Concert featuring Stefanie Sun, festivals and more: Free events and things to do as Singapore celebrates SG60 , Lifestyle News
With Singapore's 60th birthday nearing, more festivities are popping up to celebrate SG60 and the nation's journey and milestones.
From live performances by renowned local artistes to hands-on workshops, pop-ups and festivals, here are some free SG60 events and celebrations to check out.
We'll continue to add more as we find them. Changi Airport Group SG60 celebrations
Named Together, We Make Magic, Changi Airport Group is launching their own series of SG60 celebrations from July to August.
The celebrations will include concerts like the SG60 Homecoming Concert happening at Jewel Changi Airport on Aug 1 featuring homegrown talents like Stefanie Sun, Kit Chan and Regina Song, as well as familiar National Day Parade (NDP) tunes.
Tickets can be obtained by balloting, and more details will be available on Changi Airport's social media platforms in early July.
Another part of the celebrations is the SG60 Outdoor Light-up taking place from Saturday (July 28) at Airport Boulevard - where drivers along the stretch will see it lit up and lined with images of familiar locations like the Merlion, Toa Payoh Dragon Playground and Gardens by the Bay.
For the plant lovers, there's also going to be horticultural displays across Changi's terminals and Jewel Changi Airport throughout the celebration.
Examples include a 270 square-metre floral garden celebrating Singapore's national flower, the Vanda Miss Joaqium at terminal three, which started on July 21, and a six-metre-high floral Merlion created using 60 plant types at Terminal 2.
Over at Jewel Changi Airport, the Jewel Forest Valley will see a floral display of more than 1,200 orchids from Aug 1 to 31 featuring red and white blooms to match the festivities. Here, a Dendrobium (a type of orchid) Jewel Changi Airport hybrid will also be showcased.
Throughout the month of August, the airport megamall's Light and Music showcase will also feature a special SG60 rendition — where visitors can enjoy projections of iconic Singaporean symbols in a hand-drawn, watercolour illustration style alongside the melody of the NDP favourite Home.
More information can be found on Changi Airport's website. NTUC NDP Bay Celebrations
The NTUC NDP Bay Celebrations will take place at the Promontory @ Marina Bay on July 26, Aug 2 and 9.
Themed Majulah SG Youth, the celebration will focus on Singaporean youths' contributions to building the nation and includes performances by both established and budding local talents such as Shigga Shay, Regina Song and Estelle Fly.
It will also include acts from local universities like Singapore Management University's Soundfoundry and Nanyang Technological University's Modern Jazz dance society.
Additionally, there will also be interactive installations like The Future We Create — an AI-powered visual showcase of young Singaporeans' aspirations and visions for the nation's future, as well as Dream Exchange, a phone booth-styled space where visitors can listen to anonymous messages of hopes, dreams and encouragement from fellow youths.
Other highlights include educational booths where visitors can challenge their friends to mini games like mini-golf and memory games as well as a multi-sensory experience blending light, movement and sound.
Tickets are available for balloting at NTUC NDP Bay Celebration's website from now until July 4. Successful applicants will be informed by July 8. Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre SG60 Weekend: A Community Celebrates
Want to learn more about Chinese arts, culture and heritage?
Presented by the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC), SG60 Weekend: A Community Celebrates is a two-day cultural celebration organised by Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) and SCCC's arts residents to celebrate the nation's 60th birthday.
At this free open house event taking place on June 28 and 29, visitors will be able to get a rare behind-the-scenes look and interact with SCCC's arts residents like Nam Hwa Opera, Drum Feng, Reverberance and Tampines Arts Troupe.
Additionally, there will also be hands-on workshops like The Story Keepers - an interactive theatre experience for children exploring Singapore's folktales of Kusu Island, Redhill and Radin Mas, as well as musical tributes like Ode to Singapore by SCO showcasing artworks by 60 children and their vision for Singapore's future.
More information can be found on SCCC's website. Shaping Hearts 2025
Organised by the North East Community Development Council, Shaping Hearts 2025 is an arts festival showcasing over 700 artworks by artists with disabilities from organisations like Mouth and Foot Painting Artists (MFPA), Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped and Touch Community Services in public spaces.
The first part of the festival kicked off from June 21, starting with a series of roving exhibitions at Bayfront MRT station and Gardens by the Bay featuring live painting demonstrations by featured artists with disabilities, interactive booths with hands-on art activities and inclusive merchandised designed by artists with disabilities and public showcases of artwork in transit spaces, lifestyle venues and community hubs.
The artworks are themed around SG60 and reflect each artist's journey, imagination and sense of belonging to the nation.
The roving exhibitions will move on to Suntec City from July 28 to Aug 3.
From Sept 13 to 28, a main showcase will take place at Our Tampines Hub — where the largest collection of Shaping Hearts 2025 artworks will be displayed.
More information can be found on Shaping Hearts' website. It's Giving Fest
Another free SG60 event is It's Giving Fest, a music, arts and community festival taking place at *Scape on July 12 and 13.
Here, visitors can enjoy a variety of performances and activities like a flea market, fitness workshop and cosplay gatherings, as well as indulging in festival grub at food trucks, capture memories at the photo booth and challenge friends at arcade games at the digital game zones.
The performance line-up includes several local talents like Benjamin Kheng, Tasha Low, Lullaboy and more.
The full performance schedule, list of activities and more information can be found on It's Giving Fest's website. Installation at the Glass Rotunda
A multi-sensorial experience bringing visitors back in time to explore key moments in Singapore's history, the new installation at the National Museum of Singapore's Glass Rotunda experience will open this August.
Here, visitors can immerse themselves in an experiential multimedia production showcasing Singapore's past, present, future and the importance of the sea in shaping the nation's identity.
RFID (radio frequency identification) wristbands will also be given out at the exhibition to allow visitors a more personalised and engaging experience.
This will be the museum's first permanent gallery after its revamp which is currently ongoing.
More information can be found on National Heritage Board's website. Safra Bayfront National Day celebration
To mark SG60, Safra is organising a celebration including live performances, a NDP screening and party at the Bayfront Event Space on Aug 2 and 9.
Themed Vibrant Heartbeat, the celebration will kick off with pre-parade live performances by local groups like Jumpstart and yIn Harmony, followed by a NDP live screening on large LED screens.
Participants will each receive one NDP pack at the celebration.
Thanks to its location at Bayfront Event Space, the audience will also be able to witness some parade favourites like the inaugural Jump of Unity by the Republic of Singapore Navy, state flag flypast, building light projections, fireworks and more.
During the post-parade party, visitors can enjoy performances by Urban Drum Crew and DJ Tinc.
Tickets are available for balloting on Safra's website from now until July 4, 12pm, and is only eligible for Safra members, Singapore citizens and permanent residents.
Each applicant will have one ballot chance for two or four tickets.
Successful applicants will be notified by July 10 via SMS or email.
Additionally, the celebration will also extend to seven Safra clubs islandwide throughout the month of August at: Choa Chu Kang
Jurong
Mount Faber (Telok Blangah Way)
Punggol
Tampines
Toa Payoh
Yishun
On National Day itself, national servicemen and their families can enjoy live screenings of the parade at the clubs, alongside activities such as sing-along sessions, traditional games and pop-up food stalls serving local flavours.
For the island-hopping lovers, Safra will also be organising tours to Kusu Island, Sister's Island, Pulau Ubin, St John's Island and Sentosa, as well as a photography competition during the month of August.
More information will be available on Safra's website. Red Dot August
To celebrate SG60, Esplanade will be presenting Red Dot August — a music and arts programme including intergenerational performances by veteran and budding musicians, collaborations with overseas music artists, poetry readings and screenings of local films.
Part of the 60 Connections — At Home and Afar (a year-long programme spotlighting 60 live and digital works), Red Dot August will take place from Aug 1 to 31 at Esplanade's Theatres on the Bay.
More information will be available on Esplanade's website. PAssionArts Festival 2025
This SG60, rediscover the beauty of Singapore's neighbourhoods with PAssionArts Festival 2025 — a festival organised by People's Association Arts and Culture Division and its network of Community Arts and Culture Clubs.
The theme for this year is Our Neighbourhood Gems, and will feature over 60 festival villages including activities like art installations, workshops and performances from now until September.
An example of the activities includes the Turning Stories: A Glowing Tribute to Singapore workshop taking place at Kallang Community Club on June 28, where residents can collaborate to paint the acrylic panels of a dynamic rotating structure telling the story of Singapore's journey and the Jalan Besar community.
Another is the Braddell Heights PAssionArts Festival happening on July 26 beside Braddell Heights Community Club - which will feature a futuristic large-scale art installation that pays tribute to the neighbourhood's heritage - spotlighting the upcoming Serangoon Polyclinic and revamped Serangoon Market and Braddell Heights Community Club.
More information can be found on the People's Association's website. The Roots You Gave Me, the Wings I've Found
Taking place at LOY Contemporary Art Gallery at Tanglin Road from now until Aug 8, The Roots You Gave Me, the Wings I've Found is a solo art exhibition by local artist Benedict Yu.
Exploring the themes of familial love, spiritual legacy and memory-making in the digital age, the exhibition uses a mix of VR (virtual reality) and emotional storytelling amidst other tools like 3D painting to create an immersive experience.
More information can be found on the gallery's website.
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carol.ong@asiaone.com
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Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
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I thought it was appropriate because I think of myself as a modern Singaporean, and the food is a reflection of my identity.' He says Mod-Sin is a celebration of traditional Singaporean flavours, adding that the idea is not to replace the original dish, but to 'enjoy its spirit innovatively'. 'It's about retaining the spirit of the dish while redefining its process, form or even ingredients,' he says. 'A Singaporean couple, who lived in Hong Kong for many years, came to Wild Rocket for dinner. After the meal, the husband said that none of the dishes looked like Singaporean food, but when they ate it, they knew they were home. That, to me, is what good Mod-Sin should be.' He cites the food at Mustard Seed in Serangoon Garden as a good example of what Mod-Sin cuisine is. The restaurant, run by chefs Gan Ming Kiat, Wu Shin Yin and Desmond Shen, serves multi-course meals built around Singapore flavours, executed with Japanese and other techniques. 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He says: 'Mod-Sin is about retaining a lot of the flavours and ingredients that make us Singapore, but finding new ways to take the flavour in a different direction. The food evokes something Singaporean, but tastes different as well.' Belimbing serves four-course set meals at dinner time featuring dishes such as Wok-fried Nasi Ulam and Seared Red Grouper. PHOTO: BELIMBING Inspired by rojak, the sweet, sour, salty and spicy salad, he created Grilled Firefly Squid. The dish looks nothing like rojak, usually a melange of vegetables and fruit tossed with shrimp paste. But take a forkful, and the haegor caramel, made with slow-cooked prawn shells and belacan; the shaved frozen ginger flower; and the sprinkling of powdered dried cuttlefish on top registers in the brain as rojak, but much more inten se. Similarly, the Clam Custard, featuring tuatua clams from New Zealand, is meant to evoke the steamed egg the chef, and many Singaporeans, grew up eating. 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The pork rib is his version of the popular zi char dish of coffee pork ribs. He cooks prime rib sous vide for 16 hours in a sauce made with coffee from local supplier Coffee Hock, infused with dark Valrhona chocolate, then grills it. The pork rib is served with a sabayon made with white coffee, inspired by Vietnam's egg coffee, with crushed pistachios and cacao nibs sprinkled on top. 'We wanted to make the coffee stand out even more,' he says. The pork rib is Chef Dylan's version of the popular zi char dish of coffee pork ribs. PHOTO: CHOON HOY PARLOR His Chye Ber is an almost forgotten dish in Singapore, although it is popular in Malaysia – cuts of meat cooked with mustard greens, tamarind and tomato. The charcuterie board pays homage to the rich tradition of cured meats in Asia, with strips of waxed duck, duck liver sausage and pork lup cheong. These are served with decidedly local accompaniments – housemade achar, housemade labneh with furu or preserved beancurd worked into it, braised peanuts and strips of crisp tempeh and slices of youtiao. The 38-year-old says: 'We make sure that 90 per cent of the flavours are true, and then the remaining 10 per cent is the X factor, touches you won't find elsewhere. 'I ask myself how I can connect with my diners. It's to preserve the character of the dish. The last 10 per cent should not destroy the dish. In our first year in Beach Road, we tried to tinker with the recipes. But I realised, why try to bring in a foreign flavour? Why not add layers of complexity without doing that?' Choon Hoy Parlor has moved from Beach Road to Capitol Singapore. PHOTOS: CHOON HOY PARLOR He has more plans. In about three months, he wants to start a Kway Png Club, or chicken rice club, on weekends. 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He says that progress is good, especially when chefs are able to help diners understand the original taste of the dish. 'I've been doing the same thing for so long,' he says of the new direction. 'I want to surprise diners. They'll be able to taste the difference between the old Damian and the new Damian.' Tan Hsueh Yun is senior food correspondent at The Straits Times. She covers all aspects of the food and beverage scene in Singapore. Check out ST's Food Guide for the latest foodie recommendations in Singapore.
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