The best things to do in Singapore this weekend (September 19-21)

The MINDS Film Festival is back for its eighth edition, offering an opportunity to connect with and experience stories from individuals with intellectual disabilities. The event features free public screenings of two international films, The Manor from Hong Kong and The Paper Bag Plan from the US across five locations in Singapore. Both films highlight the resilience and strengths of individuals with intellectual disabilities, celebrating their perseverance while inviting viewers to reflect on their own perceptions of independence and ability.

In addition to screenings, the festival will feature pop-up booths by MINDS social enterprises and interactive quizzes centred on the festival’s theme, creating a space for engagement and learning beyond the films.

This Grand Prix Season Singapore (GPSS), CQ @ Clarke Quay (CQ) is cranking up the volume, lights, and adrenaline with a 10-day festival that’s as fast-paced as the F1 race itself. From September 26 to October 5, Hit The Apex, presented by StarHub is transforming the riverside lifestyle destination into a playground of music, motors, caffeine and culture, where every corner offers a new thrill. And it’s all happening all day and night, from 2pm to 11.30pm daily. 

Whether you’re chasing heart-pounding beats or need a new spot for your race-day selfie, CQ is where the action hits full throttle. Here’s everything you need to know.

Horror veterans and thrill-seekers will know: spooky season is approaching, and Universal Studios Singapore (USS) is cranking up the scares with its annual Halloween Horror Nights. For those who’ve been keeping an eye on the announcements, this year’s line-up of haunted houses is shaping up to be truly terrifying.

USS has teamed up with horror studio Blumhouse to bring two spine-chilling experiences inspired by their most iconic films, including the M3GAN franchise. Fans of supernatural suspense can look forward to the highly-anticipated Stranger Things haunted house, which promises to plunge you straight into the Upside Down. There’s also a terrifying twist on Asian horror, with themed houses based on the Thai series Death Whisperer and the Chinese novel The Unruly Immortals.

Skip the long-haul flight because Gardens by the Bay is bringing Switzerland to the Flower Dome with its first-ever Alpine-inspired floral display. Alpine Adventure transforms the space with nearly 6,000 blooms, from oversized begonias to snapdragons and geraniums, recreating the colours of a Swiss summer. Stroll past reimagined landmarks like Zurich’s St Peter’s Church, the Glacier Express train and the iconic Matterhorn, plus playful touches like alpine cows and Valais blacknose sheep. Don’t miss the Geneva Flower Clock made with 1,000 begonias, or a one-night-only live set by viral Swiss cellist JodokCello on October 1.

Add this to your must-sees for Singapore Design Week 2025: the Unnatural History Museum of Singapore, curated by Kinetic Singapore. This imaginative exhibition reinterprets the nation’s past in unexpected, thought-provoking ways. Expect a six-metre Merlion “fossil,” robotic fauna, hybrid flora, animal droids staged in dioramas, and geological displays made with experimental materials. You’ll also find alternative food concepts and reimagined landscape paintings. More than just playful curiosities, these works celebrate the creativity and ingenuity behind Singapore’s evolution while sparking fresh ideas about where the future might lead.

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.

Marina Bay Sands’ Sands for Singapore Charity Festival is back from September 5 to 7, and it’s giving back in the best way possible – with gourmet bites, live music performances, and a marketplace, all in support of a good cause. Delight in The Sweet Collective dessert box, or feast on festival-exclusive dishes from Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer, RISE Restaurant, Bread Street Kitchen and Origin + Bloom. And if that's not enough, proceeds of select desserts ordered from seven signature restaurants will be donated to charity. Over at the Giving Marketplace, you'll find handmade goods by local crafters and social enterprises. Even playing games helps – each win on the interactive food game unlocks real food bundle donations to The Food Bank Singapore. Entry’s free, so come feel good and do good! Find out more here.

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). 

If a gentle reset is what you need, Sentosa’s Sunset Yoga has you covered. Happening every first Sunday of the month from September 7, this outdoor yoga session unfolds on the shores of Sentosa between 6pm and 7pm – perfectly timed with golden hour. With the sunset casting a warm glow across the shore, you’ll be guided through movements to slow down, reconnect with your body and mind, and soak in the calming sound of waves rolling in the background.

Kampong Boogie is back – and it’s bringing the heat to Gourmet Park Kampong Bugis. Celebrating its 8th anniversary, this cult-fave open-air party returns with a brand-new weekly backyard BBQ bloc party series. Expect a rotating DJ lineup with dopamine-fuelled beats, tasty global street eats, and of course, a smoky Caribbean cookout by Camp Caribbean’s head chef Ricardo Allen. Plus, your $15 ticket includes an F&B voucher. Each Saturday spins a different vibe – from Latin fiestas to Afro-Caribbean rhythms – so no two nights feel the same.

What if we told you that you could walk among dinosaurs – all without a time machine? After touring the world in cities like Berlin and Toronto, the immersive dinosaur-themed exhibition Jurassic World: The Experience is roaring its way into Singapore and taking over Gardens by the Bay’s Cloud Forest with life-like dinosaur animatronics and interactive snippets throughout. We’re talking towering 8.5-metre-tall Brachiosaurus, a thrashing Tyrannosaurus Rex and a petting zoo where you can interact with adorable baby dinosaurs. 

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.

Held at Resorts World Sentosa, the Singapore edition of Harry Potter: Visions of Magic promises to be even bigger and better, with an additional 10,000 square feet of space for even more magical moments to unfold. Step into familiar scenes from the Potterverse including the Room of Requirement, Newt’s Menagerie, the Ministry of Magic, and more, as special interactive technology and multimedia elements are weaved with captivating soundscapes to bring enchantment to us muggles. See plenty of realistic replicas from the movies, along with eye-catching illuminations, for tons of photo-worthy opportunities. Find out more here.