The Singapore Night Festival (SNF) 2023, presented by Samsung, returns from 18 to 26 August 2023. Following the theme “Singapore, the Great Port City,” SNF’s 14th edition will illuminate the Bras Basah.Bugis (BBB) precinct. This vibrant festival will depict Singapore’s journey from a vital port city to the dynamic modern metropolis it is today.
Singapore, the Great Port City
For this year’s Singapore Night Festival, you can look forward to exploring 700 years of Singapore’s history, experiencing a diverse range of multicultural festivals that bring to life the vibrant sights, smells, tastes and stories of BBB.
Highlights include: Projection Mappings, Roller Skating Disco Rink, Roving Performances, and Festival Villages
Based on this year’s theme, Singapore, the Great Port City, there will be four projection mapping works, one of which takes on a theatrical narrative and approach for the first time. Along with 12 Night Lights installations, two roving performances, two experiential programmes, one stage performance, nine partner programmes, as well as three Festival Villages that will be bustling with a wide offering of performances, and food and beverage experiences.
700 Years
700 Years by Zizi Majid, Muhammad Izdi, Jérémie Bellot Square
Festival-goers can gather on the lawn in front of the National Museum and enjoy the visual treat tracing Singapore’s early years with 700 Years, presented by Samsung. Spot some treasures from Singapore’s national collection in this collaborative project by illustrator Muhammad Izdi, playwright Zizi Majid and digital artist Jérémie Bellot (AV Extended). For the first time in Singapore, theatre, visual arts and digital media come together to give this projection mapping a theatrical twist that takes viewers on a timelapse through the vast connectivity of Singapore as a trading hub, from the 14th century until today.
Besides this projection mapping at National Museum, there will also be another set of projections at Chijmes, featuring the artworks of three seasoned artists.
Roller-Skating Disco Rink
Get a pair of roller skates on and roll into the Singapore of yesteryears, from the roaring sixties and seventies. Dawn Ng reimagines the lively disco scene of the BBB precinct at the National Museum as she pays tribute to the nostalgic era and the discothèques which used to be in the area with Time is a Black Circle. Set in a psychedelic rotunda of warm blooming colours unique to the era gone by, an indoor roller skating rink will bring festival-goers back to the energising nightlife scene as they groove, jive and skate to famous hits of the past.
Roving Performances
There will also be a diverse line-up of performances across both festival weekends, where unique interpretations of Singapore, the Great Port City by local artists, bands and theatre companies will be staged at three locations within the precinct.
#WaterlooStKakis – the first collective led by BBB stakeholders in collaboration with neighbouring organisations homed along Waterloo Street – celebrates Waterloo Street Stories with a showcase of outdoor music, audio plays, movement responses and exhibition.
We’ll weather the weather, whatever the weather, until we cannot by Sweet Tooth invites festival-goers to participate in a theatrical procession which debuts three fantastical characters in striking hues inspired by meteorological maps, symbolising the region’s tempestuous weather patterns and reflecting Singapore’s place as a safe haven.
Festival Villages
In celebration of arts talents in Singapore, SNF collaborates with Singapore Management University (SMU) Arts Festival, The Social Post, for the first time to present the Main Festival Village @ SMU Campus Green, bringing together schools around the BBB precinct, such as LASALLE College of the Arts, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, School of the Arts and SMU.
Main Festival Village @ SMU Campus Green showcases works by young art talents with live performances, as well as SNF-exclusive food and beverage stalls for festival-goers to soak in the buzzing atmosphere of the night-time festival.
In other parts of the BBB precinct, there are two satellite Festival Villages – Festival Village @ Armenian Street and Festival Village @ CHIJMES – which present Night Lights, projection mappings, performances and an eclectic set up of food experiences.
Dedicated Family Zone at Fort Canning Rise
Concentrated around Fort Canning Rise, families can look forward to children’s programmes at Children’s Museum Singapore, a roving performance by Sweet Tooth and light installations with specially designed interactive elements for young children.
A Gamified Experience – Check in to win at various SNF 2023 venues
This year, festival-goers can enhance their experience with Night Walk, a gamified web app. By checking in at 10 key checkpoints scattered throughout the festival, you’ll unlock bonus audio and digital stories about the artwork and locations. And if you log your arrival at all 10 stops, you’ll have a chance to win a grand prize at the end of SNF 2023.
For more information, visit Singapore Night Festival 2023.
