Fun & New Things to Do This May
You’ve seen March’s and April’s editions of “Fun & New Things to Do”, and so you’ll need no introduction to this list. As per usual, this May we’re back with a multitude of awesome new activities. Read on!
– Things to Do In May 2015 –
1. Check Out the New Sports Hub
Sick of frequenting the same old boring malls every weekend? They all seem to have the same stores, from retail outlets like the Royal Sporting House, right down to that Gong Cha outlet – you can barely tell one mall from another just by looking at its directory.
For the jaded, we have a solution: the new Sports Hub is shaping up to be a pretty cool weekend haunt. Read our Sports Hub guide, and you’ll find 12 new things to see and do this weekend.
Address: 2 Stadium Walk, Singapore 397718
2. Explore Singapore’s Lighthouses
Mention “lighthouse”, and it brings to mind sepia-tinted images of murky darkness illuminated by light emitting from a solitary white tower. Though they seem very much a relic from the past, functioning lighthouses DO exist in Singapore. Quell the gasps of disbelief – here’s a list of nine lighthouses, some of which you may want to consider paying a visit to this May.
3. Visit a Secret Cinema
The Projector is a hipster revival of the historic Golden Theatre, and is an independent cinema that offers an alternative selection of films. Unfortunately (or thankfully, depending on how you see it), it’s also one of Singapore’s best-kept secrets because getting there is a bit of a hassle.
Fret not – with our Guide to The Projector, we’ll show you everything you need to know about this fab new hipster hangout, including pictures telling you how to get there, and even where to eat.
Address: #5-00, Golden Mile Tower, 6001 Beach Road, Singapore 199589
4. Go On the Queenstown Heritage Trail
Queenstown was also the site of the Hock Lee Bus Riots. Source
Established by the British in 1953 to solve the overcrowding in Chinatown, Queenstown is Singapore’s first satellite estate. My Queenstown organizes monthly heritage trails for free that takes you through the town’s points of historical interest, from iconic landmarks to abandoned ruins.
Find out 10 things we learned from our My Queenstown Heritage Trail experience here.
My Queenstown Heritage Trail is held on the last Saturday of every month, 9.30-11.30am. Register online for a spot on the trail!
5. Visit the Newly Opened Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum
Located at the National University of Singapore, the recently opened Natural History Museum houses a collection of preserved zoological specimens and the University’s herbarium. The highlight of the museum? Getting to see three 150 million-year-old dinosaur fossils up close.
Address: 2 Conservatory Drive, Singapore 227377
Tickets: Find out more here
6. Go on a Food Trail in Johor Bahru
They say that there are two kinds of people in the world: those who eat to live, and those who live to eat. If you fall into the latter category, a trip to the food paradise that is Johor Bahru City Square is right up your alley.
With crazy cheap (and good) pasta, a host of all-you-can-eat buffets, and cuisines running the gamut from Korean to East Javanese awaiting you just across the border, JB City Square Mall will satiate your every craving.
Read our JB City Square Mall Food Trail Guide here.
7. Visit the Newly Opened Indian Heritage Centre
Signalling a step in the right direction for the monumental task of recognising ethnic diversity, the first museum focusing on the Indian community in Singapore opens to the public on 8th May. The exhibitions, constituting of about 440 artefacts, are housed within a four-storied building at Campbell Lane. They serve as markers that trace the development of the Indian community from the 19th century till today.
Address: 5 Campbell Lane, Singapore 209924
8. Cool Down at Adventure Cove Waterpark
May is the hottest month of the year, and what better way to beat the heat then to do it at the Adventure Cove Waterpark? Read our Ultimate Guide to Adventure Cove, which will give you a splashing good time!
Address: 8 Sentosa Island, Singapore 098269
9. Volunteer at a Charity from Our List
It’s true: happy people give and gain more volunteer work. Instead of being holed up at home grousing about an unending list of complaints, why not go out there and make a difference? If you’re not sure where to start, my best advice is to begin somewhere close to your heart.
Read our article on 36 places you can volunteer at – you’ll be sure to find an organization that speaks to you!
10. Try Air Yoga: Elevate Your Yoga Experience
From Sandra Riley Tang to is-she-even-a-friend?, everyone on your Instagram newsfeed is posting pictures of themselves in what look like extremely uncomfortable yoga poses. But we’re not complaining – the yoga trend that’s taking Singapore by storm just might be our healthiest obsession yet.
So elevate your yoga experience with some Anti-Gravity Yoga classes at Real Yoga. To assuage your apprehension, read about even our self-professed “terribly inflexible” writer, Joyce, enjoyed her Air Yoga experience.
11. Visit Taiwan For the First Time
When it comes to planning vacations, many of us believe that the farther the distance traveled, the better the experience. While that may sometimes be true, the allure of the Asia-Pacific is often overlooked, and I hope I’m not the only one.
With sky lanterns, cherry blossoms and a myriad of other Instagram-worthy locations, Taiwan is the best place to start for those still unconvinced about the picturesque beauty of our region. Don’t take my word for it – read 10 Reasons to Visit Taiwan for the First Time in 2015.
– Events –
12. Bare Your Sole for a Good Cause
Habitat for Humanity Singapore’s annual fundraising event is back for its 7th installment. Wriggle your toes, and you’ll feel sun-baked grains of sand shift around your exposed feet. You’ve guessed it – Bare Your Sole will be held at a beach this year.
Don’t forget to look beyond the sun-tastic venue though, because at its heart, Bare Your Sole is a campaign dedicated to raising awareness for the less fortunate. The event urges Singaporeans, both young and old, to put themselves in the shoes of the those without homes. Proceeds will go towards helping Habitat for Humanity Singapore fund their local operations.
Date & Time: 30 May 2015, 8am – 1pm
Tickets: Find out more here, or visit their official webpage.
Venue: Palawan Beach, Sentosa Island, Singapore 099981
13. In Memoriam: Lee Kuan Yew
In Memoriam: Lee Kuan Yew, is an exhibition housed at the National Museum of Singapore that pays homage to Singapore’s first Prime Minister, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Chronicling his life and political career through a selection of photographs, artefacts and audiovisual recordings, the exhibition allows visitors to reflect on Mr Lee’s innumerable contributions to our nation. Admission is free for all visitors.
Date & Time: Till 24 May 2015, 10am – 8pm Sun to Thur, 10am – 10pm Fri & Sat .
Venue: Glass Atrium, Level 2, National Museum of Singapore, 93 Stamford Road, Singapore 178897
14. Singapura: The Musical
Skeptics will write this off as another orchestrated initiative in light of SG50, but this is actually an independent, Philippines-based company’s (4th Wall Theatre Company) production with just really, really good timing.
Centred on a pivotal period in Singapore’s history (1955 to 1965), this musical takes us back in time with song lyrics that encapsulate key sentiments that swept Singaporeans during milestone events like the MacDonald House bombing, and Singapore’s merger and subsequent separation.
Date & Time: 19 May – 7 June 2015, 7.30pm; extra 2.30pm show on Sat & Sun.
Tickets: $65-205 from EventCliQue
Venue: Capitol Theatre, 17 Stamford Road, Singapore 178907
15. Backstreet Boys In a World Like This – Live in Singapore
Every other bad test grade I’ve received in my adolescent years was made better with these boys crooning comforting, dulcet tones into my ears. They didn’t care who I was, where I was from, or what I did – as long as I loved them.
This May, the Backstreet Boys will be performing live in Singapore, with a repertoire of old favourites and new ditties for diehard fans. It’ll be a nostalgic evening that’ll reduce even the most mature lady to a hapless fangirl. But that’s okay, because we want it that way.
Date & Time: 2 May 2015, 8pm
Tickets: $98-198 from Sistic
Venue: The Star Theatre, 1 Vista Exchange Green, Singapore 6636 0055
16. Fashion Splash
Fashion Splash is part of Fashion Steps Out 2015. Source
As part of Fashion Steps Out 2015, a celebration of all things vogue, you can see the Merlion, our national mascot, clad in fashionable threads at Orchard Gateway. This exhibition features clay Merlion figurines designed by students from the Raffles Design Institute and various guest artists.
Date: 1 – 21 May 2015
Venue: Orchard Gateway Level 1, 277 Orchard Road, Singapore 238851
17. Great Peranakans: Fifty Remarkable Lives
The Peranakan Museum celebrates the achievements of 50 Peranakan men and women who have made an impact on Singapore in one way or another, including the likes of Tan Tock Seng, Lim Boon Keng and Goh Keng Swee. Great Peranakans prompts audiences to contemplate the evolving nature of ethnic identities in Singapore.
Date & Time: 23 March 2015 – 31 May 2016
Venue: Peranakan Museum, 39 Armenian Street, Singapore 179941
18. K+ Donna Wilson
Those two bizarre-looking but absolutely lovable knitted dolls pictured above are British designer Donna Wilson’s creations. K+ is featuring a delightfully quirky collection from her body of work up till May 31, and alongside this, there will be a range of ceramic homeware and other knickknacks to beautify your home on display.
Date &Time: April 17 – May 31 2015, 12 – 8 pm daily
Venue: Scotts Square, 6 Scotts Road, #03-14/5
19. Free Comic Book Day
Comic buffs, rejoice – Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) is here again. For those who are none the wiser, FCBD is the most anticipated day in the comic-verse because it’s the one day when you can get – no points for guessing – free comic books!
Check out the full line-up of titles expected for Free Comic Book Day here.
Date: 2 May 2015
Venue: Locate participating bookstores in Singapore here.
20. Showstopper! The Musical
Picture courtesy of ABA Productions & Showstopper Productions Limited
For a truly unique experience that will keep you engrossed from start to end, definitely include Showstopper! The Musical in your list of shows to watch this May. As its name indicates, Showstopper! is a musical that takes direction from members of the audience. From musical style down to the musical’s setting, craft your own story and watch it materialize in front of your very eyes.
Date & Time: 28 April – 2 May 2015, 7.45pm
Tickets: $58 – 98 from Sistic
Venue: SOTA Drama Theatre, 1 Zubir Said Drive, Singapore 227968
21. Full Steam Ahead: An Indie-disco Beach Festival
Full Steam Ahead’s Indie-disco beach party just might be Singapore’s answer to Coachella. With tie-dye stations, sunset massages, and a Neon Disco dance zone, you just know this is going to be one freaking awesome beach party.
Date & Time: 23 May 2015, 12pm – late
Tickets: $35 – 75, book your tickets here
Venue: Tanjong Beach Club, 120 Tanjong Beach Walk, Sentosa, Singapore 098942
22. Sungha Jung Live in Singapore 2015
Remember this video? This viral video was what catapulted Sungha Jung into international acclaim. This month, the guitar prodigy from South Korea is back in Singapore for the fifth time, and he’s all grown up. His fifth performance proves to be extra special for us too: to commemorate Singapore’s 50th year, Sungha will be playing his own interpretations of a few of our local songs.
Date & Time: 30 May 2015, 7.30pm
Tickets: $48-98 from Sistic
Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall, 1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore 038981
23. Tribes
A Pangdemonium! production, Tribes centres on a deaf boy who has always felt worlds apart from his accomplished but eccentric family. Then Billy falls in love with Sylvia, and the boy who has been happy staying silent all these while suddenly wants to be heard.
This play of great profundity attests that actions do indeed speak louder than words, and promises to teach you a thing or two about communicating with your loved ones.
Date & Time: 22 May – 7 June 2015, Tues – Sat 8pm; Sat & Sun 3pm; Sun, 7 June 8pm
Tickets: $30 – 50 from Sistic
Venue: Drama Centre Theatre, 100 Victoria Street, #05-01, National Library Building, Singapore 188064
24. Katy Perry The Prismatic World Tour
Here’s news that might make you so excited you might feel Hot n Cold all over, or like Fireworks are going off inside you. That’s right folks – Katy Perry’s coming to town! The international pop phenom will be touring in support of her latest album, PRISM. With highlights including a state-of-art stage designed specially for her, this concert promises to be a magical one of epic proportions.
Date & Time: 11 May 2015, 7pm
Tickets: $128-328 from Sports Hub Tix
Venue: Singapore Indoor Stadium, 2 Stadium Walk, 397691
25. Swan Lake
The internationally acclaimed St Petersburg Ballet makes its debut in Singapore this May with a performance of perhaps what is the most famous ballet in the world – Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. With exquisite costumes and a beautiful set design, expect nothing less than a spectacular performance as you see for yourself why the St Petersburg Ballet continues to receive the praise that it does.
Date & Time: 28 – 21 May 2015, Thu & Fri 7.30pm; Sat 2pm & 7.30pm; Sun 1pm & 6pm.
Tickets: $55 – $175 from Sistic
Venue: Sands Theatre, MasterCard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Avenue, 018956
May Day! So Much to Do, So Little Time
What are you waiting for? Better get cracking if you want to cover everything!
