In the year of SG60 — the Diamond Jubilee of the independence of Singapore — the France-Singapore Festival named “vOilah!” (23 April to 8 June 2025) takes on a special meaning, as it commemorates 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
Presented by the Embassy of France in Singapore, the France-Singapore Festival is a key meeting point for French and Singaporean communities.
vOilah! brings together a diverse line-up of artistic and cultural experiences that is elevated through France-Singapore collaborations, offering people opportunities to explore new perspectives in visual arts, performing arts, music, cinema, and literature. For timings and ticketing details, visit the festival website.
Stephen Marchisio, Ambassador of France to Singapore, said, “France and Singapore have always shared a mutual appreciation for culture and innovation, and an understanding that we are better together. These values are central to vOilah!, a platform where artists, creatives, and audiences from both nations converge to explore and reinterpret shared traditions. As we celebrate this momentous milestone in our enduring relationship, we invite everyone to experience the festival’s diverse activities, which embody the creativity, innovation, and deep-rooted connections between our two countries.”
Celebration of cross-cultural collaborations
As part of the festival’s aim to create opportunities for Singaporeans to engage with the best of French culture with a local flair, vOilah! 2025 features a dynamic lineup of 20 programmes, with a strong emphasis on the arts — spanning visual, performing, and cinematic expressions.
The festival offers a unique platform for cultural exchanges, showcasing innovative collaborations between French and Singaporean artists, creatives and institutions. These programmes highlight the mutual influence of both cultures, fostering new artistic expressions and fresh perspectives.
● City of Others: Asian Artists in Paris, 1920s–1940s is the first major comparative exhibition dedicated to Asian artists in the French capital city during this pivotal period in modern art history. Held at the National Gallery Singapore, it challenges conventional art history narratives by focusing on the Asian artists’ experiences in interwar Paris.
The exhibition will feature over 200 artworks, and a further 200 archives and images, from both France and Singapore. It offers visitors a unique insight into how Asian artists inspired French art and how their time in Paris shaped their creative practices.
● Two complementary art showcases will offer perspectives of French and Singaporeans living in each other’s country. Two Rivers by Singaporean photographer Melisa Teo presents a poetic visual dialogue between the two rivers that have shaped her life — Seine in Paris and the Singapore River — while highlighting the duality of past and future, memory and dreams, and the interconnectedness of our existence. This exhibition debuts along the iconic Anderson Bridge, marking the first time that an exhibition is presented there, before moving to VivoCity Waterfront Promenade in June 2025.
At the other end of the spectrum, Singapore-based French visual designer and photographer Nicolas Damiens captures prominent local Chinese landmarks and other buildings in Singapore in his exhibition CITY SingaPOP. The ongoing photo series uses vivid colours and striking compositions to capture the country’s perpetual summer. Co-presented with and held at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, this photo exhibition will tell of Nicolas’ perspective and his experience living in Singapore.
● vOilah! 2025 also features a celebration of Wifredo Lam’s print works, the first major solo presentation of Lam’s work in Singapore before a first retrospective exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art in New York at the end of the year.
● A French Kiss in Singapore by Sing’theatre is an exciting musical revue paying tribute to the music of the most celebrated French singers. Local performers Hossan Leong, Andrew Marko, Dwayne Lau, Amin Alifin, and Rino Junior John will bring the audience to their feet as they perform their English renditions of popular French songs, such as ‘Le Moribond’ (Seasons in the Sun) by Jacques Brel and ‘La Mer’ (Somewhere Beyond the Sea) by Charles Trenet.
● In celebration of its 35th anniversary, Singapore Lyric Opera stages a reimagined Carmen by Georges Bizet, featuring three acclaimed French opera singers. Set against the backdrop of Singapore’s golden era, this fresh take on Bizet’s 150-year-old masterpiece explores themes of love, passion, and fate.
Meanwhile, Médée brings together Singapore’s Red Dot Baroque and Burgundy-based Les Epopées in a striking collaboration with The Opera People, breathing new life into Charpentier’s opera.
● Continuing this music journey, Les Arts in Nature at Gardens by the Bay transports festival-goers to 17th- and 18th-century France in a spectacular fusion of nature and classical music. This free, family-friendly event invites audiences of all ages to enjoy the enchanting melodies of French Baroque ensemble Les Épopées, performing works by renowned French composers Marais, Couperin, and Charpentier amidst the lush greenery of one of Singapore’s most iconic landmarks.
● As a prelude to the French Film Festival, Les Arts in Nature at Gardens by the Bay also features a special screening of Autumn and the Black Jaguar by French filmmaker Gilles de Maistre. This captivating film takes festival-goers on a cinematic journey through the Amazon, shedding light on pressing environmental challenges facing wildlife and ecosystems today.
vOilah! 2025 expands on this cinematic experience with two more exciting films. Audiences can also look forward to a special free beachfront screening of the animated kids’ movie Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir as part of Movies by the Beach at Sentosa. Additionally, vOilah! presents Bambi: A Tale of Life in the Woods, a French adaptation of Felix Salten’s classic. The film will represent France at the European Union Film Festival.
● The SSO Mother’s Day Concert 2025 by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra is a free, open-air concert at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, celebrating the beauty of music and motherhood. The repertoire includes Leo Delibes’ enchanting “Duo des Fleurs” (Flower Duet), from the Opera Lakme, a timeless masterpiece that captures the grace and warmth of this special occasion.
● Closing the festival with an electrifying finale, Fills Monkey presents We Will Drum You at the Esplanade — a 90-minute, family-friendly spectacle packed with music, comedy, and thrilling percussion.
