Make a date with Singapore from 17 to 26 October 2008, when the Singapore Sun Festival comes to town. Showcasing appearances and performances by Robert Redford, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, the Vienna Boys Choir, Sergio Mendes and events such as wine auctions and celebrity chef dinners, the Sun Festival celebrates "The Art of Living Well" through the seven disciplines of music, visual arts, literature, film, wine, cuisine and wellness.

This year's festival is packed with more than 90 events over the 10-day period, featuring more than 350 regional and international artists and celebrities in some of Singapore's leading venues. With its diverse range of exclusive lifestyle experiences, the Festival appeals to the discerning and well-heeled individual seeking the finer things in life and offering a memorable time in Singapore.

Mr Lim Neo Chian, Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), which is supporting the event, said that an event such as the Sun Festival strengthens Singapore's position as a key entertainment and premium lifestyle hub in Asia, adding to the nation's range of exclusive experiences such as luxury accommodation, top-end shopping, gourmet dining, and five-star wellness and spa facilities, to world-class performances and vibrant entertainment all year round.

Programme highlights of the Sun Festival include:

• A Gala Opening Concert on 18 October where for the first time, Academy Award-winning director and actor Robert Redford, the famed soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, and the renowned Vienna Boys Choir will share one stage. The Los Angeles Philharmonic will also be performing in Singapore for the first time with its Music Director, prominent Finnish conductor, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Grammy-winning pianist Yefim Bronfman on 26 October 2008.

• Star-studded music performances by Peter Cincotti (21 October), Jesse Cook (25 October), Spencer Day (25 October) and the Brazilian Grammy Award-winning legend Sergio Mendes (22 October).

• Talks and workshops by authors Cameron Forbes of Australia, award-winning playwright and novelist Merlinda Bobis and published travel writer Andrew Forbes.

• Visual art display of works by German-born abstract artist, Sibylle Szaggars, and Hans Mendler.

• Outdoor screening of films such as "Eat Drink Man Woman", "Tortilla" and food and film-paired events at Screening Room of "Le Grand Chef" and "Volver".

• General wellness programmes such as spa treatments, yoga workshops, taiji talks and sessions.

• For food aficionados, celebrity chefs such as Charlie Trotter will prepare a five-course signature dinner event at the Straits Room of the Fullerton Hotel and conduct a cooking demonstration at Privé while Luke Mangan of Glass Brasserie in Hilton Sydney, Salt Tokyo and San Francisco's South Food and Wine Bar fame will be involved in four different cuisine and wine events.

The Singapore Sun Festival is the third and only Asian chapter of a global lifestyle brand owned by the international arts management group, IMG Artists. The Sun Festival is also celebrated annually in Cortona, Tuscany (Italy) and the Napa Valley, California (USA).

Several travel agents around the region, including local-based The Traveller DMC and TakeMeToAsia, are offering travel packages around the festival.