Things to do in Singapore in May 2018
May may be a tiring month for many – students will be trudging through exams, while adults will simply be looking forward to the next public holiday at the end of the month.
Since May starts off with a holiday that celebrates all your hard work, you shouldn’t be stressing yourself out for the whole month. Instead, take some time off your schedule to have fun this May. From indulging in IG-worthy food at Artbox to sweating it out at #fitspo events, here’s 16 activities you wouldn’t want to miss out on in May.
1. Win Chanel makeup at the Chanel Coco Game Centre
Image credit: Chanel Beauty
Most arcades only give away tickets to exchange for gifts, and at best, you may catch a stuffed-toy from the claw machine. But at the Chanel Coco Game Centre, you can walk away with Chanel goodies after trying your luck at their games, such as racing and claw-machine. You’ll also be able to try and shop for exclusive products before their launch.
Be sure to pre-register to get priority entry, because the queue will probably get pretty long.
Date: 28 April – 6 May
Time: 11AM-9PM
Venue: The Luxe Art Museum
Price: Free
Website
2. Enjoy all things Thai at Thai Festival 2018
If you wished that Artbox Singapore was better grounded to its Thai roots, head down to the Thai Festival instead. It’s more so a traditional market than a hipster one – sort of like Golden Mile mashed together with your typical pasar malam.
So don’t expect unicorn-themed food in rainbow colours. Instead, you’ll find authentic Thai food, Thai clothing items, and Thai cultural performances. Plus, there’s prizes to be given away at their lucky draw – spend $20 and you might just get to walk away with a pair of Thai Airways tickets to Bangkok.
Read more about our experience at last year’s festival here.
Date: 3 – 6 May
Time: 10AM – 9PM
Venue: Royal Thai Embassy, Orchard Road
Price: Free
3. Celebrate the preservation of Pulau Ubin with Pesta Ubin
Embark on a series of outdoor adventures from 26 May – 24 June at Pulau Ubin in lieu of Pesta Ubin. Groups of volunteers and locals have come together this month to celebrate Pulau Ubin, and have organised activities such as guided nature walks, kayaking through Ubin’s mangroves, and even mountain biking.
The best part? Most of these activities are all free! Sign up ASAP as limited slots are available.
Date: 26 May – 24 June
Venue: Pulau Ubin
Price: Free
Website
4. Catch a movie marathon or run an actual marathon at the Star Wars Festival
Image credit: Esprimo
Calling all Star Wars fans: The festival you’ve been waiting for is back again. Celebrate the Star Wars weekend a.k.a 4th-5th May at the Star Wars Festival, where you’ll get to meet and greet your favourite characters and catch a Star Wars movie marathon.
Image credit: Esprimo
To amp up the fun, pick your side at the Star Wars Run on 5th May. Whether you’re on the Light or Dark side, both routes are lined with photo opportunities, light projections and music that’ll keep you pumped the whole time. Be quick though, because registration ends on 3rd May.
Date: 4 & 5 May
Time: 3PM – 11PM and 11AM – 11PM respectively
Venue: F1 Pit Building
Price: Free, registration required for Star Wars Run only
Website
5. Visit some traditional eateries at Sembawang
You’d think that a traditional cake store like Gin Thye Cake Maker that’s been around since our parents time wouldn’t be thriving in today’s age. But alongside many other old-school food stores in Sembawang, it is.
With ever-changing food trends, it’s tough withstanding the test of time. Visit these old-school eateries for yourself to know what’s so special about their dishes, which have helped them to survive till today.
Read our article here for a list of old-school eateries in the estate.
6. Stroll through flower fields at Tulipmania Floral Display @ Gardens by the Bay
Seasonless Singapore may not see any spring, but thanks to Gardens by the Bay’s indoor gardens, we can at least see blooming tulips at Tulipmania! There’s over 100 varieties of tulips and hyacinths on display, and walking through them all will feel make you feel as if you’re walking through a Dutch flower field, especially since the temperature within the dome is kept to 22 degrees.
Date: 13 April- 13 May
Time: 9AM – 9PM
Venue: Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay
Price: $12 (adult) | $8 (child) | $8 (senior citizen)
Website
7. Catch Shakespeare In The Park – Julius Caesar
Image credit: Singapore Repertory Theatre
Shakespeare In The Park is finally back again after a one year hiatus. This year, they’re putting out their own rendition of Julius Caesar, a political thriller that explores how ambition leads to one’s downfall. With a modernised backdrop and female Caesar, this rendition raises pressing issues relevant to our current political climate.
We had the chance to interview the main cast and sit in on their first script-read session to get a better grasp on this year’s production. You can read about it here.
Date: 2nd-27th May
Time: 7.30PM
Venue: Fort Canning Park
Price: From $49
Website
8. Snag some free comics at Kinokuniya on Free Comic Book Day
Image credit: Geek culture
The drop of Avengers: Infinity Wars isn’t the only thing that comic geeks have got to rejoice at. In lieu of Free Comic Book Day, bookstores will be giving away free comic books to promote reading them. Yep, if you’re a Kinokuniya Privilege Card member, you’ll be able to get your hands on selected comics for free.
Queues tend to be snaking long, so prep yourself by getting in line early. Kinokuniya will also be spicing it up this year with a sure-win lucky draw and complimentary Deadpool 2 wristband.
Date: 5 May
Time: 10AM – 10PM (While stocks last)
Venue: Kinokuniya at Takashimaya | G&B Comics, Block 809 French Road Kitchener Complex #02-38 Singapore 200809
Price: Free
Kinokuniya| G&B Comics
9. Get your heart pumping at FitnessFest
Image credit: FitnessFest by AIA
If you still haven’t gotten round to the workout regime that you’ve pit against yourself at the start of the year, FitnessFest is probably a good starting point.
Push your body to its limits over a 12 hour timespan as you take part in mass workouts and all sorts of funky fitness activities from boxing to bouldering. There’s even a FitnessConcert to put your clubbing enthusiasm to some good use!
You can read more about it here.
Date: 19 May
Time: 9AM-9PM
Venue: Marina Bay Sands
Price: $55
Website
10. Take part in an obstacle course on water at the DBS Marina Regatta
Image credit: DBS
Unleash your inner Ninja Warrior this May at the DBS Marina Regatta. They’ve got an obstacle course that anyone can join, whether you’re looking to be the fastest one or are simply doing it for fun.
Battle Bay Extreme will have three levels of difficulty for participants to choose from – Initiate, Intense, and Insane – featuring obstacles such as the infamous Wipeout bouncy balls, traverse wall, and our childhood favourite, the monkey bars. Fans of Joseph Schooling, you may even get to catch him trying his hand at the course too.
Image credit: DBS
If you find the obstacle course too strenuous, attend their free fitness and yoga classes instead. Alternatively, you could support the intense dragon boat races happening along Marina Bay.
Date: 26 – 27 May, 2-3 June
Time: 8AM – 9PM
Venue: The Promontory at Marina Bay
Price: From $8 for Initiate category, from $28 for Intense and Insane categories
Website
11. Brave the crowds for food, shopping, and photo ops at Artbox
You may remember Artbox from last year, when the pop-up market first hit our shores and gained so much hype till it was jam packed with people. Well, gear yourself up for another round of fairy lights, Instagrammable food and quirky knick-knacks – Artbox will be featuring over 400 stores at its second edition this month.
And fret not about having to cosy up with strangers again. This year’s return promises a market that’s 3 times bigger than last year’s edition. Hopefully we’ll actually be able to walk properly between the stalls this time!
Date: 26 – 27 May, 2-3 June
Time: 3PM – 11PM
Venue: Bayfront Event Space
Price: Free
Website
12. Go on an upside-down photoshoot
3 seconds – that’s how long you have to grasp the attention of someone before they scroll past the IG-pic you’ve painstakingly taken 1 hour to edit. So instead of taking the usual OOTD shots, zhng your feed up with these upside down shots that’ll get people wondering how in the world you took them.
13. Try calligraphy and have fun with trick art at the Faber Castell Art Festival
Image credit: Expat Living
Allow your kids to unleash their creativity at this year’s Faber Castell Art Festival. There’ll be workshops for them to try their hand at crafts such as calligraphy, and colouring competitions which you can take part in as a family. You can even snap some pics at their Trick-Eye Stations, and get a caricature drawn for a small price, where all proceeds will go to charity.
Date: 25 May – 3 June
Time: 10AM-9PM
Venue: Marina Square Central Atrium
Price: Free
Website
14. Drink to your heart’s content at the Singapore Cocktail Festival
Image credit: Singapore Cocktail Festival’s Facebook page
Raise your glass to welcome back the Singapore Cocktail Festival – you’ll be in for 10 days of discounted drinks and masterclasses featuring award winning bartenders all across Singapore.
If you’re not into bar hopping, you can still enjoy $12 drinks from over 30 cocktail bars in The Festival Village from 4 to 6 May. Located at Empress Lawn, there’ll be a food street to prep your stomach for the alcohol and live DJ sets that’ll keep the party mood alive.
Date: 4 -13 May
Time: 4PM till late
Venue: Empress Lawn, Opposite Victoria Concert Hall
Price: From $28
Website
15. Cycle safely on closed roads at OCBC Cycle
Image credit: @ocbccycle
While most of us would love to explore Singapore on bikes, it can be dangerous driving on roads, especially when you intend to cycle as a family. Good news is, certain roads will be closed specially for OCBC Cycle, so you can take in Singapore’s scenic view without having to worry about incoming traffic.
You don’t even have to be a competitive cyclist to sign up. You can take part in the non-competitive category to cycle leisurely and just have fun.
Date: 5 & 6 May
Venue: Singapore Sports Hub
Price: From $59
Website
16. Visit Singapore’s Only Vintage Camera Museum
The Vintage Camera Museum is full of thousands of old cameras, be it bulky polaroids or folding plate cams. There’s even a 6-metre long camera and spy cams that were once strapped onto pigeons.
If you’re keen to learn more about cameras beyond the world of DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, head down to the Vintage Camera Museum.
Opening hours: 10.30AM-9.30PM
Venue: 8C & 8D Jalan Kledek, Singapore 199263
Price: $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens and children below 12
Website
17. Hop on exciting rides at the Cartoon Network Animate Your Life Festival
For those of you who are still feeling the post-Marina Bay carnival blues, Cartoon Network is hosting an Animate Your Life festival this month with rides, games, and bubbly mascots. You’ll get to meet your favourite characters such as We Bare Bears and Powerpuff Girls in real life and hop on cool rides in different character zones.
For more details on the festival, read our article here.
Date: 26th May – 10th June
Time: Mon – Thur: 3PM – 9PM | Fri – Sun: 3PM – 11PM
Venue: Gardens by the Bay, Bayfront Plaza
Price: $18 (adult) | $12.50 (2-12 years old) | $15 (student)
Website
New activities and events in May 2018
It may just be a month away from the beloved June holidays, but don’t dread the whole of May. With so many exciting new things lined up this month, every weekend will put you in the holiday spirit.