5 things to do this weekend (Jul 21-23)

Head out this weekend for some fun before the Monday blues arrive. With upcoming live music festivals and exciting new movies to watch, there’s much to do.

Here are five things to do this weekend (Jul 21 to 23):

Taking place on Jul 23, the National Day Istana Open House 2023 will feature live performances, food trucks, activity booths as well as guided tours of the Istana.

Visitors can enjoy band, music and dance performances by the Gendang Akustika Ensemble and various schools including New Town Primary School and Damai Primary School.

The event will also feature activities like candle art making, community games including giant jenga, hopscotch and connect4, traditional games like five stones and chapteh, balloon sculpting and henna art.

Attendees can expect Old Chang Kee and SG Food Trucks, food stalls by Chulop, Epik Kebabs, State of Affairs and Udders Ice Cream as well as merchandise booths with limited-edition Istana souvenirs at the event. 

All Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents and children below 4 years old can enter the Istana grounds for free. Other visitors are required to pay a fee of $2 for admission.

More information on the National Day Istana Open House 2023 programmes and activities can be found on the President of the Republic of Singapore website.

If you’re an adrenaline junkie who loves cars and music, you might want to check out the Sprint Fest 2023 from Jul 22 to Jul 23.

Featuring high-octane car racing, gastronomy and live music performances, the inaugural Sprint Fest 2023 will host the preliminary rounds of the Motor Sports Singapore (MSS) Auto Gymkhana on both days.

Festival go-ers can also enjoy an array of food and drinks stalls featuring snacks like praffles and burnt cones.

On the music front, the festival’s lineup of live onstage performances include acclaimed local artists like Reverie Singapore and Sam Driscoll.

The festival will take place from 11am to 9pm at Palawan Green. Admission is free. A full lineup of the event programmes can be found on the Sprint Fest’s Facebook page.

Event-goers with tickets to the AFA Creators Super Fest Singapore 2023 can attend the Creators Lab – a series of workshops and hands-on demonstrations including a wig-styling class and cosplay photography workshop.

Taking place from 10am to 7pm on Jul 22 and 23, the 2023 edition of AFA Creators Super Fest will mark the first time the event has been held in Singapore.

Interested participants can purchase AFA Creators Super Fest 2023 tickets to gain entry to the workshops. Ticket prices begin at $19 for early-bird purchases, available until Jul 21.

Visitors may also purchase physical tickets on both event days. Attendees can then sign up to participate in any of the free workshops.

If you love classical music concerts but you’re on a budget, this may be the event for you.

The Singapore Symphony Orchestra will present two free classical music concerts on Jul 21 and Jul 22 at various locations across Singapore.

The first concert on Friday will be held from 7.30pm to 8.30pm at the Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), while the second will take place from 6pm to 7pm on Saturday at the Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage in Botanic Gardens.

More information on the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and their upcoming concerts can be found on its website.

Having been released in cinemas on Thursday (Jul 20), Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer are drawing in a massive audience.

Spend the weekend to catch these films at cinemas like Golden Village and Cathay to enjoy some Barbie-themed activities.

Cathay’s Best Day Ever promotion on Jul 22 at AMK Hub includes manicures, strawberry-glazed popcorn and a lucky draw for those who come dressed in pink. 

Meanwhile, Golden Village’s Fans’ Extravaganza, on Jul 22 at Bugis+ offers lip makeovers with MAC Cosmetics, a best-dressed contest, a dress-your-mannequin challenge as well as door gifts.

The Barbie event at Cathay and Golden Village will take place from 1pm to 1.40pm and 3.50pm to 7pm respectively.