It's a new year! And while some of us may be having post-holiday or back-to-school blues, fret not. January has a whole host of activities happening in Singapore which are perfect to check out as we get into the groove of 2020. We've rounded up the most interesting things to do in Singapore in January 2020 for your next outing this month!
Credit: Giphy
So let's get started!
1. Light To Night Festival
We always love a light festival. Especially when it sees some of Singapore's iconic institutions and buildings awash in colourful and fun displays! The annual Light To Night Festival organised by National Gallery Singapore will be back for two weeks in mid-January to decorate buildings in the Civic District with digital light displays that will wow and amaze those watching. There will also be performances, other art installations and activities and workshops to also take part in, all geared towards bringing together art, innovation and inspiring ideas.
Date: 10 - 19 Jan 2020
Admission fees: Free (may differ for some programmes)
Opening hours: 10AM-12AM *(may differ for some programmes)
Address: Civic District
2. #futuretogether by teamLab Borderless at Gardens By The Bay
Get ready for an incredible display of creativity, art and technology at the #futuretogether exhibition by teamLab (the same people behind teamLab Borderless in Tokyo and FUTURE WORLD at the Singapore ArtScience Museum) happening at Gardens By The Bay!
teamLab
Animals Of Flowers, Symbiotic Lives, 2017, Interactive Digital Installation, Sound: Hideaki Takahashi
© teamLab (teamLab is represented by Pace Gallery)
The exhibition comprises both an indoor and an outdoor portion, and while the outdoor portion has been opened to the public since 15 Dec 2019, the indoor portion will only be open from 16 Jan 2020 onwards, with the entire exhibition ending 15 Mar 2020. The indoor portion is free for Singaporean Residents (including Permanent Residents and Employment Pass, Work Permit, Dependent Pass holders) while visitors will have to pay SGD10. The outdoor artworks, however, are free of charge for everyone to enjoy! Read more about the things you can't miss at the exhibition, or book your tickets on the Gardens By The Bay website now.
Date: 16 Jan - 31 Mar 2020 (Outdoor Artworks are already on view, free of charge)
Admission fees (please go to the Gardens By The Bay website for further details on ticket sales):
- Indoor Artworks: Singapore Residents - free; Standard Rate - SGD10 (There is an additional charge for “Flowers Bloom in an Infinite Universe inside a Teacup” in En Tea House. Singapore residents - SGD 3, Standard Rate - SGD7)
- Outdoor Artworks: Free of charge
Opening hours: Indoor Artworks; 9AM - 9PM (Last Entry 8.30PM); Outdoor Artworks 7PM - 12AM
Address: Gardens by the Bay’s Bayfront Plaza, 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore
3. Aliwal Urban Arts Festival
Speaking of urban art, if you're in the Kampong Glam area on 18 Jan 2020 (a Saturday), you're in luck because the Aliwal Urban Arts Festival will be back and held on that day! Kampong Glam's street art has long become an iconic part of the neighbourhood, and at the Aliwal Urban Arts Festival, you'll see it celebrated in all its glory, along with other fun stuff that make-up the urban art and subculture scene in Singapore. Besides live graffiti painting sessions, exhibitions and guided tours of the street art in Kampong Glam conducted by RSCLS (a street art collective based in Singapore), you can expect other fun stuff like skateboard battles, a craft and design market and a repurposing workshop.
Date: 18 Jan 2020
Admission fees: Mostly free, with select ticketed events. Please refer to the full programme details here.
Opening hours: Subject to the specific exhibition/event. Please refer to the full programme details here.
Address: Aliwal Arts Centre (28 Aliwal St, Singapore 199918) and immediate areas.
Website | Facebook | Instagram
4. Disney: Magic Of Animation at ArtScience Museum
If you haven't caught this exhibition happening at the ArtScience Museum yet, you should! Running until 29 March of 2020, this exhibit dives into the history of Disney's animation works spanning across 90 years, from timeless classics like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and The Lion King (1994) all the way to more recent films like Zootopia (2016), Moana (2016) and Frozen 2 (2019)! For the older people who visit, it'll guarantee a blast of nostalgia for sure ?Whether you're a Disney lover or not, it provides a fascinating look at the groundbreaking achievements Disney has garnered in the animation industry over the decades.
#HHWT Tip: Book your tickets in advance on their website or on Klook, and we recommend showing up early in the morning for your visit to avoid queues, especially if you're visiting on a weekend!
Date: 26 Oct 2019 - 29 Mar 2020
Admission fees: Starts from SGD19 (adult); SGD14 (child). May differ depending on how many exhibitions you'd like to see at the museum. Please refer to their full pricing details here.
Opening hours: Open daily; 10AM-7PM
Address: 6 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018974
5. Singapore Art Week 2020
Credit: Singapore Art Week on Facebook
Singapore Art Week is an annual celebration of visual arts which takes place every January. Back for its eighth year running, this event sees a whole host art-related programmes held across Singapore, including exhibitions and performances in a superbly diverse range of mediums and disciplines. If you're a lover of art, be it traditional or contemporary styles, urban street graffiti, performance or participatory art or just want to soak in beautiful works, be sure to check out the festival's full programme to check out exhibits that appeal to you, many of which are free!
Singapore Art Week offers artists, collectives, organisations and other art intermediaries a visible platform for showcasing a range of quality visual arts projects, discussions, and exhibitions to a local and international audience. During this period, audiences can also look forward to innovative art and lifestyle events that will take place alongside key events in the visual arts calendar.
Date: 11 - 19 Jan 2020
Admission fees: Subject to the specific exhibition/event. Please refer to the full programme details here.
Opening hours: Subject to the specific exhibition/event. Please refer to the full programme details here.
Address: Subject to the specific exhibition/event. Please refer to the full programme details here.
Website | Facebook | Instagram
6. Chinese New Year festivities at Gardens By The Bay
With Chinese New Year coming up at the end of January, expect a lot of festivities to celebrate the event! Gardens By The Bay will be hosting a whole variety of programmes under its Spring Surprise event between 27 Jan to 9 Feb 2020 in honour of the Year of the Rat. We're talking lion dances, shadow puppet performances, and even fantastic pyrotechnic displays. Cap-off the end of January by checking out the lion dance performances happening on 27 Jan (Mon) and 31 Jan (Fri) at 6.10pm at the Supertree Grove, or catch the firework-like sparkles of the Golden Pyro Dragon Dance on 31 Jan at 9.10pm there too!
Besides the Spring Surprise, Gardens By The Bay is also having a temporary exhibition in the Flower Dome titled Dahlia Dreams: The Heavenly Race. Here, you'll be able to feast your eyes on mosaiculture (giant topiary-like sculptures with the use of bedding plants to carpet metal frames) as well as a display dahlia flowers, and other festive plants. It always features displays related to traditional Chinese art and lore. Dahlia Dreams is happening from 17 Jan to 23 Feb and will be sure to add to the festive cheer!
#HHWT Tip: Gardens By The Bay recently opened their new open-air rooftop deck of the Supertree Observatory which provides 360-degree views of the Marina Bay skyline! It's definitely worth checking out if you haven't yet - read more about it here.
Date: From 17 Jan 2020 onwards for Dahlia Dreams, 27 Jan 2020 onwards for Spring Season
Admission fees: Subject to the event. Please refer to the full programme details for Spring Season and Dahlia Dreams
Opening hours: Subject to the event. Please refer to the full programme details for Spring Season and Dahlia Dreams
Address: Gardens By The Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Dr, Singapore 018953
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7. Rainforest Lumina
After the success of its first season, Rainforest Lumina - a multimedia interactive night walk - is back and better than before! From virtual characters to beautiful lighting designs, expect to be amazed at this audio-visual experience that feels like a whole other universe ? Whether you come with your family, friends, or as a couple, Rainforest Lumina is guaranteed to fill your night with magical wonders. This season of Rainforest Lumina will end in early February, so it's best to visit soon!
Date: Now until 9 Feb 2020
Admission fees: SGD18 (adult); SGD14 (child) (it's cheaper if you pre-purchase online or with entry to another park! Find out the full pricing details here).
Opening hours: Open daily; 7.30PM - 12AM (Last entry at 10.30PM to 11PM)
Address: Singapore Zoo, 80 Mandai Lake Rd, Singapore 729826
8. M1 Singapore Fringe Festival
The Singapore Fringe Festival is an annual event that showcases performance in theatre, dance, music, visual arts and mixed media that aims to put contemporary and socially-engaged works in the spotlight. With a theme of My Country My People, this year's festival will be sure to serve up thought-provoking and contemplative performances. Some notable highlights this year include Kebaya Homies, a show described as a 'musical romp weaving through Malay history and culture, told through the elegant yet coy kebaya'.
Date: 8 - 19 Jan 2020
Admission fees: SGD18 (adult); SGD14 (child) (it's cheaper if you pre-purchase online or with entry to another park! Find out the full pricing details here).
Opening hours: Open daily; 7.30PM - 12AM (Last entry at 10.30PM to 11PM)
Address: Singapore Zoo, 80 Mandai Lake Rd, Singapore 729826
9. Twilight: Flea & Feast
Looking for some unique new outfits, accessories, home decor or adorable knick-knacks for the new year? Well, you're in luck as Twilight: Flea & Feast will be back this January! This market space sees vendors selling everything you need from clothes, cosmetics, stationery, jewellery and more. With over 200 brands on-board for this month's edition of the market, you can be sure to have plenty to browse through! There will also be food vendors and performances to keep you entertained and full while you shop.
Date: 17- 19 Jan 2020
Admission fees: Free
Opening hours: 10AM-10PM
Address: Suntec Convention Centre, Hall 401 - 402
10. Chingay Parade & River Hongbao
The final event on our list is none other than the Chingay Parade as well as River Hongbao. These events are probably the country's largest celebrations for the Lunar New Year and its most popular. If you missed the new year's fireworks in Singapore, you'll be stoked to hear that there's plenty of that at the River Hongbao!
But first, don't forget to check out the Chingay Parade, the annual parade that features floats, dancing dragons, stilt walkers and performers showcasing Singapore's diverse cultural landscape, from Chinese to Malay, Indian, Eurasian performances and more. The parade starts from the original F1 Pit Building, via the back of Singapore Flyer and stretches to NS Square (Marina Bay floating platform), where River Hongbao is held.
River Hongbao features lantern displays, dance and musical performances, games and more, but the main highlight has to be the fireworks which are happening nightly from 23 Jan to 1 Feb 2020 (check here for the exact timings)! While Chingay Parade is a paid event, entry to River Hongbao is free so if you're not in the mood to spend moolah you can still join in the festivities.
Chingay Parade:
Date: 31 Jan - 1 Feb 2020
Admission fees: From SGD28.50 per person (buy tickets here)
Opening hours: 8PM - 9.45PM
Address: F1 Pit Building, 1 Republic Boulevard, Singapore 038975
River Hongbao:
Date: 23 Jan - 1 Feb 2020
Admission fees: Free
Opening hours: 2PM - 11PM (timings for nightly fireworks vary, check here for exact timings).
Address: The Float @ Marina Bay
And there you have it! There's plenty going on in Singapore this month to keep you occupied as we navigate through the first month of this new decade. So whether you want some solitary time to view art or are looking for a fun outing with friends, you'll know where to go!