What to do in Singapore this weekend: Laneway Festival, the Singapore Palestinian Film Festival, and more

Get groovin' at LANEWAY FESTIVAL

Photo: Rueven Tan / Laneway Festival Singapore

The definitive event on the calendar for the indie scene, this year's lineup totals at 29 international and local acts, for a kaleidoscope of genres that encompass everything from house to folk-pop to hip hop to jazz to psyc-rock: Glass Animals, Tycho, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Sampa the Great, Aurora. 

And because the spirit of discovery is the soul of Laneway, the festival's also putting two up-and-coming homegrown acts, T-Rex and Sam Rui, into the limelight – so fresh that they're only releasing their debut records this year!

But it's more than just great beats. At the Oo La Lab fragrance bar, you'll get to build your very own perfume using exotic scent notes such as Fresh Cut Grass, Creamy Cocoa, and Pink Bubblegum. There's also the Onitsuka Tiger playground to indulge your inner child: play hopscotch, spin the wheel, or try to win a memory game to score a limited edition Onitsuka pencil case. Here's another pertinent aspect of the Playground to note – you can charge your phone there too!

January 21, from $185/ticket via Sistic, and $200 at the door. The Meadow, Gardens by the Bay. See singapore.lanewayfestival.com for more details. 

Check out SINGAPORE CONTEMPORARY

Breakfast in the Old Town, by Francesco Lietti Macey

One of the anchor events of the annual Singapore Art Week, Singapore Contemporary will showcase works by artists across 25 countries, spanning paintings, sculptures, photography and installation pieces. 

There's a wealth of activities going on too. 

You should definitely sign up for the complimentary art tours led by experienced docents, who will demystify topics like how to appreciate contemporary photography, or the artistic narrative in Japanese and Korean art. Five featured artists will also be participating in live painting demonstrations on diverse themes. For instance, the sessions with Jeff Murray will see him illustrating miniature worlds with ink; and in another, album cover artist Roger Dean will be depicting surreal, fantastical landscapes. 

From now till January 22, $25 for a one-day pass for two visitors, $48 for a three-day pass for two visitors. Level 4, Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre.  See singaporecontemporary.com for more details.

Get a dose of culture at SINGAPORE PALESTINIAN FILM FESTIVAL

Violence may be the overarching impression we have of Palestine, but there's so much more to its culture and people than the headlines it makes. 

So instead, get a fresh perspective by looking at the region through the eyes of the Palestinian people at this film festival, which will screen a clutch of five films at The Projector Cinema. 

While the Palestine-Israel conflict is inevitably present in the films – in lurks in the shadows in some, and in others, it's the driver behind a show's political message – there are moments when you'll realise that the Palestinians do also share some very quotidien hopes and dreams. Like with the documentary, Slingshots Hip Hop, which narrates the stories of young Palestinians discovering and embracing Hip Hop. 

From now till January 22, $13.50. The Projector, Level 5, Golden Mile Tower. See sgpalfilmfest.com for more details.

Soak up some sun at OLA BEACH CLUB 

Beach babes, Ola Beach Club on Siloso Beach stretch of Sentosa is where you'll want to get your tan on.

"Ola" is Hawaiian for "life" and this new destination overlooking the lagoon seeks to recreate that breezy island vibe for vibe. So think of "beach club" not so much as a party zone, but a chill-out space where everyone can hang loose comfortably – family and kids included. 

Day beds sheltered with parasols are aplenty, and you can also book a cabana (no extra fee!) which even comes with a nifty little cubby hole that's specially designed for keeping your drinks ice cold. The restaurant here serves up Hawaiian-inspired tasty morsels like tuna poke bowls and Kalua pulled pork served in tacos. 

If you're itching to get onto the water, you'll definitely want a go at their watersports. You can do stand-up paddle-boarding, ride a banana boat, or better yet, live out your Iron Man fantasies and "fly" around the beach front with the water-propelled Jet Pack. 

Open Mon-Fri, 10am-10pm, Sat & Sun, 9am-10pm. Watersports are only avilable till 7pm daily. Ola Beach Club, 46 Siloso Beach Walk, tel: 6250-6978. See olabeachclub.com for more details.

Immerse yourself in digital flora and fauna at STORY OF THE FOREST

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William Farquhar, if you can vaguely remember him, was a former British Commandant of Singapore.

But an interesting detail that our Social Studies books didn't mention, was that he had such a strong interest in natural history, he commissioned a large collection of illustrations of the floral and fauna in the region. 

And thanks to the ingenuity of teamLab, an art collective that's an absolute maverick at immersive  installations, you'll get to experience the lush forests of the Malay Peninsula – complete with digital animations of birds and jungle animals – in the cool comfort of the National Museum.

Daily, 10am-7pm, free admission for Singaporeans and PRs. Level 2, Glass Rotunda, National Museum of Singapore. See nationalmuseum.sg for more details.