Over the next two weekends, the Bras Basah Bugis Precinct will come alive with music and dazzling lights as the Singapore Night Festival 2013 returns for its sixth installment on 23 and 24 August, and 30 and 31 August.
This year’s Singapore Night Festival is larger than ever with art installations and performances stretching out from Plaza Singapura to as far as Raffles City. The two weekends of the Singapore Night Festival will focus on showcasing live performances and festival-goers can expect the streets to be filled with a hive of activity between 7.00 pm to 2.00 am.
National Museum of Singapore bathed in lights.
With a bewildering number of activities taking place, there are several performance “centres” to take note of.
National Museum of Singapore will be the venue for many of the larger-scale acts includingCompagnie Retouramont and Starlight Academy: Redux.
Local performers, such as Metamorphosis, Era Dance Theatre and NADI Singapura, will be found entertaining the crowds at Plaza Singapura.
The SMU Green will rock out with local bands and Armenian Street will become a bohemian, artsy enclave.
The Night Lights, a major draw at previous Night Festivals, will ‘paint’ the faces of the Singapore Art Museum, National Museum of Singapore, School Of The Arts and The Cathay buildings.
If that is not enough, there will also be roving performers, a food street, a flea market at CHIJMES (30 and 31 August only), light installation at Fort Canning Park (31 August only) and even Fort Canning Night Walks!
The three museums in the area, the National Museum of Singapore (including Princely Treasures from the House of Liechtenstein), Peranakan Museum and Singapore Art Museum, and the Substation Gallery will welcome visitors till 2.00 am on the two Friday and Saturday nights. At the Peranakan Museum, visitors can even leave their mark in the glow-in-the-dark graffiti room.
Here are some highlights to keep an eye out for at the Singapore Night Festival 2013:
23 and 24 August Weekend
Starlight Academy: Redux
Using fire and LEDs, this homegrown group will stage performances against changing visual images projected against the National Museum of Singapore building.8.45 pm & 10.00 pm at National Museum of Singapore; 11.15 pm at Armenian Street.
Performers from Starlight Academy: Redux.
Compagnie Retouramont
Performing two works, Vertical Extraction and Pyramid of Void, dancers from Compagnie Retouramont will gracefully move across the façade of the National Museum of Singapore and swing suspended in mid-air. Vertical Extraction is at 9.15 pm, 9.30 pm & 10.45 pm; Pyramid of Void: 8.30 pm, 9.45 pm & 11.00 pm at National Museum of Singapore.
Compagnie Retouramont on the Facade of the National Museum Building.
Circus Swingapore
Catch Circus Swingapore, including the Circus Swingapore kids, perform aerial cartwheels and spins at the National Museum of Singapore’s Glass Atrium. 7.30 pm & 9.00 pm; Circus Swingapore will also be performing on 30 and 31 August at the same time.
30 and 31 August Weekend
Moongrazing by OICsingapore
Watch as illustrators from OICsingapore transform the façade of the National Museum of Singapore building with surrealistic animations that explore the moon and its stories. 7.30 pm, 8.00 pm, 11.00 pm & 11.30 pm.
Bras Basah.Bugis Arts Flea Market
Stop by the CHIJMES Hall from 6.00 pm to 12.00 am and view the wares of creative individuals and independent businesses.
Paper Monkey Theatre
Watch the story of “The Three Big Bullies” being told by traditional Chinese hand puppets. 30 Aug, 8.00 pm & 9.30 pm; 31 Aug, 8.00 pm at Plaza Singapura.
Details of the many other programmes taking place can be found at the Singapore Night Festival 2013 website.
Water Light Graffiti by Antonin Fourneau outside Raffles City.
