As the summer heat begins to mellow, Singapore in September is ready to enchant visitors and residents with a host of new events.
The highlight of September will undoubtedly be the Mid-Autumn Festival, a major cultural celebration that brings communities together with lantern displays, traditional mooncakes, and cultural performances.
Alongside the Mid-Autumn Festival, a variety of markets, performances, and activities will also take place throughout the month. Most notably, the Nordic Film Festival will be held with the support of the Finnish, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish embassies in Singapore.
Ballet Under the Stars 2024
When: September 6 to 8 @ 19h30
Where: Fort Canning Green
Singapore Ballet presents its annual Ballet Under the Stars performance for 2024. The event will include an evening picnic in Fort Canning Park accompanied by ballet performances.
The highlight of both nights will be an excerpt from Minkus’ ‘Don Quixote’, choreographed by the internationally renowned Choo-San Goh.
This event will leave a lasting impression of the flourishing ballet scene in Singapore, adding a unique local touch to the experience by being performed outdoors.
Individual tickets are sold for SGD48 and can be bought here.
Nordic Film Festival 2024
When: September 13 to 21
Where: Golden Village x The Projector at Cineleisure, 8 Grange Road
In a partnership between the Embassy of Finland, Embassy of Denmark, Royal Norwegian Embassy and Embassy of Sweden, The Projector will screen one film from each nation as part of the Nordic Film Festival 2024. The following films will be run:
Stormskerry Maja, September 13
Stomskerry Maja, from Finland, follows a fierce woman battling war and hardship on a remote Finnish island to protect her family from English colonizers.
The Promised Land, September 14
This Danish film takes place in 1755 where the impoverished Captain Ludvig Kahlen sets out to conquer the harsh, uninhabitable Danish heath with a seemingly impossible goal; to build a colony in the name of the king.
Listen Up, September 20
Norway’s entry follows Mahmoud as his laid-back summer takes an unexpected turn. He is faced with the challenge of entertaining his visiting Pakistani uncle while also supporting his younger brother in navigating his gender identity within the confines of their conservative family.
Hammarskjöld, September 21
Set in the Cold War in 1961, this Swedish film follows the story of legendary decolonization diplomat Dag Hammarskjöld, who boards a plane in a desperate attempt to negotiate a ceasefire from his enemies after he leads UN troops into their first wartime operation in Congo.
The Nordic Film Festival provides a unique opportunity to sample Scandinavia’s rich and varied cinema culture, a region that deserves more recognition in South-East Asia.
Only one screening of each film will be held. Tickets can be purchased here.
Kanpai! Japanese Beverage Fair
When: September 13 @ 17h00 to 22h00; September 14 @ 13h00 to 18h00
Where: The Providore (Downtown), 6A Shenton Way
The Japanese Beverage Fair will showcase over 160 varieties of Japanese sake and alcoholic beverages, including beers and spirits. Japanese brewers will also be invited to showcase their craft.
In addition to alcoholic beverages, traditional Japanese delicacies will also be served for sampling.
The Japanese Beverage Fair is a great opportunity to experience authentic Japanese cuisine firsthand without having to travel outside of Singapore.
Individual tickets are sold for SGD38 and can be bought here.
Hua Mu Lan
When: September 15 @ 15h30; and again @ 19h30
Where: Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, 1 Straits Blvd
Singapore’s foremost Chinese instrument ensemble presents a new theatrical production that blends original chamber music with Chinese theatre.
Hua Mu Lan reimagines the legendary Chinese folk story of a female warrior while exploring the themes of war and gender roles.
The one-hour performance is bound to enrich audiences’ appreciation for Chinese culture while also illuminating the artistry of local performers carrying on an intricate musical tradition.
Individual tickets are sold for SGD19 and can be bought here.
Mapletree Presents Once Upon a Full Moon 2024 by TENG
When: September 13 to 15 @ 19h30
Where: VivoCity, Amphitheatre, 1 HarbourFront Walk
To mark the Mid-Autumn Festival, the critically acclaimed Chinese fusion music group The TENG Ensemble will return for their fifth edition of Once Upon a Full Moon.
The concert will include pieces from local composers as well as the ensemble’s greatest hits. Additionally, Singaporean singer-songwriter Charlie Lim will be featured at the event.
Once Upon a Full Moon would set the perfect tone for the Mid-Autumn Festival season and provide the long-overdue recognition that the Singaporean music scene and composers deserve.
Tickets are sold between SGD4 and SGD15 and can be bought here.
Mid-Autumn (Mooncake) Festival
Date: September 17
Location: Main festivities in Chinatown; decorations and events islandwide
As one of Singapore’s most celebrated Chinese folk traditions, the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival is a perfect opportunity to explore the cityscape decorated with festive ornaments and colors.
Families will traverse the streets carrying traditional paper lanterns, and the iconic Kreta Ayer Square will host traditional dances and juggling performances.
Festival goers will be able to taste seasonal delicacies at the pop-up food stalls along Smith Street. The Mid-Autumn Festival’s most famous delicacy is the mooncake, a pastry steeped in mythology and tradition.
As this is a major seasonal festival, this celebration offers a unique chance to immerse yourself in the vibrant sights and sounds of Singapore, making it an experience not to be missed.
For more information on the Mid-Autumn Festival, click here.
Singapore Design Week
When: September 26 to October 4
Where: Multiple venues
Organized by Singapore’s national agency for design, DesignSingapore Council, this annual festival presents a varied program across multiple days and venues to showcase the best and most promising innovations in Singaporean design.
The most notable program for this year’s festival is the People of Design Showcase Series, free exhibitions that inspire and challenge visitors to think critically about the future of sustainable design. Two events in the series are noted below.
EAT: Transformative Seeds
A food design showcase that revolves around seeds as a central theme and explores the areas of culinary transformation and the innovative use of food materials. EAT will be presented at the National Design Centre.
PLANT
PLANT deconstructs the relationship between people and house plants, an increasingly relevant theme with the rise of decorative indoor planting. PLANT will be presented at the National Library Building.
Full information about the festival can be found here.
