As they do every year, Singapore Night Festival promises an exuberant night out in the city with colourful street performances, awe-inspiring visual feasts, intimate art installations, and various workshops.

But of course, one thing we always look forward to see — and that means having to run back and forth between SMU and The Substation — are the live music performances. And as expected, there's a maelstrom of stellar acts scheduled to perform through the weekend.

We've picked out the must-see music events to catch on all four days — happening from 19 to 20, and 25 to 26 August — along with some completely unmissable programmes lined-up that you'd find hard not to appreciate.

Isms & Schisms 

20, 21, 27, 28 August 2016 | 12am – 2am | Main Stage, Armenian Street 

An absolute no-brainer. The Substation and Ujikaji Records curate a fantastically eclectic line-up of emerging names — there's hardcore supergroup LC93 (a reformation of some of Singaporean hardcore's brightest minds), experimental rock band The Psalms, subversive singer-songwriter Laek1yo, doom metal bands Beelzebud and Inuka, The Observatory frontman Leslie Low, tropical pop band Specific Islander, and a special collaborative set featuring musicians Bani Haykal, Dharma, Kok Siew Wai, George Chua and Yandsen Yong.

The only catch? The programme only starts at 12am.

Rhythms of the World 

26 and 27 August 2016 | 11pm – 12am | Main Stage, Armenian Street

Promised to be a "wild trip through the rhythms of the world", DJ Shellsuit and Wicked Aura percussionist Budi will collaborate for a 45-minute beat-driven set that will span continents with style. 

Rhythm de Passion

19 and 20 August 2016 | 9pm – 9.30pm (19), 10.30pm – 11pm (20) | Armenian Street

Traversing similar Afro-Brazilian sounds through exhilarating percussion would be ensemble Rhythm de Pasion, performing a show that's almost named after them (except for the slight adjustment in the word "passion") which should prove to be an adrenaline-pumping and infectious affair.

FESTIVAL VILLAGE: STAGE 

19, 20, 26, 27 August 2016 | 6pm – 1am | Singapore Management University (SMU) Campus Green & University Square

Noise Singapore gets a hand in selecting the line-up for this year's Festival Village stage, which has proven to be a huge crowd pull with its ideal central location, along with the addition of a few acts coming over from Australia. This year, you can look forward to singer-songwriters Linying, Jamie Wong, Tali Mahoney, Sam Driscoll and bittymacbeth along with bands like Stopgap, enec.e, Frida, HubbaBubbas, Ciao Turtle and more. The one act you should check out? Australian beat-maker Alice Ivy, whose downtempo stylings have been on constant rotation in our playlists.

The Peranakan Museum Variety Show 

19, 20, 26, 27 August 2016 | 8pm – 9pm (19, 20), 8.30pm – 9.30pm (26, 27) | Main Stage, Armenian Street 

Returning yet again for your joget needs, The Peranakan Museum Variety Show is every bit as fun as you can imagine from a bunch of freewheeling Peranakan singers strutting laid-back, choreographed moves onstage. 

muse@SAM 

19 and 20 August 2016 | 8pm – 12.30am | SAM Glass Hall

Another mainstay of the Singapore Night Festival are the live performances at the Singapore Art Museum, hosting a tasteful line-up of Singaporean acts — this year includes Disco Hue, King Kong Jane, Cesspit, Cadence, Tell Lie Vision and more. 

Waterloo Sessions 

19 and 20 August 2016 | 7pm to 12am | Forte Music Academy, Waterloo Street

Yet another curated affair, this will be happening at the Forte Music Academy along Waterloo Street, and will feature Daphne Khoo, Jonathan Meur, The MadHatter Project, Ethel Yap, KindaKid, and a host of other diverse acts.

Lip Sync Showdown

26 and 27 August 2016 | 10.30pm – 11pm | Main Stage, Armenian Street

Three surprise contests? Live lip-syncing? Yeah this is probably better than any variety TV show. 

Movie Nights at Rendezvous Hotel Singapore

19, 20, 26 & 27 August 2016 | 7pm – 11pm | The Library Bar, Rendezvous Hotel Singapore, Level 1

If you need a little respite from the heavy crowds outside, Rendezvous Hotel will host several movie screenings through both weekends, and their choices may just surprise you!