Singapore’s Only Vesak Festival to Feature Rare Giant Thangka this May

Singapore, get ready to unleash your inner kid! Pop Toy Show 2025 is back and bringing the ultimate toy fiesta to the Sands Expo this August! 

From Aug. 22 to 24, 2025, the city’s iconic convention center will transform into a vibrant playground packed with exclusive collectibles, creative installations, and all the pop culture goodness that toy fans crave.

Brought to you by China’s design titan POP MART, this year’s show is all about the ever-popular Hirono series by Chinese artist Lang. Known for his deep, layered character and emotional storytelling, Hirono takes center stage in an epic Twin Cities Adventure that bridges the cultural vibes of Beijing and Singapore.

Since its debut in Beijing in 2020, the Pop Toy Show has grown into a must-visit event for designer toy fans worldwide, with Singapore joining the party in 2023. 

Now, in its third edition here, the show promises even more magic with exclusive figure drops, limited-edition merchandise, artist meet-and-greets, and immersive installations that bring the world of designer toys to life.

Visitors can expect live sketching sessions, interactive experiences, and pop-culture surprises around every corner.  

Mark your calendars and keep an eye out for more announcements! For the latest updates, stay tuned on Pop Toy Show Singapore's official website, Instagram, and Facebook. 

Location: Level 1 - Halls A, B & C, Sands Expo & Convention Centre, 10 Bayfront Ave,

In commemoration of Singapore’s 60th year of independence (SG60), the National Museum of Singapore invites you to embark on a voyage through history to rediscover the island’s transformation from a bustling port to a global powerhouse.

“Once Upon a Tide: Singapore’s Journey from Settlement to Global City” opens on May 24, 2025, and will run for 17 months until Oct. 9, 2026, at the museum’s B1 Gallery. Through this exhibition, guests can journey through Singapore’s 700-year history and discover how trade, people, and technology flowed through Singapore waters, which supported its development through the 19th and 20th centuries, and built the foundations of the nation we know today. 

The exhibit features over 350 artefacts, some of which have never been revealed to the public, ranging from ancient maps, neolithic tools, historical photographs in oval daguerreotype, to antique weapons.  

Some of the exciting displays include a panoramic painting of the Singapore skyline in 1976 by artist Lai Kui Fang, the country’s first-ever Paralympics Gold medal won by Singaporean swimmer Yip Pin Xiu in 2008, a daguerreotype and one of the earliest surviving photographs of Singapore from 1844 showcasing a view of the commercial center of Boat Quay from Fort Canning Hill, and a Chinese navigational compass dating back to the 19th century!

The exhibition will also hold a bunch of programs and events throughout the year, with a special opening weekend schedule happening on May 24 and 25, 2025 filled with music performances, craft workshops, and kids' activities to celebrate the exhibition’s launch. 

Most of the programs and workshops, especially those that are part of the museum’s Children’s Season, are free to join such as the water marbling workshop, interactive character meet and greets of Singapore’s early pioneers, and the mission-based artefact hunt activity. You can learn more about the programs here.

General Admission tickets, which give you access to the exhibition as well as the Singapore History Gallery on Level 1, are free for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents. Meanwhile, tourists and foreign residents' fees are priced at S$24 (adults) and S$18 (students and seniors). Children aged 12 and below are free to enter.

For updates, follow The National Museum of Singapore on Facebook, X (Formerly Twitter), Instagram, and TikTok. 

Exhibition Dates: May 24, 2025 to Oct. 9, 2026

Location: National Museum of Singapore, 93 Stamford Road, Singapore 178897

Operation Hours: Open daily, from 10 AM to 7 PM

Admission Fees: Free for residents and permanent residents. S$24 (adults) and S$18 (students and seniors) for tourists and foreign residents.

Haw Par Villa, are you ready? 

The Skechers Sundown Festival 2025 will be taking over the Haw Par Villa in Singapore for three nights straight from July 4 to 6, 2025! 

This exciting music and arts festival brings together amazing food, music, art, and different experiences spread throughout three days. To amp up the excitement for this upcoming festival, the first wave of artists set to take the stage at Sundown Festival 2025 has finally been announced. 

K-Pop solo artist and MAMAMOO member Hwasa, Korean R&B singer Dabin (DPR LIVE), Thai alt-rock bands Tilly Birds and Slot Machine, Chinese singer-songwriter Young Captain, and Chinese rappers JelloRio and Gali are set to headline the festival. 

Other known artists such as Chinese rapper Skai Isyourgod, Singaporean acts Shigga Shay, Whylucas, and Inch Chua, K-Pop boy group TNX, Latin singer Martin Reyes, Singaporean JPOP Dance Crew Suiyobi Crew, and more are also in the lineup.

Here’s the full artist lineup so far. 

Sundown Festival 2025 will also be featuring a lineup of talks and workshops about creativity, climate action, and personal transformation under “Gaia.” This portion of the festival will also include a conscious marketplace and a botanical bar. 

Known personalities who are set to host talks for “Gaia” include Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Nola, UNEP Goodwill Ambassador Antoinette Taus, Kpop4Planet Co-founder Nurul Sarifah, and Musicforgood artist Inch. 

Tickets will go live starting May 23, 2025, via their website. Early bird sales are priced at S$65 (1 Day GA Pass), S$110 (2 Days GA Pass), and S$150 (3 Days GA Pass). Advanced sales are priced at S$80 (1 Day GA Pass), S$140 (2 Days GA Pass), and S$220 (3 Days GA Pass).  

Follow Sundown Festival on Facebook and Instagram for more information.