The annual weekend celebration of street art in Phnom Penh is kicking off tonight at Futures Factory. The Cambodia Urban Arts opening party will be a carnival of the arts – with a giant wooden structure (like Burning Man?) and roaming performances (think classically-trained contemporary dancers), “multi-handed” live painting, live music, digital arts, flash tattoos, handmade goodies AND surprises. They’ve covered every inch of what’s creatively possible into one four-hour event.
6-10pm, Futures Factory, St. 13
Music
99 Boyz are back with their high-energy, singalongable, danceable takes on the hits from ‘90-’99. Normally packing out Duplex Taverne till it spills in the street, they’re playing the new, larger Duplex Grand Café venue with a built-in outdoor stage.
9pm-midnight, Duplex Grand Café, Sisowath Quay
Juniper Bar has invited indie music-spinning DJs The Kompong Collective to help tipplers transition from day to night with their favourite tunes of the past twenty years. Accompanying the accompaniment is happy hour till 7pm and wood fire pizza till 10pm.
6-11pm, Juniper Gin Bar, St. 130
Singer and guitarist Robin Narciso is playing his own brand of indie music under the stars in Cloud’s backyard tonight. The grill will be going, and the drinks will be flowing as Robin makes you “sing along in reminiscence of your teenage years”.
8-11pm, Cloud, St. 9
Indonesian pianist Metta Legita is teaming up with wind instrument virtuoso Gerard Evans (he’ll be playing the flute and saxophone) to test the boundaries of jazz at Farm to Table’s outdoor concert. Jazz Lines is a “jazz journey is one of constant reinvention, creativity and improvisation”.
6:30-9:30pm, Farm to Table, St. 360
Geography of the Moon, on tour after releasing their latest album Permanent Summer, are bringing their “dream folk, post-psychedelic and alternative acrylic” electro to Alchemy tonight.
7:30pm, Alchemy GastroPub, St. 123
Comedy
Laughter on Tap at Riel Brewing has two special guest comedians this week, hailing from the international circuit. Vu Minh Tu of Vietnam caused enough side-splitting laughter to win first place at the Roosters Beer Comedy Competition in Saigon, and Dustin Moore from South Africa was called “hilarious” and a “powerful force of positivity” by the Bangkok Comedy Fringe. The show is free, but they ask that you email to reserve a spot.
7:30-10:30pm, Riel Brewing, St. 464
Dance
Pontoon has a guest DJ all the way from Japan tonight. The Club Bangerz party is headlined by Japan DMC champion DJ Ta-Shi (it’s the world championship for hip-hop DJing). He received a standing ovation from James Brown (James Brown!!!) and played with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, just to name a few items from his street cred resume. DJs Nine, Gang and Funkii Pro will be joining him. $8 entry includes one standard drink.
9pm-4am, Pontoon, St. 172
DJ Ta-Shi’s first win at DMC. Watch till the end and you’ll see him strip while playing.
Two French DJs are playing two sets of deep house and offering one “chill moment”. Toke and Dalah take the decks at Party Patio. The doors are wide open and the gig is completely free.
9pm-1am, Party Patio, St. 308
Meta House’s Metatronic dance party features DJ Korpus, also from France. He’s been spinning the decks for over 20 years, setting on a style that is everything from deep house to techno, mixing in trip hop and scratch. This is a free party with $1 beers.
9pm-2am, Meta House, St. 178
Indonesian DJ Devmarc is playing Epic Club. A former model, she found her passion for music only a couple of years ago and is now on the international circuit. Expect a door cover, but also expect specials on Budweiser beer, the party’s sponsor.
9pm-3am, Epic Club, National Assembly
What Else?
Before 1975, foreign journalists in Cambodia were covering the Vietnam conflict, but were in danger themselves from both the Viet Cong and Khmer Rouge. Jean-François Bouvet will give a lecture on what happened to those journalists – those who died and those who lived to share their experience. The lecture is in French with Khmer translation and free of charge.
6:30-8pm, Bophana Center, St. 200
Hey Hey is inviting all to come celebrate at its Birthday Farewell Closing party. It’s Mama Claire’s birthday today, and she’s leaving Cambodia on Sunday, and as (an unfortunate) result Hey Hey is closing. So all are welcome to help them drink all the bottles, raise a glass, be merry about birthdays, be merry for the good memories and toast to the future.
8-11pm, Hey Hey, St. 155
Film
Thai romantic drama Dew the Movie opens this weekend and tells a story that’s very familiar to many. Two male friends realise that they have “more than just friends” feelings towards each other, but live in an era in which homosexuality isn’t accepted. In Khmer with English subtitles.
Various showtimes, Legend Cinemas, various locations
Saturday
Fests
Don Don Down has a very cool idea for how to open its new space in Takhmao. Why not serve drinks and have a lineup of DJs play while customers peruse your full warehouse of discounted second-hand clothing from Japan? As they say, “shop, drink, rave, repeat”.
12pm, Don Don Down Takhmao, National Road 2
Are you doing Dry January? Or just looking for alcohol alternatives besides Coke or water? The Mindful Market is hosting a Mindful Drinking Festival, a farmer’s market showcasing locally made, “beneficial” beverages. Bartender Annemarie Sagoi from Le Boutier will demonstrate how to make tasty virgin cocktails with the ingredients available at the market, and singer Mirasol Aguila will keep spirits (pun intended) high. Drink station for kiddos so they can learn the art of (alcohol-free) mixology early. The free face painting is open to anyone. And if you bring your clean glass jars and bottles for recycling, you can earn a free drink.
1-6pm, Mindful Market, St. 360
Music
Aussies and Australophiles, listen up! Long After Dark will be live streaming the Triple J Hottest 100. It’s a countdown of the top songs of 2019. The bar will have a very early bird happy hour from noon to 2pm, normal happy hour from 5-7pm, beer giveaways all day and $5 burgers.
12-8pm, Long After Dark, St. 450
Indian restaurateur Pervez Gulzar is cooking up chicken and potato biryani at Cloud to perfectly pair with his music group Prerna. With Gulzar on tabla and Thomas Hommeyer on the sitar, the duo will bring the sounds of India to match the taste. They’ll be joined by special musical guests.
6:30-11pm, Cloud, St. 9
Alchemy’s Jazz Sessions will have some of Phnom Penh’s finest musicians together onstage as the Upside Quartet. Normally playing jazz interpretations of Khmer songs, they’ll be adding Blue Note era tunes to the repertoire at tonight’s show.
7:30pm, Alchemy GastroPub, St. 123
If you like to dance, there’s no replacing the energy the dancefloor receives from having a live band play. At Duplex’s salsa night, Aguita E’Coco, a trio from Cuba, Bolivia and Argentina, are bringing the bachata, bolero and, of course, salsa.
9:30pm-12:30am, Duplex Belgian Taverne, St. 278
Workshops
Learn how to paint with acrylics as well as portraiture while also making a unique self-portrait to hang over the mantel (or gift for your sweetheart 😉 ). The class is $35 and includes refreshments.
9am-1pm, Nowhere Art Studio, Norodom Blvd.
Workspace 1 is hosting Your 2020: Dream, Plan, Manifest, a workshop on planning your year ahead and creating a manifest journal (the idea of making your dreams come true). The group is specifically meant for women and will be led by two facilitators, from F Yeah Collective and Refresh. The class is $20.
9:15am-12:30pm, The Factory, National Road 2
Ginger & Grace’s Intro to Modern Calligraphy class is a way to discover the cool things you can do with a brush pen and this historic writing style. In today’s world of sharing design-focused art and projects on Instagram and Pinterest, calligraphy is for more than just wedding invitations. The $40 workshop includes two pens, a workbook and an art piece to take home.
10am-12pm, Ginger & Grace, St. 135
Get on your athletic gear, grab some water bottles and head to the Japanese drum workshop. No joke – gearing up for a workout is part of the course description. It’s not surprising if you see how big those drums are and how they’re meant to be played (not a tappa tappa situation). But don’t be intimidated; the class is free and open to adults.
10:30am-12pm, Aeon Mall, Sothearos Blvd.
What Else?
Burns Night is a chance to celebrate Scottish heritage – to don a kilt, eat meat that’s been prepared in a delicious (yet perhaps unappealing) way, drink your fair share of Scotch whisky, swing around the dancefloor in endless, bouncy circles and listen to poetry by signature Scotsman Robert Burns. BritCham is hosting a black tie gala at Raffles, open to people from all countries.
6-11pm, Raffles Hotel Le Royal, St. 92
Sra’Art is holding an Art and Wine Pairing night as part of the Cambodia Urban Art weekend. Why pair the two together? Because they both “stimulate the senses, inducing certain reactions and evoking…an emotional experience”. $20 entry includes wine, tapas and a full tour of the artwork.
7-10pm, Sra’Art, Sothearos Blvd.
Dance
Drone is back at Pontoon Pulse, playing a whole night of techno and tech house with three DJs dedicated to the underground scene: INEE, St Vincent and DALAH. Prepare to dance for six hours.
11pm-5am, Pontoon Pulse, St. 172
There’s a free techno party at Party Patio with local sensation Marie Thach teaming up with French DJ Sisyphe for a double header at the decks. Each will play an hour, so this can be your mid-night dancing warmup.
11pm-1am, Party Patio, St. 308
Film
Chaoeng Andeth (Floating Bone), directed by Mao Ayuth, is screening at Bophana Center. Taking place after the fall of the Khmer Rouge in 1979, a girl’s father loves her young beau – especially since the young man helped save their family during the Khmer Rouge regime. But that all changes when the father finds a treasure; suddenly the hero isn’t good enough for his daughter. The screening is free and in Khmer.
5-7pm, Bophana Center, St. 200
Greta Gerwig, of Oscar-winning indie film Lady Bird fame, has written and directed this update of the classic 19th-century American novel Little Women. The adaptation itself is nominated for six Oscars (the common name for Academy Awards). it depicts the March family – four sisters and their mother – living, growing, striving and thriving in Massachusetts whilst their father fights in the American Civil War. The protagonist, Jo March, wants to be a writer even though she’s a woman (imagine that!).
6:15pm, The Flicks, St. 95
Sunday
Australia Day
Today is Australia’s national holiday, celebrated on the anniversary of the first fleet of British ships arriving in New South Wales, and there are several parties around town to celebrate Aussie-ness.
AusCham has created a Great Australia Day Bash, not just for the holiday but also as a fundraiser for the Australian bushfires. Tickets for the party at The Exchange include free-flow wine and beer for two hours, barbecue, live music and something for the kids. Part of the proceeds of the entry tickets ($35 for adult non-members) will go to the bushfires, and there will be a raffle, from which all proceeds will be donated.
Noon-5pm, The Exchange, St. 47
The Deck bar in Toul Tompoung is also holding an Australia Day Bushfire Relief Fundraiser, benefitting the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital. The hospital, located near the hometown of The Deck’s owner, has seen a 20% increase of animal patients – including hundreds of koalas – which they treat and house free of charge. The Goldilocks Zone will play a show. There will also be meat on the barbie, an auction and raffle to raise additional funds, and a DJ to round out the night. There’s no ticket to enter, so go spend that saved cash on everything else.
4pm-midnight, The Deck, St. 135
Of course Aussie XXL Cafe and Bar is going to have an Australia Day party! They’ll have a barbecue buffet in addition to their normal weekend roast, $1 beers and Australian music playing all day (so, like, AC/DC, INXS and Jet on repeat? Just kidding!!). The first drink is free if you show up in green and gold.
10am-11pm, Aussie XXL Cafe and Bar, St. 51
And of course party hostel Mad Monkey is celebrating the day with its “biggest day sesh of the year!” They’ll have a $15 three-hour open bar starting at 11am, but they’ll be putting snags on the barbie starting at 8am.
Open bar 11am-2pm, Mad Monkey, St. 302
What Else?
Don’t forget that it’s also the Lunar New Year this weekend! To celebrate, Mama Wongs has all you can eat dumplings ($6.50) for six hours! Plus a traditional dragon will float and dance in front of the restaurant at 2pm.
Noon-6pm, Mama Wongs, St. 308
Enfants d’Asie, an organisation that provides access to academic lessons (like Khmer, maths, sciences) to nearly 1,000 Cambodian children, is holding a fundraiser for more classes. Also part of the Cambodian Urban Art weekend, there will be unveilings of fresco paintings, live music, dancing, student shows, food and a raffle.
4-9pm, Enfants d’Asie, St. 105
Film
Parasite, the hit Korean thriller by famed filmmaker Bong Joon Ho that looks at class divisions as scarier than a monster, is showing for free at Meta House. Described as hard to pin down, it’s a film that’s guaranteed to start conversation.
7-9pm, Meta House, St. 178
Alright, get moving! If you still want more, check out our full calendar here.
