There’s no shortage of night entertainment in Singapore. The city-state is a tourist haven, but Singapore’s polished, artistic flair makes it memorable. The following exhibitions represent some of the best innovations in night entertainment Singapore has to offer.
Spectra at Marina Bay Sands
Spectra is an ambient and dramatic water and light show held at the Event Plaza in front of the Marina Bay Shoppes. Performed in four acts, the 15-minute show ‘reflects Singapore’s journey as a multicultural society into the cosmopolitan city she is today’ (Marina Bay Sands). It’s harmonious and impressive, but also repetitive and familiar at times. As free entertainment, it’s worth viewing – especially for the sophisticated synchronisation portrayed between the music and effects.
Spectra can also be viewed from across the waterfront, with Marina Bay Sands in the background. Here, you miss most of the water effects, but gain vision of the complimentary laser show projecting from the top of the Sands. Shows are scheduled at 8 & 9pm Sunday through Thursday (with additional 10pm shows on Fridays and Saturdays) so it’s a simple feat to see the show from both angles on the same night.
Merlion Magic Lights at Sentosa Island
Singapore’s premier icon, the prosperous Merlion – half mermaid, half lion – appears six times in statue form around the city-state. Yet the biggest of them is to be found on Sentosa Island. It’s the only Merlion in Singapore that visitors can enter, and inside you’ll find a quirky but brief mythical exhibit and the chance to view Sentosa from the Merlion’s perspective. But the icon truly comes alive at night as light projections illuminate the Merlion and evolve with the music. The show runs for less than 10 minutes but leaves you wanting more as the Merlion is animated in an array of clever lines and textures. The shows run nightly at 7.45, 8.15, 8.45 & 9.15pm, with 2 additional shows at 9.45 & 10.15pm on weekends and public holidays. However, showings may be seasonal.
Garden Rhapsody at Gardens by the Bay
Without a doubt, this is one of the most beautiful experiences I have had. Garden Rhapsody is not to be missed, for the impeccable light show portrayed amongst the ‘Supertrees’ is a wholly cathartic experience that represents one of Singapore’s greatest highlights. Set to an evocative soundtrack of local music, to witness Garden Rhapsody is to enter a dream world.
This is another free show, which runs daily at 7.45 and 8.45pm. However, I stumbled upon an additional showing by chance at 10.45pm on a Thursday, and with only a few visitors resting on their backs, their faces to the canopies, those mesmerising 15 minutes conveyed an overwhelmingly touching representation of Singapore’s culture.
Both The Crane Dance (free) and Wings of Time (paid) are also widely-recommended light shows to see in Singapore. Both are performed nightly on Sentosa Island.
Enjoy the adventure.
Wayward Wonders 