GastroBeats @ i Light Singapore 2024: What to Expect at This Year’s Music and Culinary Extravaganza by the Bay

GastroBeats, the Festival Village of i Light Singapore, promises a feast of flavours and a symphony of sounds, with this year’s event offering a wide selection of mouth-watering treats from around the world, catering to every craving from street food to gourmet delights.

Notably, this year’s event includes more sustainably-produced food options, featuring organic farming methods, locally-grown seasonal produce, and ethically sourced meats. Attendees can enjoy a diverse range of local and international cuisines, from Mexican tacos and Russian dumplings to prawn noodles.

We were invited for the media preview yesterday and savoured some of the food offerings at the event. Highlights this year include live barbecue meat using a $80,000 smoker from Texas at Jett Barbecue, obstentious French Fries coated with gold flakes, and sustainable bites at The Kind Bowl.

Jett Barbecue started out as Jett’s mission to spread his love for authentic Texas Barbecue with Singaporeans during the pandemic period. What begun as a home-based kitchen is now a thriving business, sufficient enough for Jett to give up his career in accountancy and focused on Jett Barbecue full-time, investing in two $80,000 smokers imported from Texas. One of the smokers is on display at Gastrobeats and you should go check it out. The ribs served at Jett Barbecue are all labours of love, taking at least 8 to 12 hours of smoking to produce. Good stuff!

Adding to the vibrant atmosphere are daily live music performances featuring local talents mentored by GastroBeats’ Chief Music Officer Sara Wee and the well-loved local band 53A through GastroBeats’ mentorship campaign. Alongside other musical artists, these performances are set to keep the crowd dancing all night long.

The Festival Village also introduces a star-studded team of GB-LETs, the GastroBeats ambassadors embodying the brand’s values, handpicked and mentored by Chief Content Officers Aiken Chia and Nina Tan.

In a bid to enhance sustainability, GastroBeats will use rechargeable batteries for selected lighting posts and back-of-house operations. Solar energy will power air-conditioned “portaloos,” setting a new benchmark for eco-conscious event amenities. Visitors are encouraged to bring reusable cups, flasks, and tupperware to reduce waste. Eco-friendly food packaging and utensils will be used, and no plastic straws will be provided.

Other than the local and international food offerings, many major brands like Coca-Cola and foodpanda are also participating in GastroBeats by setting up dedicated experiential zones to enhance visitors’ experience.

The Coca-Cola Food Fest Zone offers multi-sensorial activities and games, perfect for capturing Insta-worthy photos. Highlights include:

• Larger-than-life Rock, Paper, Scissors: Challenge friends with a Coke twist.
• Recycle Me!: Encourage recycling by scoring points with empty bottles in basketball bins.
• Coke Photo Booth: Personalise photos with fun stickers and Coke icons.

The foodpanda zone is literally the coolest place at GastroBeats to beat the heat, featuring an air-conditioned area with hidden prizes like foodpanda merchandise or yuu Points.

Fans for the cutesy foodpanda mascot, Pau-Pau, can look forward to a Meet & Greet on June 8, 9, 15, and 16 from 4 to 6 pm, with exclusive Pau-Pau merchandise available for purchase.

GastroBeats 2024

Location: Bayfront Event Space

Dates: 31 May – 23 June 2024

Time: 4 pm – 11 pm daily

Pricing: General admission is free, charges apply for selected activities.

After you are done enjoying the food and music at GastroBeats, be sure to check all the beautiful light display for this year’s i Light Singapore. Featuring 25 artists from 11 countries, this year’s festival theme of “Cyclical Nature” highlights the endless potential of everyday objects for redesign, restoration, and repurposing. The color green, symbolising renewal, is a prominent motif throughout the installations.

Here are some pictures we snapped of displays that were situated near to GastroBeats at the Bay area.