Cultural Arts and Entertainments

   Planning a trip to Singapore? There have a diverse mix of annual events ranging from local and international visual and performing arts events to delight one and all - so live up your Singapore experience with the Arts!

Esplanade Theatre

Not only can you catch local adaptations of well loved classics such as George Orwell's Animal Farm, and Marc Camelotti's Boeing Boeing, you can also watch plays by local writers such as the hugely successful Emily of Emerald hill, a play full of Peranakan flavour, and Chang & Eng - The Musical.

Often enough, one can also catch Broadway hits in Singapore, produced and played by Singaporean theatre companies. The Singapore Repertory Theatre for instance, has staged several award winning plays from West End such as HONK! and Art. Proof, a multiple award winning play on Broadway, was staged here by Action Theatre. It just shows you don't have to be in Broadway to catch world class hits!

There are not just English-language theatres in Singapore, but also Chinese language theatre groups such as Toy Factory Theatre Ensemble which produces international classics in Mandarin, as well as Malay and Tamil language theatre groups. Catch a play whilst you are in Singapore!

Film

Film fanatics - watch out for Singapore's biggest film event of the year - the Singapore International Film Festival. Held in April every year, the SIFF showcases more than 300 features, documentaries, animation films and shorts from around the world. Now into its 16th year, the SIFF is one of Asia's premiere film festivals. Certainly not to be missed if you are in Singapore!

Apart from SIFF, the Singapore's film calendar is also packed with many other film events. Be fascinated by the wide selection of foreign film festivals we have in Singapore, such as French Film Festival, British Film Festival, Australian Film Festival and Chinese Film Festival, just to name but a few.

Buy your popcorn and swing by the Singapore Shorts Film Festival, the first festival in Singapore dedicated to this exciting genre of shorts. This is held at The Substation, Singapore's only alternative multi-disciplinary arts space.

In June, look out for Starlight Cinema, Asia's largest outdoor cinema festival. Held at the Fort Canning Green, this is one event film lovers must not miss!

Music

    

  From the black tie musician who plays Chopin, gamelan groups who play the music of our region, and the international pop stars who make their appearances on this sunny island, Singapore has everything for the music lover.

Classical music fans can catch Singapore Symphony Orchestra in its weekly concerts at Esplanade. For a taste of Chinese music, check out the Singapore Chinese Orchestra's fortnightly series at the Singapore Conference Hall. Singapore also has a proliferation of other ethnic musical groups who stage performances at local theatres.

Opera fan? The Singapore Lyric Opera delights audiences with western classics like Carmen from time to time. For a taste of traditional Asian opera, check out concerts staged by local operatic associations, such as Chinese Opera Institute, and Chinese Theatre Circle. One can find a variety of operas ranging from Cantonese, Beijing, Hokkien, Malay Bangwasan to Indian Malayalam in Singapore. In fact, there is even an Singapore International Cantonese Opera Festival every September and October.

Apart from classical music, Singapore also has a thriving pop industry. Stars such as Diana Krall, Cliff Richard, Red Hot Chillie Peppers, and Jackie Cheung, have all performed in Singapore; and there are more to come.

Dance

Be treated to a variety of dances in Singapore!

From classical ballet to modern dance to ethnic offerings, Singapore has it all.

Ballet lovers can be treated to productions by Singapore Dance Theatre (SDT) - Singapore's foremost ballet-based company. SDT puts up a diverse range of works from classics such as The Nutcracker to pieces by reowned contemporary choreographers like Jiri Kylian. SDT also organizes the hugely popular series - Ballet Under The Stars (BUTS) - an outdoor ballet performance where audience can bring their picnic baskets and watch dancers pirouette under the stars.

For the dance lover who prefers cutting edge dances, watch out for performances by EcNad, The Arts Fission Company, and Odyssey Dance Theatre. These companies constantly surprise audiences with their unusual and creative presentation of dance pieces.