SINGAPORE : The National Museum of Singapore will hold its very own outdoor night festival next month.

The National Museum wants to pull in the crowds to Singapore's arts and heritage district.

So it is teaming up with its neighbour, the Singapore Management University, and Zouk to put up a festival of music and dance stretching into the night.

Lee Chor Lin, Director, National Museum of Singapore, said: "We feel that by bringing some of the specially-curated programmes which we often do inside the museum to the outdoors, it gives the museum a different image and a different feel to the public, and we hope this will attract them to come to the outdoor performances and the activities around the museums."

The festival will take place over two weekends in July - on July 18-19 and July 25-26.

The first weekend will focus on the arts and will open with an aerial performance by Italian group, Studio Festi.

Tan Boon Hui, Deputy Director Programmes, National Museum of Singapore, said: "A key highlight will be when the performers, the dancers are hoisted up on balloons and descend from the skies into the crowd.

"It's really quite an amazing experience because usually you see this in open areas like empty fields, but here it's a very enclosed and wooded area, so you really can feel, and in a sense, and see the performers up close."

A night bazaar, musical performances and outdoor film screenings will be held on the second weekend.

Along with the National Museum, other museums including the Asian Civilisation Museum and Singapore Art Museum will offer free admission to the public on July 25 till 2am. - CNA/ms