If the latter half of the 2010s was marked by a flurry of food, music, and culture festivals blurring into a constant coming together of people, the first half of 2020 has blurred into a seemingly never-ending homestay of relative isolation. If and when the much-discussed ‘second wave’ of infections finally hits, the days of milling around in elaborate spectacles at festivals will seem a distant memory indeed.
Enter Zomato. After having successfully launched Zomaland as a festival for all things food and fun, the brand has again partnered with the Singapore Tourism Board to present ‘Zomaland@home’ festival taking place over the first two weekends of June. It will feature personalities from India and Singapore showcasing their talents and passions in food, music, stand-up comedy and more. Singaporean rapper and singer Yung Raja will be mixing it up with his Indian counterpart Naezy, in a high-energy rap performance, while married stand-up artistes Sharul Channa and Rishi Budhrani will have a “Kitchen Roast” session, where they will try their hand at cooking while ‘roasting’ each other.
Other Singaporean celebrities include Chef Eric Chan, who will share his special recipe for Cheesecake from his restaurant Mad About Sucre in Singapore, and will collaborate with Indian Chef Saransh Goila to twist some recipes. Chef Sarah Huang Benjamin will highlight Singapore’s Peranakan culture with a masterclass on the iconic Kueh (bite-sized snack) and Ondeh Ondeh (rice balls with palm sugar filing coated with desiccated coconut). For those of more Bacchanalian tendencies, mixologist Vijay Mudaliar from ‘Native’, the award-winning bar in Singapore will demonstrate new DIY cocktail recipes.
All these acts/performances will be hosted on Zomato’s social media handles.