Celebrating 10 magical years of Singapore Night Festival

In three weeks time, starting on the 18^th August 2017. An iconic night festival that was born 10 years ago in 2008 at the National Museum of Singapore grounds, is going to celebrate her milestone of 10 magical years, of the Singapore Night Festival.

I was there for the maiden Singapore Night Festival in the year 2008 with Studio Festi from Italy performing in front of the lawn grounds of the National Museum of Singapore. The road was closed and the visitors were able to watch them perform from a distance. I still can’t forget those memories, even though I captured them down through my photographs.

This also marked the start of my own personal journey with the Singapore Night Festival, faithfully and consistently, for the next 9 years from 2008, photographing, documenting and writing about my stories on the Singapore Night Festival. I had seen them grown, expanded and transformed over the past 9 years, they had become more popular, well-known locally and internationally. The visitorship increased significantly over the years gone by since her maiden debut in 2008, the shows, performances, artistic displays increased as well over the past 9 years, from the local artists anchoring past editions, engaging the local communities and businesses in the Bras Basah Bugis precinct.

At a recent introduction media conference at the National Museum of Singapore, we were given an introduction and briefing on the upcoming 10^th edition of the Singapore Night Festival. For this year’s 10the edition, there is stellar line up, with a strong line up of local artists that have anchored past editions of the Singapore Night Festival. Our ten local homecoming artists were introduced to the guests present at the introduction media conference, after speeches by Angelita Teo, Festival Director and Christie Chua, Creative Director of the Festival. Listening to each of their stories relating to their Singapore Night Festival performance, it was very heartwarming to hear from them, how it had changed and impacted them, by being part of Singapore Night Festival.

Here is the list of the 10 homecoming artists for Singapore Night Festival 2017!

I still can remember the various performances by our strong local artists that anchored the past editions of Singapore Night Festival. They stood out, tall and proud, recognised by the local community in Singapore and also gain international recognition too!

Some of our strong local artists, I can still remember, very clearly, on how they made an impact and significance to the Singapore Night Festival over the past 9 years. Here are some of my favourite memories from them:

Over the past few years, Bloco Singapura, Timbre Music and Peranakan Sayang turning the Armenian Street into one lively and exciting street music party festival, singing, dancing and playing their music instruments, faithfully and consistently, having fun, performing, participating and interacting with the wonderful crowds on Armenian Street. It was truly a street festival party!

In 2015, Starlight Alchemy performance drew a huge crowds to watch them. I had been following Starlight Alchemy years back and it was really great to see them performing on the bigger stage at Singapore Night Festival!

In 2014, ZingO, performing together with William Close with his Earth Harp Collective at the Front Lawn of the National Museum of Singapore. A fusion performance of East meets West, transforming the whole of National Museum of Singapore into something very special and unique. I will never forget this performance, our local artist troupe performing together with an international artist troupe. Oh yes, I can’t forget the wrestling action by Grapple Max Dojo at Armenian Street, if you grew up watch WWF wrestling action on tv, this would interest you!

In 2013, Ning Cai (then known as Magic Babe Ning) produced a nail-biting magic performance, attempting an underwater escape from the water vault. I didn’t manage to photograph her other magic act due to a clash of my schedule and I missed the other magic performance.

As we start to count down towards 18^th August 2017, to mark the start of the 10th edition of Singapore Night Festival, follow me through my photographs and stories on my Instagram, Twitter, Facebook Page, Flickr and my website for the 10the edition of Singapore Night Festival 2017. This is going to be my 10^th year covering Singapore Night Festival, this is also a personal milestone for me too, 10 consecutive years of Singapore Night Festival coverage, documentation and photography.

Mark down the dates on your calendar

Night Lights

Friday 18^th August to Saturday 26^th August 2017

Singapore Night Festival 2017 performances

Thursday 24^th, Friday 25^th and Saturday 26^th August 2017

In the blink of an eye, in the year 2017, we are now in the 10^th edition of the Singapore Night Festival. This is going to be fantastic celebration of “10 Magical Years”. If you like to go back in time and have a feel of the Singapore Night Festival from 2008 to 2016, there is a way! Via my “time machine”, located inside my Flickr collection “Singapore Night Festival”, you can read the stories and view the photographs that I documented, photographed and written in the past 9 years.

The 10^th year of Singapore Night Festival, celebrating 10 magical years, I have also started my 10^th year documenting and photographing Singapore Night Festival. Follow me, journey with me along with my coverage of Singapore Night Festival 2017!

Come on down, be part of the 10^th year milestone and celebrations with Singapore Night Festival 2017!

*** Updated 31st July 2017 ***

Ning Cai would not be performing at Singapore Night Festival 2017.