Street culture is a huge and knotty thing with many niches and sub-cultures to it, but a good place to get started might be Culture Cartel (CC). The convention has always been a highlight on the calendar for its sprawling showcase of street culture’s various facets – think tattooing, toys, music, sneakers and streetwear – the latter being something showcased at the booths as well as on the thousands of attendees.
On that note, CC has a reputation for drawing in some of the most stylish folks – previous editions have seen appearances by the likes of rapper Fariz Jabba and fashion influencer Mae Tan, the latter of whom staged a charity sale at the 2019 edition to clear out her wardrobe for a good cause.
Tattoo artist @0i0x0i0 will be one of over 20 practitioners doing live demonstrations at this year’s Culture Cartel
After a one-year hiatus, the upcoming CC will take place in the form of a four-day festival from Dec 1 to Dec 4 at *Scape Singapore, where close to 200 local and international brands, creatives, designers and personalities will congregate to showcase their latest works.
The new location of *Scape Singapore was intentional, says Jeremy Tan, CC’s convention director. “We believe that (the location) will give (more people) the opportunity to discover and learn more about the exciting facets of street culture that exists on our shores and beyond,” he says.
And with music being one of the core pillars of the convention, there will be a dedicated stage for some of the biggest hip-hop acts in the region as well as a strong line-up of DJs and independent party collectives, such as .Wavy, Kampong Boogie, O$P$, Paradise Youth Club, Strangeweatherallday and Yeti Out.
Ahead, we take a look at some of the brands, designers and artists worth keeping an eye out for at this year’s Culture Cartel.
Purchase your tickets here. They’re priced at $25 for a one-day pass (you get one raffle ticket), $69 for a full four-day pass (four raffle tickets), with a VIP pass going for $105 (this covers entry on all days, six raffle tickets, and access to the talks and VIP lounge area). Door tickets go for $30 and get you one raffle ticket.
