All The Exciting Events Happening In January 2019

Chinese-American singer-songwriter Wang Leehom is finally coming to Singapore for a concert in January, after a seven year absence. Titled ‘Descendants of the Dragon 2060’, fans will be able to relive nostalgic memories from Leehom’s old pop tunes from the 2000s, such as Descendants of the Dragon (2000), Ai De Jiu Shi Ni (2001) and Forever Love (2004). Ticket prices start from $188 to $328. Grab yours here.

Parents, listen up. Gather your little ones and bring them to meet the minds behind the book, The Great Singapore Poo Sale and Other Beastly Business. Author Maureen Yeo will host a fun storytelling session of the book, while its illustrator Gracie Chai will conduct an interactive art session for your children. Also, 2017’s National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year Jayaprakash Bojan will be giving a talk sharing some of his photography experiences and the amazing photos of Singapore’s wildlife that he had taken. That’s not it — there will also be an animal-theme singalong for your kids that will be led by Vivienne Wong and accompanied by guitarist Shawn Poon. Admission is free. Click here to RSVP. Visit their Facebook page for more information.

Held at the iconic IT mall, this event aims to reshape the perspective of art, technology and space by bringing together various communities in an insightful three-week-long art residency that is part of Singapore Art Week. From Sim Lim Square tenants, store owners and repair technicians, to regular shoppers at the mall and technologists and academics, all will be engaged in activities such as artist presentations, workshops, panel sessions and guided tours. Open studios from 12 to 6pm daily will also allow art lovers to get a chance to speak with artists such as Johaan Yamin, Chong Weixin, Eom Jeongwon and Ko Tzu-an, and glean more information on what it means to fuse art with technology. Admission is free. Visit here for more information.

K-pop stars rejoice! Taeyeon, South Korean singer and leader of the iconic K-pop girl group, Girls’ Generation, will be landing in Singapore for a live solo concert this January — marking this the first time she is here as a solo act. We can’t wait for this soprano powerhouse to make use of her impressive two-octaves and five-notes vocal range to belt out some of her top singles, such as I (2015), Rain (2016) and Fine (2017). Tickets are priced from $148 to $228. Get yours from Sistic.

You probably know her for her roles in the Charlie’s Angels films and television show Elementary, but Lucy Liu has another side to her as well — that of an artist. The Asian American actress will be in town to hold an art exhibition with Singaporean artist Shubigi Rao. Co-presented by the National Museum of Singapore and The Ryan Foundation, Unhomed Belongings will feature works such as Lost And Found, an installation of discarded objects which Liu picked up in her travels and has hidden in around 200 hand-made books, as well as Rao’s “tongue-in-cheek” installations which include, in her own description, “creating archaeological archives of garbage” and “writing How To manuals for building a nation and a culture from scratch”. Admission is free. Visit here for more information.

The human brain has huge potential for renewal and growth. Singapore-based artist Nandita Mukand seeks to explore this phenomenon in her solo exhibition at Miaja Gallery, which is part of Singapore Art Week. Titled Mind(less) Wilderness, the artist makes use of plants to demonstrate human psyche, pondering over how plants effortlessly adapt to a variety of environmental conditions, similar to humans adapting to their circumstances. However, she observes how familiar thought patterns can often form restrictive webs and restrict true potential. Admission for this exhibition is free. Visit here for more information.

Curated by Tan Boon Hui, the Vice President of Global Arts & Cultural Programmes, the IMPART Collectors’ Show will feature local and international contemporary artworks gathered from exclusive and private collectors from Singapore. Titled Fabulous Monsters, this exhibition focuses on the theme of conflict and uncertainty, where artists display their criticism of the current socio-political fractures in the form of a visualised iconography. Admission is free. Click here for more information.

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This January, Telok Ayer Arts Club will be teaming up with artist Dawn Ng to present an experiential performance piece that takes its cue from the themes of affinity and human relationships, as well as the rhythm and pulse of city life. Titled ‘11’, this performance will see 11 pairs of strangers in 11 intriguing storylines of city life, with each depicting interactions that comprise truth, hope, humour, vulnerability, loss and longing. Admission costs $48 per person, which includes a welcome cocktail. Drop an email to contactus@telokayerartsclub.sg to get your tickets.

Celebrate Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s (SSO) 40th birthday with them as they pay tribute to one of Singapore’s pioneering composers, Leong Yoon Pin, whose Dayong Sampan Overture was the first ever Singaporean composition played by the SSO. As part of their Anniversary commemoration, they’ll be performing two pieces, Ives’ ‘The Unanswered Question’ and Beethoven’s ‘Emperor Piano Concerto’, that resonated in their inaugural concert in 1979. Ticket prices start from $25 to $98. Get yours from Sistic now.

Taiwanese Mandopop singer Angela Zhang is back in Singapore with another mesmerising concert after three years. Expect her to wow the crowds with her impressive vocals as she croons some of her all-time top charting classics, like My Lost Happiness (2004), Aurora (2004) and Invisible Wings (2006). The best part? This concert falls on her birthday, so you would literally be her birthday gift. How memorable. Tickets are from $108 to $238. Click here to get them now.

Though tickets are sold out, it’s worth mentioning that one of the most iconic K-pop boy bands, BTS, will be taking Singapore by storm with their Love Yourself World Tour this January. If you’re a fan and managed to get your seats (lucky you!), be prepared to be charmed by some of their hits, such as Blood Sweat & Tears (2016), Spring Day (2017) and Fake Love (2018). Who knows, organisers might release more tickets? Here’s hoping. Visit Apactix for more information.

Take a break from your festive shopping at ION Sky on level 56, where you can rest your feet and enjoy a multimedia project light show of Koi fishes swimming through a stream amidst a cherry blossom forest. Part of the mall’s festive theme of carp fishes this Lunar New Year, visitors can catch this special themed show from 10am to 10pm daily during the respective dates. To access ION Sky, visitors will have to spend a minimum of $20 at the mall for complimentary entry. Keep yourself updated with the latest information by visiting ION Orchard’s website.

American stand up comedian Jim Jefferies will be taking centre stage at the Capitol Theatre this month as part of his ‘The Night Talker’ tour. Jefferies is known for his late night talk show, The Jim Jefferies Show (2017), that is filled with witty news satire. So, you can be sure you would be treated to 90 minutes worth of unapologetic and razor-sharp social commentary. Tickets are priced at either $118 or $138, however, seats for the show on the 22nd is sold out. Get yours from Apactix now.

Hit the gaming machines with your friends and move your bodies to the ’80s beats at Nineteen80 Bar, a retro arcade bar and discotheque, this January. From 6.30pm to 9.30pm, immerse yourself in three hours worth of soulful and vinyl grooves that will be spun by DJs Brendon P and Joshua P. Sounds like a great way to spend your Thursday night! Entry for this event is complimentary. For table reservations, drop an email to insertcoin@nineteen80.sg or contact 9183 6073. Visit their website or their Facebook page for more information.

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Known for being one of the largest shopping and entertainment extravaganzas in Singapore, the Singapore International Indian Expo is back for its 9th edition with Colours of India. Expect a wide variety of activities, entertainment and promotions at this vibrant four-day long event, such as dance performances and booths selling jewellery, traditional costumes and more. Admission is free. Visit their website for more information.

Get a taste of what authentic Cambodia street cuisine is like in this Street Food Fiesta that is part of SPRMRKT’s three-month-long annual showcase, SPRMRKT Cambodia. Held alongside the Singapore River near SPRMRKT from 6pm to 11pm, this food festival will offer tasty snacks created by a team of three Cambodian chefs who’re no stranger to the South-east Asian nation’s street food scene. Expect tasty Khmer roadside delights such as beef skewers and pork and beef sausages. Need a tipple to wash down the savoury snacks? You can indulge in rum cocktails specially created by local bartender Din Hassan of Telok Ayer Arts Club using boutique Cambodian SAMAI rum for that unique taste. Admission is free, but the street food aren’t (prices range from $12 to $30). For more details, visit SPRMRKT’s Facebook page.

Listen up, fitness aficionados. Challenge yourself with the Spartan Race, known to be the world’s best obstacle race course. Specially designed to pull you out of your comfort zone, this race isn’t your everyday marathon — you’re expected to push your limits with stadion-like activities, such as running, climbing, crawling through walls, terrain and other challenging obstacles. Ticket prices start from $158 to $175, and finishers will receive a medal, a trifecta medal edge piece, a race t-shirt, a sling bag, a cap and free professional photos. Click here for more information.

Known for receiving a standing ovation from the audience and judges for his thrilling water tank escape in 2008’s Australia’s Got Talent, Phoenix is coming to Singapore to blow your socks off with a mind-boggling award-winning live show. Called ‘Psyche!’, this performance uses micro-expression training, psychological tricks, body language reading, lie detection and visual effects to trick your minds. Also, you’ll be treated with his astonishing water escape that will come with spectacular finale at the end of the show. Tickets are from $48 to $140 (VIP) for adults and from $40.80 to $119 (VIP) for children. Visit Apactix to get them now.

Unless you live under a rock, you must have, at one time, jived to the infectious ditty of Beautiful Girls (2007), sung by Jamaican-American reggae singer and songwriter, Sean Kingston. You’ll now be able to hear this song live, as Kingston is making a special guest appearance at nightclub Bang Bang this January for an exclusive showcase. Expect other tunes such as Fire Burning (2009) from his second studio album at this one-night-only event. Ticket sales at door costs $45. If you’d wish to make table reservations, limited advance tickets will be available here. Do take note that entry is strictly before 12.30am for online ticket holders.

Returning for its Bicentennial Edition, iLight Singapore will feature sustainable light art installations that are curated to the theme ‘Bridges of Time’, where it invites artists and audience to reflect on Singapore’s history, growth, and her connection with the world in the last 700 years. This year, the art festival will expand its locations, from the original Marina Bay vicinity to include the Civic District, Singapore River, as well as the Raffles Terrace at Fort Canning. Admission to this spectacular art festival is free. Visit their website for more information.

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