Get Your Culture On! Upcoming Music, Dance and Theatre Performances Not to Miss in Singapore

If you’re looking to feel culturally enriched and artistically stimulated mama, here are the must-see shows happening this spring. Plus heaps of other FREE events at the SIFA Festival!

Thanks principally to the Singapore International Festival of the Arts (SIFA), all Sassy Mamas out there who like to get their teeth into the arts are about to be spoilt for choice!

Over the next few weeks Singapore’s shores are set to be awash with a fantastic and diverse array of theatre, dance and music with distinguished performers and award winning creatives from all over the world rubbing shoulders with Singapore’s finest. The collection of the work and the curation of the SIFA program is intelligent, diverse and exciting. It is a Festival that confirms Singapore’s commitment to the arts and puts it firmly on the world stage as a leading player, investing in every genre of live performance.

The only sadness is that there’s simply not enough time to get to see it all! Especially with fierce competition from the likes of the Esplanade and Singapore’s leading theatre and music companies laying on some great offerings at the same time, too!

So, in a bid to help you narrow it down a bit, we’ve scoured the all the programs out there and have selected our top 10 picks for the weeks ahead. Get booking now and enjoy, mamas!

1. 1984, by George Orwell, adapted by Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan

It’s a bold move to bring a show like this to Singapore but with such world acclaim and sell-out shows wherever it goes, this award-winning production is a must see. It’s gritty, challenging, and makes for confronting and deeply exciting theatre. Many will know the original literary version but few will have visualised it like this!

When: 26 – 29 April
Where: Esplanade Theatre
Tickets: Book here

2. Jacob Collier

If you’ve got kids they may well have heard about this self-taught YouTube sensation who’s already won two Grammys, even if you haven’t. Described as a “prodigy” and a “phenomenon”, his first concert sold out so quickly that the Festival laid on another date, but that went, too! If you hunt around you may be lucky enough to get one but if not try and catch his master class session on Saturday morning at 11.30, on Harmony & Groove.

When: 27 – 28 April
Where: Victoria Theatre
Tickets: Book here

3. La Boheme, SSO Gala

One of the most beloved operas of all time, this classic by Puccini is being presented as a concert by the wonderful Singapore Symphony Orchestra and choirs. The SSO concerts rarely disappoint and this is tipped to be a goodie, so get to it if you can!

When: 26 – 29 April
Where: Esplanade Concert Hall
Tickets: Book here

4. Julius Caesar, Shakespeare in the Park by Singapore Repertory Theatre

Thankfully SRT’s annual homage to Shakespeare is back – and this year it’s with a female lead in the traditional male role of Caesar. Whether or not you’re a fan of the Bard, what’s not to love about seeing live theatre, picnicking with friends and sipping on wine? There’s something so unique to Singapore, too, with the city lights behind the magnificent sets SRT build, it’s an evening to get in the diary quick.

When: 2 – 27 May
Where: Fort Canning Park
Tickets: Book here

5. OCD Love by L-E-V Dance Company

Described as ‘striking and full of startling originality’, the opportunity to see the Israeli dance company L-E-V’s in action is one to grab. They have created a powerful and mesmerising study about matters of the heart, set to relentless techno beats mixed by musician and DJ Ori Lichtik, pushing the boundaries of dance and what the human body can do!

When: 5 – 6 May
Where: SOTA Drama Theatre
Tickets: Book here

6. Playlist #1 by France’s Ballet Preljocaj

For anyone who loves dance, this show should be at the top of their list. It’s a compilation of extracts, the best of the best, from the work of revered French dancer and contemporary choreographer Angelin Preljocaj, from 1994 to now. It seems set to be exquisite.

When: 9 – 10 May
Where: SOTA Drama Theatre
Tickets: Book here

7. An Enemy of the People by Schaubühne Berlin

This is European theatre at its best. Internationally renowned theatre director Thomas Ostermeier’s takes on Henrik Ibsen’s play about a man’s crusade to tell the truth at all costs. It’s a remarkable production that boldly tackles very contemporary dilemmas and, with so many rave reviews from around the world, there’s no doubt audiences who get to see this are in for a treat.

When: 11 – 12 May
Where: Esplanade Theatre
Tickets: Book here

8. The Swingles @ The Esplanade

From the UK, this five time Grammy Award winning a cappella group will, according to The Guardian, give you goosebumps! It’s a performance packed with classical anthems, baroque instrumentals, and folk, pop and rock songs and may include some selections from the numerous film and TV soundtracks they’ve done, including Sex and the City, Grey’s Anatomy and Glee. It’s stylish, sexy and fun – and always amazing that it’s all vocals and no instruments!

When: 16 May
Where: Esplanade Concert Hall
Tickets: Book here

9. Dragonflies by Pangdemonium

Although this show isn’t in SIFA it premiered at the Festival last year! The show was a sell-out and performed to rave reviews, which probably explains why it has just won a string of awards in the Straits Times Life Awards last month. This second season is set to be just as good if not better, so I’d get tickets quick before it sells out.

When: 18 May – 3 June
Where: Victoria Theatre
Tickets: Book here

@Victoria Theatre (18 May – 3 June)

10. The Free Program @SIFA

OK, this is a bit of a cheat to have on a list like this as it’s not just one event – it’s lots! SIFA have laid on a huge amount of fantastic FREE events throughout the Festival. There’s the Duke Ellington Band at the Botanical Gardens open auditorium; the contemporary dance ‘Pop up Duets’ at various venues; a captivating French aerial circus in Empress Place; and an immersive light and sound installation, Already Elsewhere, at Festival House. Plus much, much more! It’s a chance to feel culturally enriched and artistically stimulated and, incredibly, it won’t cost you a cent! To make the most of all that’s on offer and check out where it’s all happening, visit the SIFA website.

Various locations and dates, 26 April – 2 May