The annual affair that blesses your feeds with spectacular light projections and displays has officially returned. Swing by Singapore Night Festival 2024 from 23rd August to 7th September 2024 to get your fix of IG-worthy snaps. Plus, get to enjoy live performances and food at 4 different Festival Villages.
Singapore Night Festival is an annual event featuring light-infused artworks highlighting the country’s traditional heritage. It’s organised by the Singapore Heritage Board and usually happens during the last 2 weekends of August. This year will see an extended edition, running over 3 weekends instead.
The Singapore Night Festival is just one of the annual light festivals happening around Singapore. Others include i Light Singapore, organised by the Urban Redevelopment Authority and held in the Marina Bay area around June.
Another one to look out for is National Gallery Singapore’s Light to Night that takes place in the Civic District; it’s usually up and running mid-January to early February.
Taking place from 23rd August to 7th September 2024, the Singapore Night Festival 2024 will dress the Bras Basah and Bugis precincts in a symphony of light-related installations. The theme for this year’s festival is Art of Play.
It’ll be a nostalgic exploration of the concept of play and childhood, and it draws inspiration from the neighbourhood of Bras Basah and Bugis, the birthplace of some of our nation’s first schools. In case you didn’t know, schools like Raffles Institution, Raffles Girls’ School, and St. Joseph’s Institution were located right here.
The #SGNIGHTFEST signage at SMU Campus Green.
Look forward to over 50 programmes including 5 projection mappings, 9 live performances, 11 light installations, and 4 Festival Villages. This includes a late-night festival at GR.iD where food will be available till midnight. And yes, admission to the entire festival is free with the exception of Wonder World amusement park.
Delulu High by Pop Glitterfreak Collective.
Strap on your dancing shoes and head to Bugis Street to check out the bright pink Disco Bus. It’s hidden out of sight if you’re walking along the main road, but you just have to look out for the back alley near MacDonald’s and turn in to find this life-sized bus.
Inspired by our student days of taking the school bus every morning, the artists have reimagined their tough school memories into a fun space, complete with pumping music and a shiny disco ball hanging from the ceiling. Bring out your inner child in this safe haven; no one will judge you for being completely delulu.
Just behind the bus, don’t miss The Funnazium where the gym equipment isn’t so heavy and the giant weights are painted in pretty neon colours. The last light installation here is the colourful Affirmation Steps.
The Happiest Day of Our Lives by Rizman Putra.
Walk further down Bugis Street and you’ll come across Stamford Arts Centre. To get into this aesthetic room of vibrant neon murals, you’ll have to enter the building, head towards the back, and turn right towards a red door.
Enter a world of vintage-style illustrations inspired by children’s storybooks. This artwork pays homage to the history of the building that once used to be a Japanese elementary school, followed by numerous other schools, including Waterloo Girls School.
Through the rose window by Diva Agar.
There was a time when schoolgirls sang “In and out of cherry window, Who will be my partner?” as a common children’s game that aimed to foster bonds between the kids. Inspired by this game is a little chapel in the garden just outside Stamford Arts Centre where you’ll have to peer in to watch the cute animations.
This artwork harkens back to the time the building was temporarily occupied by Methodist Girls’ School.
Make your way across the road to the National Design Centre where you’ll find 2 artworks. Inside, enjoy whiffs of calming fragrances from Aesop that has created this mystical forest in an installation called Scents of Being.
Back outside, Opera in Motion invites you to get pedalling on a tricycle to make the lights of the installation turn on. The music is a dead giveaway that the interactive installation is inspired by the Chinese opera. If you’d like to find out more from the artists themselves, feel free to join the talk on 24th August at NLB as well as enjoy live performances.
First Flight by Aron Lim and Quek Jia Qi.
Next up is the vibrant Armenian Street where there’s another interactive light installation that will evoke sweet memories of the good ol’ days. First Flight brings to life a beloved childhood activity of folding paper planes and setting them aflight.
In fact, you’re provided with stationery here to recreate those paper planes and have a friendly competition with your friends to see whose plane flies the farthest.
Between Threads by Clare Chong, Jennifer O’Connor, and Taufiq Hidayat.
Further down, right in front of the Peranakan Museum, you’ll find Between Threads – a fluid-looking panel meant to mimic cloth. The dynamic, fluorescent artwork is inspired by an unfinished beaded panel on display in the museum and aims to convey the complexity of beaded art.
Fortune Beads by KIMBAB:) and Red House Cafe by Jaxton Su.
The remaining light installations can be found outside Funan and Raffles City. Those who like to play games will enjoy the play element of Fortune Beads, where participants need to touch as many illuminated “beads” as possible in a short timeframe. Look closely, and you might be reminded of how this looks like the abacus we used to have in primary school.
Red House Cafe, on the other hand, plays on nostalgia for those who remember the iconic Red House bakery that once stood in the Carlton Hotel Singapore. The visually stunning lighted-up slice of cake and half a curry puff make for the perfect backdrop for a retro-themed pic.
While you’re at Armenian Street, you’ll miss the projection on the Peranakan Museum. The moving visuals showcase gorgeous motifs inspired by the museum’s collection including textiles and artefacts.
To interact with the projection, play with the buttons on the panel across the entrance and you’ll see different things happening to the artwork.
Every year, the church at CHIJMES lights up with some of the most captivating projections. This year’s no different, and you’ll get to enjoy 4 projections that play on loop as soon as the sun sets.
PINBOLA by Yanyun Chen will feature visuals from a pinball machine; Play Downstairs by Rachel explores memories of playing at the HDB video deck; A Whimsical Odyssey by Aaah brings you on an adventure of exploration; and A Prototype of Play by deniseardenise reminds us of the simple games of yesteryear.
No festival is complete without food and music. This year, there are 4 Festival Villages:
| Festival Village | Highlights | Location | Time |
| Twilight Playground |
| GR.iD | 6pm-12am |
| SMU Arts Fest 2024:Play |
| SMU Campus Green | 6pm-11pm |
| Festival Village @ CHIJMES |
| CHIJMES | 6pm-12am |
| PIXEL PARADISE |
| Armenian Street | 7pm-11pm |
SMU Arts Fest will be showcasing music and dance performances on the stage on numerous dates. Check the Singapore Night Festival website for the full programme.
Apart from the main villages, there are so many other fringe events happening during the 2 weeks. This includes jazz performances at Capitol Singapore, getai shows at Waterloo Street, an outdoor photography exhibition, and even tarot reading.
Those who’d like to get a little more involved can join a night photo walk, play arcade games at NMS, or join a Library Party After Dark at the National Library Building.
Wonder World by Sam Lo.
Keep an eye out for this year’s highlight act, Wonder World. It’s a retro-themed amusement park inspired by Singapore in the 50s and 60s. Older folks may remember the likes of New World Amusement Park and Gay World Amusement Park.
Turn back the years as you go on familiar rides such as the carousel and hit up the old-school game booths and food stalls.
If you don’t manage to win anything from the games, there’s always the gift shop to fall back on for souvenirs to take home. Plus, there’ll be live poetry performances at the wrestling ring.
Finally, as you walk around the carnival, the larger-than-life billboards and murals by local artists are hard to miss.
Admission: $25/pax
Date: 23rd-25th August, 28th-31st August, 1st September, 4th-7th September
Time: 7.30pm-11pm
Venue: Cathay Green
Whether you’re a seasoned photographer or just looking for a cute date night idea, there’s no excuse not to drop by Singapore Night Festival 2024. They’ve even extended the festival’s runtime from its usual 9 days to 16, giving you a little over 2 weeks to head down to gaze at the ethereal displays.
Photography by Ajay Sharma.
Last updated on 22nd August 2024.
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