I had planned a date to the Night Festival 2010 to a fault. When I had joined the Facebook group some 2 weeks prior to it, I was absolutely taken by the poster that exuded a fairytale mystique about it – conditions were perfect. We would have a nice dinner, hold hands and explore the museums together. Every time I passed by a poster at a bus stop or MRT station, I would secretly count down to the dates 16-17 July 2010. Sadly, James Franco cancelled last minute on me. And I had to contend with my companion for that night, Kelvin.

Saturday night saw throngs and throngs of people pouring in. Doors opened at 7pm and rush-hour started shortly after. People from all walks of life were there. There were the young and hip pre-party revelers, the families, some tourists and even the aunties and uncles that one would typically find sipping coffee at a kopitiam but no, that night, it was THE place to be.

I was rather thankful for the free fans the kind volunteers were giving out, because amidst our erratic weather, the beginning of the night was sweltering hot and humid.

By a little over 8pm, entry to the National Museum had bottlenecked into a shoulder-to-shoulder jostle. I saw the museum in a different light, it had seemed to lose its stoic, cold, colonial interior and had I been more dressed up, I would have felt like Cinderella at the ball. It was breathtakingly beautiful at night.

Following the flow of human traffic would lead to SMU campus grounds transformed into a bustling, vibrant arena dressed with installations and filled with a medley of sounds ranging from jazz, Lindy-hop, contemporary and cultural stage performances. There was something to see and experience at every turn.

Tags: Arts, museum, night festival, performances, SMU