Ice Cream Sundays Teams Up With Shi Fu Miz For Another Haw Par Villa Boogie

Freaky folklore meets funky ditties for the return of Haw Par Thrilla (Credit: Meltem Acik)

No one could’ve ever dreamt up the idea of frolicking amidst Chinese deities and sinister demons to upbeat disco tunage. Yet, that is exactly what the creamy folks from Ice Cream Sundays accomplished earlier in June, partnering up with Mugic Soundsystem to pull off Haw Par Thrilla. 

Like the legends depicted in the otherworldly, grotesque dioramas of Haw Par Villa – the old, nightmarish theme park where the party is held – Haw Par Thrilla was truly an event of legendary proportions. And if you haven’t had the pleasure of pulling shapes at an Ice Cream Sundays event yet, fill yourself in with our feature on what makes Ice Cream Sunday so great. 

Or otherwise, just keep yourself free on 12 October, because these pop-up promoters have just announced a biggie for their third year anniversary that’s gonna turn your party pants inside-out. Not only are they throwing another ghoulishly groovy bash at Haw Par Villa for Haw Par Thrilla 2, but they’re also collaborating with the Hong Kong festival, Shi Fu Miz. You may gasp now.

Shi Fu Miz is a name most regional festival-chasers would throw their hands up for. Since 2016, Shi Fu Miz has coloured the Hong Kong music milieu with a spectacle that believes in eclectic selections, daytime parties and stunning locations. Sounds familiar?

“Shi Fu Miz definitely resonates with us,” shares Ice Cream Sundays co-founder, Daniel Alexander O’Connor, on the collaboration, “the intimacy, the DIY spirit, and the music. Even the fact that it starts and ends early. They’ve grown slowly but surely over the past few years, ensuring the vibe remains consistent even as they get bigger, which is something we are very mindful of as promoters. There is a lot of common ground, and with Shi Fu Miz expanding its reach across the continent, it felt like the right moment to collaborate.”

This isn’t the first rodeo between Ice Cream Sundays and La Mamie’s (one-half of Shi Fu Miz) [Credit: The Council Facebook page]

“The relationship with Shi Fu Miz started when we booked La Mamie’s for a show with The Council last December. Florian, who was handling bookings for their Asia tour, also happens to run FuFu, a Hong Kong-based creative agency that co-founded Shi Fu Miz along with La Mamie’s themselves. We had a great time working with them, and since then, it’s been at the back of our minds to do something more together, especially since some of our crew had attended the last few editions of the festival.”

Can you imagine partying here? (Credit: Meltem Acik)

As for the decision to take over Haw Par Villa yet again, it was an opportunity too irresistible to pass up. “From the last one, we learnt how much excitement there really is around Haw Par Villa as a venue. The tremendous response put pressure on our ability to accommodate everyone, but we feel much better prepared to deal with that this time around,” Daniel elaborates.

Ice Cream Sundays always has a knack for turning unlikely locations into stunning partygrounds (Credit: Meltem Acik)

“Haw Par Thrilla 2 will take place in the same courtyard space as the first edition. While it may not be home to many of the statues, we relish the challenge of transforming the space into something befitting the park’s unique characteristics. It has the most natural layout for a party, and people can still get the Haw Par Villa experience as they explore the park throughout the day.”

Making it a true collaborative effort, the lineup for this event will also feature the best of both worlds – the Ice Cream Sundays roster of Toppings, Bongomann and Muto Masashi; and guest DJs that make up the two halves of Shi Fu Miz, Florian (AKA MLCH) from FuFu, and Dolce Vito from La Mamie’s.

If you have been praying to the party gods – yes, even the creepy, demonic ones – for the return of Haw Par Thrilla, this tag-team event is the divine response you asked for. 

Ice Cream Sundays x Shi Fu Miz: Haw Par Thrilla 2, 12 October 2019, Haw Par Villa, 262 Pasir Panjang Road, Singapore 118628. For more information, visit Ice Cream Sundays’ website.