AChinese boy band concert, Thai dance performances, magicians and more will entertain shoppers when riverside megamall Iconsiam opens this weekend.
Expected to draw many mall-goers and tourists, the event will include several free shows and international acts both days.
Siam Piwat; the developer behind Siam Paragon, Siam Center and Siam Discovery; is spending a staggering 1 billion baht to promote the opening including a number of free shows.
Here’s what can be watched for free at the new megamall.
Outdoor performances
F4 Concert
Chinese and Taiwanese celebs Dylan Wang, Darren Chen, Connor Leong and Caesar Wu who starred in the 2018 remake of the “Meteor Garden” series will grace their fans with a free concert at 7pm on Saturday in the outdoor River Park area, in what will most likely be the biggest draw of the event.
Big Riverside Show
Thai artists will perform traditional and modern dance and music in the “Eternal Prosperity” show about Thailand’s past, present and future relationship with the Chao Phraya River. The Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra will also perform a song titled “Icon of Dreams” dedicated especially to the mall.
Sculptures decorating the 1,000sqm stage are designed by Chalermchai Kositpipat, the artist behind Wat Rong Khun or the White Temple in Chiang Rai and a statue of Saman Gunan, the former navy seal who died rescuing 12 boys and their football coach from a cave in July.
The spectacle won’t just be on land. On the water, Sri Mahasamut sailing junks will sail riverside. By air, 1,500 drones will perform. It’s billed as the first large-scale drone performance in Thailand and the drone show with the largest number of drones used in a Southeast Asian show.
Both Saturday and Sunday from 8:10pm to 8:50pm in the River Park area.
Dancers are expected to dance by the river until 10pm, with light shows projected on nearby luxury buildings Magnolia Waterfront Residences and The Residences at Mandarin Oriental Bangkok.
Indoor performances
Magic and Ballet
European magicians, Russian ballerinas and Canadian acrobatics?
Watch a show involving four nationalities: Spanish magician Charlie Mag, known for using live doves, will perform with Vinz, a French magician. St. Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theater troupe will pirouette, and audiences will have a rare chance to see Erika Lemay, Canadian dancer and acrobat, perform “Physical Poetry.”
The shows are 30 minutes long and are at 2:30pm and 6:15pm on Saturday at the G floor Iconluxe Hall.
Stilt Walkers
Australian-based stilt-walking group Empress Stilt Dance will perform a high-flying show depicting lush butterflies and flowers. The 30-minute shows are at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm on Saturday and at 4pm, 5:30pm and 6:30pm on Sunday at G floor, Iconluxe Hall.
‘Sawasdee Withee Thai’
See a modern Thai dance show that conveys the flowing movements of water. Dancers will dance among a floral art installation by renowned Thai floral designer Sakul Intakul. Parts of the arrangements include flowers up to a diameter of 9 meters and height of 1.2 meters.
Shows are at 2:15pm, 6:15pm, 7:15pm and 9:45pm on both Saturday and Sunday and will last 10 minutes each on the G floor, Iconluxe Hall.
Welcoming Garland Show
Flower garlands are given by Thais as welcoming gifts to visitors. Naturally, Iconsiam will have a 17-meter high stage, with people dressed as roses, jasmine and white champaca flowers dancing in the air among a giant flower garland. Their choreography will pay tribute to the Thai art of garland weaving.
The show will be supplemented by Chinese acrobats and ballads from Ekkarong band by Jiraphan Angsawanon and singer Saowanit “Kob” Nawapan.
The Saturday and Sunday shows are at 3:15pm and 6:15pm on the M floor’s Charoenakorn Hall.
Art installations
Various art installations will be in the mall for longer than a weekend.
“Concentration,” a modern art installation of Thai silk fabrics by Thai designers will be on display in Rassada Hall on the first floor until Dec. 31.
A display of 700 LED sticks and balls will change lights in response to movement and music in the interactive “Phenomenal Designs for the Eyes and Mind” on the mall’s third floor until Nov. 27.
A ceramic exhibition celebrating Thai handicrafts named “Siam Tum Mue” by ceramic artist Vipoo Srivilasa will be on display on the Iconcrafts area on the fourth floor until Jan 20.
How to get there:
There are several ways to get to the biggest, brightest mall this side of the Chao Phraya.
From BTS Saphan Taksin exit No. 2, find shuttle boats with Iconsiam signs at Sathorn Pier. Or, ride a shuttle bus from BTS Krung Thon Buri exit No. 4. Public buses number 4, 6, 84, 88, 89, 111, 149, 167, and 177 will also pass the mall.
