SINGAPORE – Singapore’s vibrant arts and heritage district will be transformed into an imaginative wonderland by night as the ninth edition of the Singapore Night Festival (SNF) returns this August with the theme of ‘Inventions and Innovation’. Over two weekends, the Bras Basah.Bugis (BBB) precinct will enthral visitors as its streets and iconic facades come alive with unconventional light art installations, immersive activities and roving street performances by a stellar line-up of Singaporean and international artists.
Festival Director, Ms Angelita Teo, said, “The Singapore Night Festival is one of the most anticipated outdoor nocturnal events in the world. Its success is contingent on the unwavering support we have received from every festival-goer and partner especially our friends in the Bras Basah.Bugis precinct.”
On the festival’s ninth anniversary, Ms Teo added, “This is an exciting marquee year as we work towards the 10th year of the festival. We are reinventing and innovating to experiment with new ways to present the festival. I hope our audiences will join us in our journey to build towards an exciting 10th anniversary next year.”
Step into the House of Curiosities
This year, festival goers are invited into a world of adventure and discovery as local contemporary performance company CAKE Theatrical Productions presents the House of Curiosities at Cathay Green – an experiential creative and performance space situated on the open field opposite the National Museum of Singapore. Visitors of all ages can expect a fun and flamboyant extravaganza – from stepping into a ‘Time Machine’ and wandering through a tunnel of mirrors, meeting towering characters embodying the steampunk movement, ‘inventing’ a mechanical heart at the craft booths and even taking part in a fashion parade! Tickets to the House of Curiosities are available from 27 July via SISTIC.
Light up the visual feast
As part of the perennial crowd-favourite Night Lights segment, visitors can explore the festival grounds to uncover 14 spectacular light art installations from different parts of the world.
Close to 100 LED-animated stick men transformed the stately façade of the National Museum of Singapore into their playground, as the region’s most anticipated outdoor nocturnal extravaganza kicked off its ninth edition.
Anchoring the spectacular light art line-up is KEYFRAMES by Groupe LAPS from France. Part animation and part moving sculpture, the fascinating installation uses the dramatic façade of the National Museum of Singapore as its canvas, where jaunty LED-stick-men will scale and tumble across windows and walls as they illustrate thought-provoking micro-stories of urban life.
Be one with the festival revelry
In addition to the visual feast, the festival also promises its visitors an unparalleled immersive experience. One can look forward to the Festival Village, which will bring everyone together at the heart of the festival with a wide array of artisan culinary delights, live music and a local crafts fair. Over the first weekend, SNF will also be working with Noise Singapore to present Weekend Noise – a riveting showcase of up-and-coming local and international musicians.
The Wheel House by Acrojou (UK) won festival-goers over with their tender, post-apocalyptic love story as they rolled through festival grounds
The festival also welcomes revellers to take the partying to the streets on Armenian Street. The Bloc Party will see Peranakan Museum, The Substation, Timbre@Substation, True Blue restaurant and other precinct partners gathering to involve festival-goers in their colourful street celebration of all things artistic and creative. Festival-goers will get to see a convoy of Harley-Davidson motorcycles and the Peranakan Museum Variety Show on Armenian Street.
International street theatre company Close-Act will bring to life a mythical world on the lawn of the National Museum on the second weekend, with prehistoric animals and robots battling over Earth. Audiences can expect to be immersed in Invasion’s fabled storyline as its ensemble of larger-than-life warriors and monsters weaves through the crowd, thrilling and involving all spectators in their way.
Singapore Night Festival 2016 will take place over two weekends on 19 and 20 August, and 26 and 27 August, from 7:30pm to 2am around the Bras Basah.Bugis precinct. The full line-up of acts and venues will be revealed closer to the date. For more information, visit www.nightfest.sg.
In main photo: French performing artists LeS AquamenS amused the Singapore Night Festival visitors as they roamed the festival ground from Armenian Street to the National Museum of Singapore.
