As we welcome in the new year, let’s take a look at all the events and happenings that will be taking place in January. Our little sunny island is filled with an abundance of activities and festivals for you to check out, so fret not – you will never be bored! From the events lining the highly-anticipated Singapore Art Week to exhibitions that embrace Singapore’s rich culture, January sure has a lot in store for us.
| Date | Event | Event type |
| Now until 28 Feb | Faith Beauty Love Hope – Our Stories, Your ACM | Art & Culture |
| 1 Jan until 31 Jan | Veganuary | Health, Beauty, Wellness |
| 11 Jan until 31 Jan | NKF: Run Inspired! | Health, Beauty, Wellness |
| 13 Jan | Singapore Rockfest | Music |
| 14 Jan until 17 Jan | #THEATRE by INDEX | Art & Culture |
| 15 Jan until 24 Jan | RE.MIX Youth Festival | Art & Culture |
| 16 Jan until 17 Jan | Whisky Live @ Andaz | Food & Drinks |
| 20 Jan until 31 Jan | M1 Singapore Fringe Festival Quiet Riot: Agitating for Change from Within (20 Jan - 31 Jan) I, Frida (25 Jan - 31 Jan) Pandan (29 Jan - 8 Feb) | Art & Culture |
| 21 Jan until 24 Jan | earth. Exhibition | Contemporary Singapore ceramics | Art & Culture |
| 21 Jan until 6 Feb | AL!VE VOL 1-5 | Music |
| 22 Jan until 31 Jan | Singapore Art Week 2021 Light to Night Festival: ___-in-Progress (22 Jan - 31 Jan) ARTWALK Little India: In Spite Of… (22 - 23 January, 29 - 30 January, 5 - 6 February) Moo Moo PARK (22 Jan - 28 March) Wild Critters (22 - 30 Jan) | Art & Culture |
Faith Beauty Love Hope – Our Stories, Your ACM
Faith Beauty Love Hope – Our Stories, Your ACM is a set of exhibitions featuring a collection of 60 object highlights that have been selected personally by the museum staff and stakeholders. Contributors will share their intimate insights about the artworks, and visitors are encouraged to reflect on and celebrate our strengths in this challenging time. A digital presentation will be shown during the exhibition, featuring handpicked pieces too. Visitors can submit their own stories at the end of the exhibition or online if they wish.
To find out more about the exhibitions, check out the event highlights on their website.
Address: Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore
Date: Now until 28 February 2021
Website | Instagram | Facebook
Veganuary
Originally based in the UK, Veganuary has grown to become the world’s largest vegan movement, inspiring and encouraging people to go vegan for the month of January and possibly throughout the rest of the year. This campaign aims to reduce animal suffering by inspiring and supporting people across the globe. In Singapore, it is organised by Centre for a Responsible Future and Green Monday. When you sign up here, you are entitled to a month of free resources, ranging from recipes to documentaries to tips and tricks and so much more!
More information can be found on their website here. Sign up and take the pledge today!
Address: Singapore
Date: Now until 31 January 2021
Website | Instagram | Facebook
NKF: Run Inspired!
Run Inspired! is the National Kidney Foundation’s (NKF) inaugural three-week virtual charity run which aims to achieve a collective distance of 55,000km to advocate for kidney health as a nation, and raise S$200,000 which will provide Artificial Kidneys (A.K.) that are crucial in patients’ dialysis treatment to filter out waste and excess fluids. Participants are invited to run at their own pace to support these kidney failure patients.
For every km covered by participants, NKF’s main partner, Menarini Asia-Pacific, will be donating S$2, up to S$100,000, increasing the impact of your participation. With every race entry ticket (S$9.99) and T-shirt purchased, you are also donating part of the sales proceeds towards A.K.s.
4 race categories are available to choose from: 5km, 10km, 21km, and 55km. The race distance is cumulative over 21 days. Rally your friends and family members to run for a good cause, and sign up here before 24 January 2021!
Address: Singapore
Date: 11 January 2021 until 31 January 2021
Website | Instagram | Facebook
Singapore Rockfest
Renowned as Singapore’s hardest and heaviest event, Singapore Rockfest was founded by LAMC Productions in 2014 when six of the world’s hardest rocking bands performed together at Fort Canning Park for one huge, electrifying night. In 2014, rock bands such as Alice In Chains, Korn, Rob Zombie, Alter Bridge, Five Finger Death Punch, and Black Veil Brides. In 2021, Slipknot will be headlining the music festival, which was postponed back on 24 March 2020 thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Slipknot is a nine-member band, and their album We Are Not Your Kind debuted at No.1 in many countries around the world. They are returning to perform in Singapore after 15 years.
Address: Fort Canning Park, Singapore
Date: 13 January 2021
Website | Instagram | Facebook
#THEATRE by INDEX
#THEATRE is a collaboration between the design group INDEX, and the Esplanade Theatre. The stories and memories of the theatre space flow invisibly through the room. It hangs in the air, lingers on the walls, and settles within crevices. Trying to unravel these hidden textures, #THEATRE is a personal dialogue in the theatre, written with the ephemeral language of light, sound, and space.
The work of these award-winning artists, lighting designer Lim Woan Wen, spatial designer Lim Wei Ling, and sound artist Darren Ng, is an ode to the Theatre. It came after the unprecedented closure of performance spaces earlier in 2020. A poignant response to these strange and challenging times, #THEATRE is a poetic meditation on an area of assembly that has been isolated during a liminal pocket of solitude.
Seated on the empty Esplanade Theatre stage and dwarfed by the contrast in scale, the audience will experience the calm and magnificent architecture, and immerse themselves in a grand yet intimate journey that stimulates the history and energy that exist in the theatre space. Book your tickets here.
Address: Esplanade Theatre Stage, Singapore
Date: 14 January 2021 to 17 January 2021
RE.MIX Youth Festival
Discover more about the Chinese-Singaporean culture through a fresh lens as you take part in their fun activities on-site and online. There are a plethora of things to check out! Take pictures for the ‘Gram at the visually-stunning All Walks of Love exhibition, join in the fun at the festival’s immersive escape game, and cheer young designers on as they “wear” Chinese Singaporean culture at the inaugural Fashion Design competition. If you’re a music lover, you can revel in Mandopop tunes at the TGIF RE.MIX Music Station featuring artistes such as Qiu Feng Ze x Cai Zi, AL4HA, and The Fleurist, or dance at their silent music parties. End your night with a bang with the SGAG crew too! Find out more at their website here.
Address: Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, Singapore
Date: 15 January 2021 to 24 January 2021
Website | Instagram | Facebook
Whisky Live Singapore
Hosted by La Maison du Whisky and brought to Singapore back in 2010, the 11th Edition of Whisky Live Singapore will be held at the Andaz Hotel. Whisky Live Singapore is Singapore’s premier Whisky and Fine Spirits show, where customers meet with and exchange conversation with their favourite distillers and distilleries. Interested customers will taste the best drams from all over the world while interacting with the producers and brand ambassadors. Join here and have access to Singapore’s largest dedicated pop-up store and one of the oldest and longest-running niche Whisky and Fine Spirits Show in Asia!
Address: Andaz Hotel, Singapore
Date: 16 January 2021 to 17 January 2021
Website | Instagram | Facebook
M1 Singapore Fringe Festival
The M1 Singapore Fringe Festival is held annually, and showcases events filled with theatre, dance, music, visual arts, and mixed media created and presented b Singaporean artists and artists from all over the world. Every year, the theme changes, with the theme this year being Quiet Riot. For the most part of this year, theatres have been closed, but we are so lucky to be able to watch live performances again. Here are some highlights from the festival!
Quiet Riot: Agitating For Change From Within
Hear their voices. These individuals are, in their own way, ‘rioting’ from within. This is an open conversation, with an aim to dismantle the notion of an ‘us-vs-them’ polarisation, and realise that instead, despite our differences, we are all allied together in the broader struggle for a fairer, more just world. Hear from panelists who are founders and leaders of their own organisations, and how they are igniting change from within. Register here.
Address: Zoom
Date: 30 January 2021, 2pm
I, Frida by Ay! Caramba Theatre
This is truly a one-woman show! Written and performed by Yulissa Campos, I, Frida, showcases a young activist’s fight for immigrants’ rights in Canada, while struggling with segregation, stereotypes, and her own traditions. It’s a warm, funny, and heartfelt story about a newcomer’s journey to Canada, and her trying to fit into Canadian culture. If you feel like an outsider, this show is for you. Find out more details here and start booking!
Address: SISTIC Live Stream
Date: 25 January 2021 to 31 January 2021
Pandan
Ahmad Jihad has secret struggles that no one has to find out. Ramlan harbors a dual identity and multiple uniforms. Ramlah is a happy housewife and livestream baker. Zana navigates the duplicitous waters of online dating. When an old open swimming complex gets demolished, what is private comes to the surface. Join these characters as they reckon with their personal “jihad”, or spiritual struggle, as they try to find their truest selves. Book your tickets here!
Address: Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Singapore
Date: 29 January 2021 to 31 January 2021
Website | Instagram | Facebook
earth. | A Ceramic Exhibition
An exhibition showcasing the works of six contemporary artists based in Singapore, earth. is a celebration of the diversity of clay. These six artists hail from their hometowns of Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Turkey. The diversity of these artists offer a vibrant and energetic survey of works. Selected pieces of art are United through deep consideration of form, surface, and experimental approach to the craft. Sign up here to experience the beauty of clay. Admission is free!
Address: La Galerie (Alliance Française), Singapore
Date: 21 January 2021 to 24 January 2021
Website | Instagram | Facebook
AL!VE: VOL 1-5
Finally, concerts are coming back! IMC Live Global will be rolling out Singapore’s first in-person live concerts in 2021, consisting of five separate days of artist performances. Featuring a variety of artists from Mandopop singer-songwriter Joi Chua to bilingual singer-songwriter Jimmy Ye, jazz singer Jeremy Monteiro & Friends to folk rock band Rausyanfikir, to the winner of Suria’s Anugerah Hyrul Anuar, and Art Fazil, there’s bound to be something for everyone! These concerts will be held at the Capitol Theatre and will be limited to 250 people for every event. Ticket prices range from S$58 to S$118.
VOL.1 (21 Jan): Art Fazil, Hyrul Anuar, Rahila Rashun, Jive Talkin’
Book tickets here.
VOL.2 (22 Jan): Jeremy Monteiro & Friends
Book tickets here.
VOL.3 (23 Jan): Joi Chua 蔡淳佳
Book tickets here.
VOL.4 (5 Feb): Sherman Zhuo 卓振声, Tien Chong 张天, Relyne Ban, Wilson Huang, Cherelle Tan, Marcus Lee
Book tickets here.
VOL.5 (6 Feb): Jimmy Ye 叶良俊
Tickets are sold out.
Address: Capitol Theatre, Singapore
Date: 21 January 2021 to 6 February 2021
Singapore Art Week
The most anticipated, biggest visual arts annual event in Singapore returns with a bang! This year, Singapore Art Week aims to explore art’s limitless potential, proving that art does indeed exist beyond gallery walls, museum halls, and canvases. With various events that are both online and at different venues, the ninth edition of this iconic landmark festival is bound to excite art lovers all over the world. Here are some events that we’re looking forward to!
Light to Night Festival: ____-in-Progress
Light to Night is set to illuminate the Civic District again in 2021, with exhibitions lining the district’s most iconic cultural institutions: National Gallery Singapore, Asian Civilisations Museum, The Arts House, Victoria Theatre & Victoria Concert Hall, and Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. You can also explore art in the comfort of your home, via virtual art workshops and live-streamed talks! More information can be found here.
Address: Civic District, Singapore & Zoom
Date: 22 January 2021 to 31 January 2021
ARTWALK Little India: In Spite Of…
Through murals, public art installations, and free performances, long-lost tales can be found in and around this cultural area. Discover and immerse yourself in the vibrant heritage of Little India at this multidisciplinary public art festival! If you wish to explore in the comfort of your home, you can. An immersive virtual tour is just the thing for you. Find out more here.
Address: Little India, Singapore
Date: 18 January 2021 to 27 January 2021
Moo Moo PARK
Moo Moo PARK by Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre is Asia’s first Drive-Through Exhibition, breaking new ground by using interactive and immersive technologies ad electric vehicles that offer a novel way to enjoy art and culture with your loved ones in a safe and sustainable environment. Art by 8 Singaporean contemporary artists is transformed from digital drawings to 3D installation art, selfie filters, and augmented reality murals. Sounds interesting yet? Buy your tickets here!
Address: Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, Singapore
Date: 22 January 2021 to 28 March 2021
Wild Critters
Wild Critters is the result of a collaboration between five artists and collectives (Tell Your Children, Machineast, SuperCyberTown, ClogTwo, and UFHO). Make your way down and hunt for fictional endangered critters that live across five different habitats in Gillman Barracks using an Instagram Augmented Reality (AR) filter on your mobile phones. Capture your interactions and share them on social media! More information can be found on their Instagram page.
