In the interest of assisting with any resolutions to make
2007 visa runs more productive or just plain fun, here is
a list of annual events on in Singapore through August of
next year:
December 31, 2006, New Year’s Eve at Singapore’s
Esplanade – Even Singapore’s smallest pubs hold
tickets-only affairs the last night of the year. It may be
difficult to get in anywhere other than a hawker stall. So,
if you make an emergency run over the changing of the year,
go to the Esplanade for the city’s free New Year’s
countdown bash, complete with fireworks and music performances
-- Singapore ‘heartland’ partying at it’s
finest.
March, 2007, Singapore’s Masters – I am not a
golf fan. If you are, or are just curious about what happens
when men start bashing balls about a course, get tickets to
this golf tournament at the Laguna National Golf & Country
Club, billed as one of the richest tournaments in Asia with
a prize purse of US$1,000,000.
April, 2007, Standard Chartered Sevens Singapore – Rugby
makes sense to me only in the seven-a-side version; otherwise,
it’s just 22 men mucking about on a field. Sevens is
fast, exciting, and easy for the non-initiate to follow. Singapore
has two sevens tournaments, this one in April and another
put on by the Singapore Cricket Club every October or November.
April, 2007, Sotheby’s Paintings Auction at Singapore’s
Regent Hotel– Or if you are too cultured for a sporting
event, check out one of the twice-yearly auctions held by
Sotheby’s in Singapore. Entrance is free, provided you
do not have an itchy nose. Ten years ago a Walter Spies painting
sold at a Singapore Sotheby’s auction for US$1.1 million,
a record for his works.
April, 2007, Singapore International Film Festival –
Singapore’s film buffs drool over this event every year.
Sales open in March and high demand shows sell out fast. Most
tickets are slightly more than a ticket for a regular shoot-‘em-up,
but there usually is a program of free films as well.
May, 2007, Singapore Airlines International Cup – Horses,
S$3,000,000 in prize money, and the opportunity to throw away
a few dollars and spend an afternoon at the city’s ‘new’
Kranji Racecourse. Of course, you don’t have to wait
for a special event to go watch the horsies run.
May-June, 2007, Singapore’s World Book Fair –
This event has been held for over 21 years, organizers say,
and offers the “ultimate browsing experience.”
If Borders doesn’t give you enough choice, check to
see what bargains you can find here.
May-June, 2007, Singapore Arts Festival – This festival
celebrates its 30th anniversary this year and, as every year,
presents an eclectic international mix of dance, music, and
drama. Full information and scheduling are available on the
Web site http://www.singaporeartsfest.com/
Tickets go on sale in February.
July, 2007, OSIM Singapore Triathlon – The event attracts
top ranked triathletes to Singapore’s East Coast Park
and is free to watch. It’s sanctioned by the International
Triathlon Union, and the 2003 winner, Peter Robertson, went
on to win that year’s ITU World Championships. If you
are not part of the beer curl crowd, get your own number and
knock yourself out.
August, 2007, Jump On Singapore – Singapore’s
Skydiving Festival, is there anything Singaporeans won’t
do to give themselves a hip, happening image? Tandem jumps,
big screens to watch live coverage of the in-the-air action,
musical performances, and other ground-level entertainment,
all at Singapore’s Marina Bay south of the Central Business
District.
August, 2007, Singapore WOMAD – World music, all day
long on the hill in Fort Canning Park. What else do you need
to know? Take sunscreen and a floppy hat.
For information on these events and others, go to http://www.whatsonwhen.com/pages/asia.jml
and follow the link to the Singapore page. Further links are
available to each event’s Web site and to on-line ticketing
agencies operating in Singapore. Caution: the dates currently
listed for most events are based on 2006 scheduling; 2007
dates are yet to be confirmed.
