How to Spend the Perfect Friday Evening at Marina Bay: Gastrobeats & i Light Singapore 2026

Gastrobeats 2026 - The People's Festival

Let’s face it. Singapore can feel a little boring at times (at least for us). After a long, exhausting week at work, it usually feels like our options are limited to just another shopping mall or the usual dinner spots.

GASTROBEATS 2026 - The People's Festival 

So last week, I decided to shake things up for TGIF. My husband and I headed straight down to Gastrobeats 2026. To be completely fair, I had one very specific mission in mind: the Coca-Cola booth. I am a massive Coca-Cola fan (hey Coca-Cola, if you’re reading this, wanna sponsor me? I can do a very good job you know!). But beyond my soda obsession, I just wanted a classic festival night filled with good food, thirst quenchers, and live music. It truly felt like a festival for the people.

P.S. If you haven't been yet, you need to hurry! Gastrobeats ends this weekend on 28 June 2026, so this is your sign to go before it's gone! And it's free, you know? Or you want a 2027 Edition?  

My mission is to visit Coca Cola booth

We arrived right around 6:00 PM, just as the weekend crowd was beginning to swell. Timing-wise, this was perfect. Oh, by the way, even though admission is completely free, do expect a quick security check at the entrance for safety precautions.

And here is a major plus point for all the pet owners out there: you can actually bring your pets along to enjoy the festival with you! It’s a wonderful, pet-friendly space. Not bad, right?

Carlsberg wants us to 178!

As you walk through the entrance, you’re instantly welcomed by a lineup of vibrant brand activations. First up is 1664 Blanc and their super cute Café 1664 Pours & Paws booth, followed by Tiger Brokers, and finally the moment I’d been waiting for, Coca-Cola!

But here’s the plot twist, and honestly, it was a bit of a sigh moment... You actually have to spend $35 on food at participating vendors (in a single receipt I think) just to get a chance to play their games and redeem free Coca-Cola gifts.

Now the thing is both my husband and I have limited stomach capacities, or maybe just me (I'm on diet as always). On top of that, he is kind of selective with what he wants to eat. Hitting a $35 minimum spend instantly became a challenge. I was just like, "Fine, let's just walk around and try whatever looks interesting."

Connor's has a Stout Affogato?!?

Before we talk about the food, here is a pro-tip for your wallet: If you use Grab Dine-Out to pay for your food and drinks, you can get a 10% discount! However, please note that you can’t seem to use it on combo meals, so keep that in mind when ordering.

After walking one full round to see what caught our eye, we kicked off Round 1 at Khao Bowl (Stall F21).

They were actually giving out taste-tests of their Chicken Berempah, and wow it was so good! The moment my husband tried it, his selective taste buds were sold. He immediately decided to get the Chicken Berempah with Fries.

Absolutely no regrets for us. The chicken was incredibly fragrant, beautifully well-spiced in flavor, and so tender. It was a stellar start to our dinner!

Chicken Berempah with Fries $12

For Round 2, we headed over to SOHTT (Stall F11) to try out their Sushi Tacos. Yes, you heard that right, Sushi Tacos!

Instead of using a regular tortilla shell, they use a crispy seaweed shell to kiap the fillings together, just like a Mexican taco. We went for the combo set: 2 Sushi Tacos with 2 Coca-Cola cans for $20. For our fillings, we chose the Unagi and the Lobster Salad.

Honestly, the flavor was quite normal, but my husband liked the Unagi one! Plus, getting those two cans of Coca-Cola definitely satisfied our soda craving for the night.

Unagi and Lobster Salad Sushi Tacos

By this time, we were filled almost to the brim. But we decided to push through for Round 3, our final round of the night: the Fish and Chips from Nosh (Stall F18).

Oh my god, chips again. I think this is officially the only time we’ve eaten this many chips in a single place!

Honestly, if you’ve watched my YouTube Short on Gastrobeats, you will literally hear how crispy the batter on the fish was. But here’s a pro-tip from the husband: you absolutely have to eat it fast while it’s piping hot. If you wait too long, the moisture (not oil, but actual water condensation) starts to seep out, and it will get soggy.

Fish and Chips $21.90

Since this was our very first time checking out Gastrobeats, I had to ask the husband the ultimate question: "Would you come back again?"

To my surprise, he actually said yes! He’s already eyeing the smoked ribs from Jett Barbecue (Stall F1) for next year, provided they return of course.

Looking around, we couldn't help but make some funny observations about the crowd. The venue was absolutely packed with xiao mei mei xiao di di (aka the Gen Z crowd). There were definitely some older folks around too, but the youth energy was dominant! They were even selling alcohol inside, and looking at some of the crowds, I couldn't help but laugh and wonder, "Are half of these kids even 18 yet?" Hahaha!

We were also incredibly blessed with the weather. Because Gastrobeats is entirely an open-air venue, a sudden downpour would have completely dampened the mood. They do have a massive dining tentage set up on-site, though I wasn't entirely sure if it was open to the public or reserved strictly for event staff. Thankfully, the skies stayed clear for us!

(From Left to Right) The crowd at 6pm vs 7pm

The major sponsor, Zouk

Live band for your ears pleasure

Watch from my POV of Gastrobeats in the YouTube Short below:

Walking Off the Calories at i Light Singapore 2026

Once we were completely stuffed from our three rounds of food, we walked out of the Gastrobeats festival grounds. Our original plan was simple: just enjoy a casual stroll around the Marina Bay Sands waterfront to burn off some of those heavy carbs.

I already knew that i Light Singapore 2026 was happening, but I honestly didn't expect that our walk would take us straight into the heart of the art installations! Talk about a lucky coincidence. If we hadn't stumbled right into them, I wouldn't even have these beautiful sights to share with you all today. And the last day to see these art installations will be 28 June 2026.

Market Cycles - assembled with plastic crates

Between Mountains and Seas

Cube Graphics - creating an optical illusion of movement

The entire MBS waterfront promenade was beautifully illuminated, though I have to warn you that the area was absolutely packed with tourists and fellow weekend crowd-watchers. And there's a busker live performance too. The vibrant energy made the bustling atmosphere feel incredibly alive on a Friday night. 

Spectra - The Light and Water Show outside MBS

The Grand Finale: Stumbling Into Spectra

Here’s a funny admission: we actually had absolutely no idea that a light and water show even existed right there until we noticed massive crowds of tourists and locals gathering around the Event Plaza.

We looked down at our watches and it was almost 8:00 PM. Seeing everyone secure their spots made us curious, so we googled it right on the spot. Turns out, we had accidentally timed it perfectly! In just a few minutes, Spectra – A Light & Water Show was about to begin. No wonder it was so packed!

The show lasts for a dazzling 15 minutes, featuring dancing fountains and laser projections right over the water and also our Central Business District in the background. So beautiful skyline! It was the absolute perfect way to end our Friday night.

Want to see the full experience? Watch my full video below! Don't forget to check out the video's description box to find the exact show timings for each day so you can plan your own visit.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. All expenses were personally covered by the writer and her husband. The opinions expressed are entirely herself and her husband, based on personal experience and preferences, and do not represent the views of any other individual or organization.