A feast for the senses at the Singapore Night Festival

Silver mythical beasts towered above the crowd, stalking around outside the National Museum of Singapore.

As they made their grand entrance, the crowd jostled to raise their cameras and mobile phones to capture the moment while screaming in delight.

Student Muzainah Alattas, 23, who was at the show, said: "I've seen pictures of this act on Instagram, but it's way better up-close. The first-hand experience is superb."

The Friday night performance, titled Invasion, was by street theatre company Close-Act, from the Netherlands.

The show was part of this year's Singapore Night Festival, held in various locations throughout the Bras Basah-Bugis area
over the last two weekends of August.

A bird flying overhead during the festival. TNP PHOTO: JEREMY LONG

Invasion aimed to bring a mythical world alive, with large dinosaur-like animals, measuring 3m to 6m high, prowling among the crowd. There was even a prehistoric bird flying overhead.

Organised by the National Museum of Singapore, the festival, which is in its ninth year, featured 86 programmes, most of them free.

Ten of the 15 night light installations were by local artists.

STILTS

Over at Armenian Street, which was closed for the night, performers on stilts wove through the packed street.

Building facades and open walls were turned into temporary canvases for quirky art installations.

Suaveciclo by Brazilian artist VJ Suave. TNP PHOTO: JEREMY LONG
 

Suaveciclo, a roving performance by Brazilian artist VJ Suave, involved a tricycle that projected animated clips on the walls of various buildings.

Nearby, LED stick figures did a madcap dance across the facade of the National Museum of Singapore to the tune of punchy electronic beats.

Titled Keyframes, the eye-catching installation, which drew gawkers, even from across Stamford Road, was by French art collective Groupe Laps.

Miss Goh Pei Shan, 29, had no regrets braving the crowds and heat. It was her first time at the Night Festival.

She said: "I enjoyed it because coming here is different from what you would usually do late at night in Singapore, other than catch Pokemon."

Coming here is something different from what you would usually do late at night in Singapore, other than catch Pokemon.

- Miss Goh Pei Shan, on the Singapore Night Festival