Sometimes, when a precious public holiday rolls around, you just want to do your own thing — far, far away from the crowds. Especially those donning red or white threads and frantically waving tiny plastic flags in the air while humming ‘Stand up for Singapore’.
If thinking about National Day tunes, riding on the NDP-themed MRT train or looking at National Day-inspired foods (like chendol cake and durian pizza) gets you a little more frazzled than usual, perhaps it’s time to plan for an Aug 9 that has nothing to do with National Day.
Here are nine parties, exhibitions and performances you can check out to forget that this year’s uninspiring NDP melody ‘Because It’s Singapore!’ ever existed.
Army Daze 2
8pm at Drama Centre Theatre. $43-$83.
Refresh your memory by watching the 1996 comedy flick before you catch up with the cast three decades later. Mummy’s boy Malcolm Png, now an SAF regular, reminisces about his own experience when his son enters National Service — together with his four buddies, the group of friends walk down memory lane with a few surprises thrown in for hilarious measure.
Cirque Du Soleil Kooza
Aug 9, 3pm at Under the Big Top Tent, next to Marina Bay Sands. $68.50-$334.
Spend an afternoon with a cast of acrobats, musicians and actors from across the globe as they entertain you with jaw-dropping physical feats, quirky characters and a live soundtrack of jazz, funk and Bollywood beats.
Films at the Fort
7.30pm at Fort Canning Park. $27.80.
Unfortunately, it seems like the film that’s screening on National Day is probably the most critically panned one on the line-up. Baywatch, anyone? Yep, that Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron movie reboot from earlier this year. Guess if all else fails, you’ll be entertained by, er, how good the cast looks.
Forbidden City – Portrait of an Empress
2pm at Esplanade Theatre. $28-$118.
Starring Kit Chan as Empress Dowager Cixi, and featuring music by local composer Dick Lee, this restaging of the most successful original musical produced on our shores will take you back more than a century to witness the secrets of the Forbidden City.
Heritage Carnival
11am-9pm at Palawan Green. Free.
Ready your phones to snap photos with retro exhibits, old school artefacts and collectibles at this carnival — there’ll also be food stalls hawking dishes like burgers, chendol and kueh, but they’re only available over the weekend (Aug 4-6). If you’re a huge Ah Boys to Men fan (whoever you are), the third installation of the series will be screened at 7.30pm.
Mambo Jambo
Aug 8, 10pm onwards at Zouk. Men $45, ladies $35.
So you want a peek back in time that doesn’t bombard you with NDP theme songs from years past? Boogie on down to Clarke Quay for the return of the longest-running party in Singapore, and dance your way back to the ’70s, ’80s and early ’90s. Bonus points if you turn up outfitted in retro gear.
Orchid Extravaganza
9am-9pm at Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay. $10.80.
Escape from the relentless heat and cool off at the Flower Dome, which currently features an orchid display with the flowers in all kinds of shapes and colors. If you’re a local resident, you’ll get a neat $5 off the admission charge as well.
RWS Street Eats
11am-9pm at Malaysian Food Street, L1, RWS Waterfront. Free, dishes from $4.
If you’re in the mood for some good old street food, this fest gathers signature dishes from around Southeast Asia and plops them in one spot. So fill your bellies with everything from Penang Lim Brothers’ char kway teow to Thailand’s Or Tor Kor Market mango sticky rice to Indonesia’s Nona Manis ayam penyet.
The Dark Room Experience
Performance: 12.30pm & 2.30pm, Experience: 1pm & 3pm at Esplanade Annexe Studio. Free.
This music performance and sensory experience — which offers entry on a first-come, first-served basis — immerses you in complete darkness to help you understand what it’s like to depend on every one of your senses except your sight.
