Singapore Nights Festival 2015 - Glitz and Glamour

Singapore Night Festival 2015
Image credit: ©Belinda Tan
Many thanks to Belinda Tan for giving permission to use this set of photos.

This year is Singapore's Golden Jubilee. To celebrate Singapore's 50th year of independence, the Singapore Night Festival this year is set to be on a celebratory and dazzling mood. There will be an exciting line-up of performances, aerial displays and light installations that will transform the festival grounds of the Bras Basah, Bugis district into an iconic night-time extravaganza of arts, culture and festivity. Bask in the Glitz and Glamour of the nights!

With a great variety of festival programmes, night lights and many other events happening over the two upcoming weekends, i.e. Fridays and Saturdays, 21 and 22 Aug, 28 and 29 Aug 2015, which will be the ones will be worthy to check out with our loved ones and friends?

Here are my picks that will be appealing to most of us:

Fields in Bloom.

Fields in Bloom
By School of the Arts (Singapore)
21 Aug to 29 Aug 2015
7.30 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. (Sun - Thu)
7.30 p.m. to 2.00 a.m. (Fri and Sat)
School of the Arts (SOTA), West Plaza Steps

Some of the most beautiful objects on Earth are made of the simplest and most common kind of material. This light installation is an interactive night light in which visitors will be invited to shine UV-torchlight on the paper flowers have been painted with glow-in-light paint. Fields in Bloom seeks to inspire a sense of wonder and enchantment within a harsh concrete environment.

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SPARK!
One of their roving performances. At Armenian Street.

Singapore Night Festival 2015
SPARK! By World Beaters Music LLP (UK)

Image credit: ©Belinda Tan

SPARK!
By World Beaters Music LLP (UK)
21 Aug and 22 Aug 2015

Roving Performance begins at School of the Arts (SOTA)
School of the Arts (SOTA) steps: 7.30 p.m. - 7.50 p.m.,
Singapore Management University, Campus Green/ Festival Village: 8.30 p.m. - 8.45 p.m.,
Armenian Street: 9.30 p.m. - 9.50 p.m.,
National Museum of Singapore: 11.10 p.m. - 11.30 p.m.
(Performance times are approximate)

For music lovers who love to be on the move, please join five mysterious characters made of light and sound on an immersive journey through the festival grounds. These drummers will be dressed in fascinating LED light to interact with the audience. Expect a performance involving high-impact drumming, exuberant music, beautiful lighting design, dynamic choreography and dazzling costumes. How far will you be able to follow them through their journey?

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The Garden of Fire and Light
Starlight Alchemy
Singapore Art Museum Front Lawn

Photo credit: ©Ng Cheng Kiang
Starlight Alchemy.
Singapore Night Festival 2015.
Many thanks to Ng Cheng Kiang for giving me permission to use this beautifully taken photo.

The Garden of Fire and Light
By Starlight Alchemy
21 and 22 Aug 2015
8.00 p.m., 9.30 p.m., 11.00 p.m.
Singapore Art Museum, Front Lawn

Fire, LED light and the magic of choreography - all these elements combined with a variety of aerial and large custom-made fire props and LED technology performance props to bring together spectacular performances by the Starlight Alchemy.

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A Little Nonya's Dream.
Photo Credit: ©Belinda Tan

A Little Nonya's Dream
By Brandon Tay (Singapore), Stéphanie Ronzon (France) and Fred Multier (France)
7.30 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. (Sun - Thu)
7.30 p.m. to 2.00 a.m. (Fri and Sat)
National Museum of Singapore, The Salon, Level 1

This night light is an enduring pop-up projection mapping that appears as an 'open book' in a dark room. This installation tells of the dreams of the Nonya girl through the animations by three different animators. I like the background music too.

Tip: This is best appreciated when there are less than fifty people in The Salon. We will be in great luck if there are less than ten persons in The Salon to savour this miniature night light together.

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The Anooki Celebrate Singapore

The Anooki Celebrate Singapore
By David Passegand and Moetu Batlle (France)
21 Aug to 29 Aug 2015
7.30 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. (Sun - Thu)
7.30 p.m. to 2.00 a.m. (Fri and Sat)
National Museum of Singapore, Façade

In the tropical climate of Singapore, would there be times when we have wishful-thinking that we could be in the icy cold Arctic? In this night light installation, the Anooki, the world's smallest and adorable Inuits come to the National Museum of Singapore to celebrate Singapore's 50th year of independence with their dances and songs. The Anooki reminded me of this key-word: resilience.

Tip for visitors with young children and visitors who prefer to stay away from the crowd: Consider checking out this night light installation from 23 - 27 Aug 2015, 7.30 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. instead. It is expected that there will be less of a crowd from 23 - 27 Aug 2015. This would mean that your family will be more likely to enjoy this heartwarming night light installation at your own pace. Bring along a picnic-mat to lie down and enjoy The Anooki Celebrate Singapore.

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Pixels Wave 2015.
National Design Centre.

Pixels Wave 2015
By Miguel Chevalier (France) with Carolyn Kan and Depression (Singapore)
21 Aug to 29 Aug 2015
7.30 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. (Sun - Thu)
7.30 p.m. to 2.00 a.m. (Fri and Sat)
National Design Centre, Atrium Level 1
111 Middle Road

The festival seems to love the idea of magic. The giant light carpet inside the National Design Centre featuring multi-coloured graphic scenes and geometric patterns that react to visitor movement and interaction will transport visitors to a brand new world. I am reminded of the 1001 nights from Arabian Nights. Do not be alarmed if the kaleidoscopic floor feels as if it was shifting. This is optical illusion at work.

Tip: Take a lift up to the 3rd level of the National Design Centre and enjoy a view of Pixels Wave from a greater height.

Pixels Wave 2015.

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In addition to the above-mentioned picks, please customize and design your own Singapore Night Festival 2015 itinerary by browsing through the Singapore Night Festival 2015's festival website: http://nightfest.sg

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Eat@Festival Village
SMU Green
21 Aug and 22 Aug 2015
28 Aug and 29 Aug 2015
SMU Campus Green

Nomad - The Gallant will be serving specialty coffee at the Singapore Night Festival.
Find them at Stall #11 at Eat and Shop @Festival Village, SMU Green.
One of the best way to stay awake throughout the night is to treat ourselves to a cup of specialty coffee.

For people who would like to treat themselves with dinner or supper before they embark on a Singapore Night Festival's adventure, please take note that there will be a series of food and beverage as well as merchandise stalls at the Festival Village at the Singapore Management University (SMU), Campus Green from 6.00 p.m. to 2.00 a.m. during the two weekends of the Singapore Night Festival 2015. So it could help to start the journey from Bras Basah MRT station for friends who are taking public transport.

Healthy and Hearty Salads, Wraps and Greens from SWAG.
SWAG offers various varieties of salads and wraps, including wraps and salads for the vegetarians.
The wraps will be prepared upon order.
Find Swag at Stall #4 at SMU, Campus Green. Eat and Shop@Festival Village.

Spinacas
For Nachos and Meaty Nachos.
At SMU, Campus Green. Eat and Shop@Festival Village.

More information on Eat@Festival Village can be found here: http://nightfest.sg/festivals-programmes/programmes/festival-village-eat-and-shop

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Singapore Night Festival 2015
21 Aug and 22 Aug 2015
28 Aug and 29 Aug 2015
Free admission
http://nightfest.sg
https://www.facebook.com/brasbasahbugis

Zone 1: National Museum of Singapore (The main festival zone)
Zone 2: Armenian Street (The edgy and experimental festival zone where music, song and dance take centre stage)
Zone 3: House of Glamour (An eclectic mix of ticketed local performances on Cathay Green)
Zone 4: Festival Village (Local bands, buskers, flea market and pop-up food kiosks)
Zone 5: SAM and Queen Street (The artistic activities gather here)

Festival Tip: Choose one or two zones from this year's Singapore Night Festival 2015 and focus on enjoying what the zone/s has to offer for the night. After which, visit the Singapore Night Festival on another night to check out another zone.

Festival Tip #2: Travel by public transport, especially by MRT train, as there will be road closure and slow traffic on the roads of the vicinity. The nearby MRT stations are: Bras Basah, Dhoby Ghaut and City Hall.

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You could also read the following blogs and websites which write about the Singapore Night Festival 2015:

Bellaella's Inspirational and Exploration

The Long and Winding Road, by Jerome Lim: Inuits will paint the town red this weekend

Photojournalist, by Jinghui: Singapore Night Festival 2015 -21st and 22nd Aug

Vanessa Mostafa's Night Festival 2015 Singapore - featuring World Beaters Music LLP

Cheekie Monkies' Top Picks of Singapore Night Festival for Families

Dejiki's Singapore Night Festival

The Smart Local's 10 Reasons You Must Visit The Singapore Night Festival This Year

Coconuts Singapore's Singapore Night Festival 2015: 10 Showcases you have to catch this weekend and next

Sassy Singapore's Singapore Night Fest 2015

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Credits:

Specially thanks to National Heritage Board for the invitation to the media preview of the Singapore Night Festival. Lots of thanks to Ms Belinda Tan and Mr Ng Cheng Kiang for their beautifully taken photographs and for granting me permission to share their photographs on this post.