The best things to do in Singapore this weekend (July 18-21)

Happening over four weekends, Sentosa Grillfest returns this year with live music performances, beachfront dining and so much more. Witness Siloso Beach transformed into a bustling grub hub featuring 27 exciting food and beverage kiosks. Expect everything from Gelatissimo’s sinful GrillFest Gelato Bomb (five scoops of Gelato served on a waffle basket with sugary treats) to exotic options like grilled durian, bamboo rice and the plant-based Impossible burger. Did we also mention the three-metre tall tepee barbecue pit on Siloso beach?

From 18 to 20 July, you can commemorate the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11's landing on the moon at Moongazers. The three-day event is complementary to Floating Utopias. Specially curated by ArtScience Museum, the programmes explore the reverberations of Apollo 11's achievement through a series of performances, talks and workshops.

Check out Siah Armajani's first institutional exhibition in Asia. Inspired by democratic ideals and American vernacular architecture, this Iranian-born artist's sculptures, drawings and public installations dwell on principles like 'nobility of usefulness' and 'art on a civic scale'. Don't miss highlights which include the large-scale installation Sacco & Vanzetti Reading Room #3 (1988), the Tomb series drawings and models, and a film programme developed by film scholar and curator Dr Marc Glöde, which expands on Armajani’s early experimental films from 1970.

Themed 'Savour Singapore in Every Bite', this year’s edition of Singapore Food Festival celebrates by honouring generations of food heritage and introducing innovative culinary creations that go beyond the usual. Check out the various immersive experiences including workshops, masterclasses, and the Private Chef’s Table if you’re into cooking. But if you’re planning just to eat your fill, there’s the signature event STREAT, The 50 Cents Fest, Singapore Tea Festival, and more.

Gain insight into Singaporean artist Zen Teh's art at her solo exhibition, Mountain Pass: Negotiating Ambivalence. Featuring photographic sculptures, mixed media installations, stone, metal assemblages and documentary videos, her works reflect her response to the environmental situation she investigated through the geomorphology and construction sites in Bandung during her residency in Selasar Sunaryo Art Space in Indonesia.

From printmaking traditions, textures of graffiti and neon signages to hypnotically seamless wallpapers and digital moving images, explore Takashi Murakami's dynamic artistic expression at this milestone solo exhibition. Focusing on the link between the 'Superflat' theory and iconography which launched his global career to a recent examination of the recessive realism of Japan's economic bubble crisis, coined 'Bubblewrap', be one of the first to marvel at his range of exciting and never-before-seen works.

The family-favourite Rainforest Lumina returns with a second season that's packed with 10 new multisensory zones in a one-kilometre stretch of the lush tropical rainforest. Follow the luminous path that leads you to a quirky group of virtual animals known as the Creature Crew. Stay #woke on eco issues while you discover the enchanted world of Rainforest Lumina with an immersive audio-visual experience.

Fill your summer with everything Universal Studios Singapore has to offer, from spectacular shows and attractions to thrilling rides worth every scream. Look forward to heaps of fun activities like meeting a talking Megatron and Hello Kitty and Dear Daniel, as well as keeping an eye out for the adorable Minions dressed in Hawaiian-themed outfits – think grass skirts and coconut shell bikinis. Stay on 'till nighttime to experience the all-new Universal After Hours programme. Held on weekends and selected nights, expect a line-up of after-dark activities from the Hollywood Dreams Light-Up Parade to entertaining local bands and pop-up food stalls.

Known for her iconic yellow cape as worn by Rihanna at the MET Gala in 2015, China's preeminent couturière Guo Pei is showcasing 29 of her most iconic embroidered creations in dialogue with 20 Chinese art masterpieces from ACM’s collection.

From a pop-up fragrance atelier and crafting sessions with master perfumer Douglas Little atelier to a scent-based dining experience, Sansiri is hosting something mega at Siri House Dempsey.

Feast your eyes on a visual treat at the ArtScience Museum. This playful yet poetic exhibition explores the history of inflatable objects, showcasing the effects they have on art, architecture and social activism over the decades after the first hot air balloon took off. Catch the masterpieces of over 15 international and local artists. Out of the 40 artworks featured, eight are of giant inflatables that are suspended in the galleries to amp up the dramatic displays.

Delve further into Singapore’s past with a two-part showcase at the historic Fort Canning Park. Time Traveller is a cinematic experience that takes you through 700 years of history with five multimedia shows. While Pathfinder is a free-and-easy experience that presents Singapore’s journey from past to present through eight interactive pavilions and installations.

Take the kiddos on an art adventure at National Gallery Singapore. This year’s Children’s Biennale features 11 interactive artworks by local and international artists. Let your little hitmakers create their own tunes at Chance Operations or immerse them in an experiential journey across time and space at Stardust: Soaring Through the Sky’s Embrace.

Enliven your Orchard experience with an all-new roving pop-up concept, NAO (Night at Orchard). Happening every first weekend of the month along the stretch between ION Orchard and Ngee Ann City, expect a showcase of talents across fashion, arts, dining, and music. Highlights include culinary offerings by popular brands like Old Chang Kee and Michelin-starred restaurant Shisen Hanten by Chen Kentaro, shopping options with the likes of up-and-coming brands such as oasis:skin and Indigo Culture, and busking performances from NoonTalk artiste Gavin Teo, One Moment of Glory winner Jill-Marie Thomas, and popular indie acts like Codie Loh, Raphael Leong and Yeo Ming Jun.   

Stop and smell the beautiful orchids like Phalaenopsis bellina and Maxillaria tenuifolia at Gardens by the Bay's newest orchid display in the Cloud Forest, Scentsational Orchids. Learn about the different scent each type produces, and take in the sweet and intense fragrance of the massive floral display.

This Easter weekend, take the kiddos out for an egg hunt, chase the Easter bunny, get your craft on and stuff yourself silly with chocolates at these Easter events.

Journey further into Southeast Asia – past and present – as the Asian Civilisations Museum opens three new permanent galleries Ancestors and Rituals, Christian Art and Islamic Art, along with new items on display in the museum's Trade galleries that explore the artistic exchanges within Asia and the rest of the world. The Ancestors and Rituals gallery shines its spotlight on a diverse range of Southeast Asian artefacts that reflect the barter of ideas and cultural interactions among various tribes and communities in the region. The Christian Art gallery exhibits intricate works of cross-cultural art created in Asia that are dedicated to the religion.  The Islamic Art showcases the wealth of artistic traditions that arise from the expansion of Islam in Southeast Asia. As part of Southeast Asia in the World, the museum is also hosting a new series of trails that provide visitors an understanding of Southeast Asia's role in the world through beautiful illustrations by local artist Muneera Malek.