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC) Ambassadors, alongside a discussion on identity, community and collaboration.

Five women, over 50 artworks and one shared mission. This exhibition brings Southeast Asian artists Amanda Heng (Singapore), Dolorosa Sinaga (Indonesia), Imelda Cajipe-Endaya (Philippines), Nirmala Dutt (Malaysia) and Phaptawan Suwannakudt (Thailand) to display their work together in Singapore for the very first time. But more than just an art showcase, Fear No Power is a space to have a conversation about meaningful change and the artists’ decades-long commitment to it. Featuring photography, paintings, sculptures and performances that date all the way back to the 1960s, this multidisciplinary exhibition examines the concept of communal world-building across the region and what it means to forge a community. Every piece of work is an intimate and powerful reflection deeply rooted in care, collaboration and resistance.