18 Jul 2017
Great Singapore Sale
9 June – 13 August
There's no better time to shop than during the Great Singapore Sale (GSS) from June 9 to August 13 – an annual event with deals and bargains to be found across the island. Experience eight weeks of fabulous shopping - from fashion to watches, jewelry, electronics, toys and more, all over Singapore. GSS is going digital this year with a new mobile phone app called GoSpree, which will operate as a "super mall" platform, allowing customers to get their hands on various e-coupons from different categories.
Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) and The O.P.E.N.
28 June – 9 September
Inaugurated in 1977, the annual arts festival went on a hiatus after 2012 and returned in 2014 under the baton of Festival Director Ong Keng Sen. With the mission to artistically reinvigorate and transform the festival, Ong renamed it Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA). Today, SIFA is the premier national performing arts festival managed by the Arts House Limited and commissioned by the National Arts Council. It aims to inspire through great international and Singapore artistic experiences in performance, theatre, dance and music. www.sifa.sg
The O.P.E.N.
28 June – 9 September
A pre-festival of ideas, The O.P.E.N. is a public engagement initiative from the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) that offers 5 weeks of exploration as the start of the Festival season. It raises fascinating questions and offers eye-opening insights about our world and humanity. It directs you to consider a breadth of issues and perspectives inspired by SIFA's annual festival theme. Styled as a popular academy, it presents a curated selection of events through diverse platforms. The curatorial theme for SIFA 2017 is “Enchantment”.
Singapore Food Festival
14 – 30 July
If there is one thing Singaporeans are truly passionate about, it is food. The Singapore Food Festival is an annual celebration of Singapore's best local food and culinary talents with a variety of interesting and immersive experiences on offer. There's plenty to do and see including outdoor marquee events, food trucks, tours and workshops.
AUGUST
National Day Celebrations
9 August
Singapore's National Day celebrates its independence with the annual National Day Parade which includes a stunning spectacle of military processions, multicultural song-and-dance performances and aerial high jinks. The evening is capped off by a breathtaking firework extravaganza set against the stunning cityscape. Expect to see the island decked out with red and white, with the national flag fluttering from buildings, houses and even cars.
Epicurean Market
11 – 13 August
Returning for its fifth year at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, enjoy a palate-pleasing weekend that takes you on a gastronomic tour of the world's kitchens and cellars. Tickets for the highly anticipated gourmet food and wine fair will become available in June.
www.marinabaysands.com/epicurean-market.html
Beerfest Asia
17 – 20 August
Beerfest Asia will be held at Marina Bay Cruise Centre with over 400 varieties of commercial and craft beers and ciders on offer. The event will be held over three major tents, with sample portions of brews available from SG$1-2. Festival entertainment includes musical tribute bands, standup comedians and a beer pong tournament.
Singapore Night Festival
19 – 27 August
This annual festival is held over two weekends celebrating the arts and Singapore's rich cultural heritage. The night-time extravaganza is celebrated in Singapore's Museum District around Bras Basah and Bugis Precinct, offering free performances, special light installations and a multitude of extra activities for all to enjoy when the sun sets. 2017 is gearing up to be extra special with the festival celebrating its tenth anniversary. www.nightfest.sg
Hungry Ghost Festival
22 August – 19 September
One of the best times of the year to experience local culture and observe traditional rites still being observed in Singapore is during the Hungry Ghost Festival. Believers regard this as a time when the gates of the underworld are opened to allow deceased family members and spirits to roam the realm of the living. Expect to see locals making offerings of food and other goods as well as hold concerts in local neighbourhoods to appease the spirits. Joss sticks of incense are also burned at altars and in bins to appease wandering spirits.
www.visitsingapore.com/festivals-events-singapore/cultural-festivals/hungry-ghost-festival.html
SEPTEMBER
Hari Raya Haji
1 September
Lasting four days, Muslims in Singapore remember their faith with prayer and reflection during Hari Raya Haji, also known at the Festival of Sacrifice. During this spiritual period, the faithful dress in their finest clothes and congregate in mosques to listen to sermons and offer their prayers.
www.visitsingapore.com/festivals-events-singapore/cultural-festivals/hari-raya-haji.html
2017 Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix
15 – 17 September
Still the only Formula One night, street race in the world, watch drivers of the highest calibre race across thrilling twists and turns to take the podium in Singapore against the backdrop of the city's civic district. Entertainment acts in 2017 include Calvin Harris, Ariana Grande, The Chainsmokers, Seal and Duran Duran.
Grand Prix Season Singapore
8 – 17 September
The action is not just for those by the track, as Grand Prix Season Singapore offers activities for everyone to join in the festivities and high-octane energy buzz happening in the city at the time. Blockbuster concerts, star-studded parties and pop-up stores are just some of the happenings on offer during racing season. Each year scores of partygoers get involved in the eclectic range of off-track entertainment.
OCTOBER
Mid-Autumn Festival
4 October
The Mid-Autumn Festival traditionally marked the end of autumn harvest and is also believed to be when the moon appears at its brightest, being nearest to earth on this date. Icons of the festival include lanterns, pomelos and mooncakes, the latter in recognition of the time China threw off Mongol rule through the passing of secret messages of revolt within the cakes.
www.visitsingapore.com/festivals-events-singapore/cultural-festivals/mid-autumn-festival.html
Deepavali and Deepavali Light Up
18 October
Celebrated by Hindus across the world, Deepavali marks the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. In Singapore it is best experienced in Little India, where streets are transformed into a fantasyland of colourful arches and stunning lights as part of the Deepavali LIght Up, night markets spring up to sell everything from food and clothes to jewellery and trinkets, and concerts and general revelry abound.
www.visitsingapore.com/festivals-events-singapore/cultural-festivals/deepavali.html
NOVEMBER
Singapore Writers Festival
3 – 12 November
Singapore Writers Festival presents the world's major literary talents to Singaporeans while shining a spotlight on home grown and Southeast Asian creative talents. Beginning in 1986, it is one of the few multi-lingual literary festivals in the world, celebrating the written and spoken word in Singapore's official languages – English, Malay, Chinese and Tamil.
www.singaporewritersfestival.com
Christmas on a Great Street
November 2017 to January 2018
Becoming as famous as the street it's on, stroll along Orchard Road and take in the festive sights of Christmas as buildings are decorated with Christmas scenes and décor and the streets are strung with thousands of fairy lights to create a magical wonderland. Christmas On A Great Street is a magical, surreal world of fun, food and fashion with colourful displays of décor, designs and lights.
DECEMBER
ZoukOut
December TBC
Known as the party of the year, lose yourself at the mega dance and music festival, ZoukOut – one of Asia's biggest outdoor beach parties held on Sentosa's Siloso Beach. It's the ultimate party for music, headlined by DJs from Singapore and around the globe.
Christmas Wonderland @ Gardens by the Bay
December 2017 – January 2018
Now in its third year, Singapore's biggest yuletide fair – Christmas Wonderland – was created to amaze visitors with a combination of magnificent light sculptures, charming festive markets and carnival games at a truly iconic location. If this wonderful display doesn't put you in a festive mood, nothing will.
Marina Bay Singapore Countdown
31 December
Usher in the New Year at Marina Bay at Singapore's annual iconic New Year's Eve celebration. With a magnificent firework display and a spectacular orchestral music score, the stunning countdown is something you're sure to remember for the rest of your life.
