From indie and heartwarming charity concerts to exhibitions of the magical kind, these are fun things to do in and out of the scorching heat this June in Singapore.

Harry Potter: The Exhibition, which opened this week with a special appearance by the Weasley twins, will allow Potterheads the chance to get upclose with props used in the movie series, as well as Voldemort's famed pet serpent Nagini. Through September 30 at the ArtScience Museum.

Beer lovers rejoice—the three-day Beerfest Asia is back with over 350 beers from all over the world, energetic tribute acts and a string of standup comedians. June 7-9 at the Marina Bay Promenade.

Catch local favorites Monster Cat and The Sets Band in a special concert held at an abandoned basketball court, at Sub-Sonic Live on June 9.

Australian indie pop rock outfit The Jezabels will perforn on June 9 at Home Club. Time to party.

If you've missed local thespian Emma Yong (who recently passed away from cancer) the way her friends Adrian Pang and Ivan Heng have, come celebrate her life in We "Heart" Emma, a concert (June 15) featuring hits from The Dim Sum Dollies and Beauty World.

Want to experience k-pop without its twee elements? See the band that started it all, Shinhwa, at the 2012 Shinhwa Grand Tour: The Return concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on June 16.

Veteran Malay singer Ramli Sarip will be performing his first solo concert ever SADAQA on June 16 at the Esplanade Concert Hall, in a bid to raise funds for Hasanah Mosque.

Fans of Californian pop rockers Train should head down the Singapore Indoor Stadium on June 17 for the band's comeback with new album California 37.

Gary Mullen, a dead ringer for Freddie Mercury, stars in the One Night of Queen (June 21-23) tribute concert featuring hits like "Another One Bites the Dust".

In celebration of the Gardens by the Bay, there'll be an action-packed event called Rhythm with Nature (June 29-July 1) featuring a funfair and concerts by Jason Mraz, South Korea's 4Minute and Corrinne May.

Check out our list of 15 outdoor activities in Singapore this June.

 

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Donna Tang is the founder of TinyFry’s, a line of kitschy gadget stores stocking hard-to-get stuff like the Apple TV and Clarisonic products.

How would you describe TinyFry’s if it was a person?
TinyFry’s is everyone’s favorite uncle, a kindly, approachable fellow with a twinkle in his eye and time for everyone. He is someone who knows when to just let you be yourself and when to dispense advice.

Describe the moment you realized you wanted to turn this into a business venture.
My “eureka” moment was when I went to buy a camera about two years ago. The salesperson said, “Aiyah, why you want Canon, buy Nikon lah better!” I still left with the Canon G11 I wanted, but somehow felt less excited about it. That was when I realized that while gadgets have become easier and more fun to use, shopping for them hadn’t changed—it was still unnecessarily stressful.

Why do you think TinyFry’s worksin Singapore?
Our Millenia Walk outlet looks like a fast food restaurant and the one at Republic Plaza looks like a bakery—I think it is this that attracts people through our doors. Once inside, customers will realize that our product offerings are unusual and our prices low and transparent.

What do you think of the Singapore startup scene?
There seem to be more young entrepreneurs now than ever (or perhaps I’m just getting old) and that heartens me. I sincerely hope they are getting the support they need from financial institutions, the government, media, customers and fellow businesses.

Whose work do you admire most?
I first met the managing director of Spa Esprit Group, Cynthia Chua, as a young writer many years ago. Her vision, energy and nose for trends impressed me then and still do.

Any advice for a fellow entrepreneur?
It’s wise to surround yourself with people whose strengths are the exact things you’re weak in.

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The brains and beauty behind brand management agency Agent Grace talks to Hidayah Salamat about taking a break from PR to work on creative startups, her idol and which city has the best food in the world.

I love Singapore because it is home and many of my old friends who went to school with me here have returned.

Being half Indonesian and half Australian, Singapore offers me the best of both worlds.

People say New York has the best food in the world, but I think Singapore does.

My passion is inspiring young creative entrepreneurs and businesses to take action and make change, no matter how big or small it is.

There are many people and businesses moving in from the West to set up in Singapore who don’t really understand how different things work here.

We can’t just put Western ideas at the forefront. We need to mesh them with Singapore’s cultural roots and also work with the neighboring countries.

I love to surround myself with people who inspire me and with whom I can share my ideas.

I have idolized my late father since I was a young girl. My aim is to be like him both personally and professionally.

I look up to people who are really passionate in doing what they love, and those who take risks. I’m a big fan of the marketing guru Seth Godin, as well as Noah Brief.

One of my aims this year is to have more time to myself and not always live out of a suitcase. I like to spend my off days eating with friends, going to music events, doing yoga and sitting by the pool.

People who are negative and complain all the time but never do anything to change themselves or the situation piss me off. I hate that!

The measure of success is all up to the individual. For me it’s making a life that you want to live.

If you want to be successful, you need passion, drive, motivation and the will to keep going to matter what.

You shouldn’t compare yourself to others. Keep an eye out on what your competitors are doing but don’t worry too much about it.

I live every day as fully as I can and am thankful for everything I have achieved.

I’m always hoping that every little thing I do makes a difference either in my own life or someone else’s.

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Daphne Ng is one of the founders of MakeShake, a local F&B startup conceptualized by three friends who wanted to marry their passion for design with their love for milkshakes.

What’s a MakeShake?
It’s a customized milkshake—you can pick from ingredients like breakfast tea, chocolate fudge and cream cheese, and even throw in sweet treats like gummy bears and Hello Panda biscuits to create your own flavors.

How did you get this idea?
It was my friend (and co-founder) Seth’s idea. He was a bartender and had always been interested in mixing drinks. He also loves milkshakes.

You switched from doing PR for local live venue TAB to realizing an enterprise. What do you like about the way you work now?
I love meeting people and making my own decisions. Since I’m my own boss, I’m answerable only to myself and that allows me the flexibility to make changes quickly. It’s better to run your own ship than to be stuck in the office.

What were some of the biggest challenges you’ve had to face?
Building a brick and mortar business is a really big first step into entrepreneurship. We’ve had this idea for two years but only managed to execute it this year. Execution’s a major challenge.

What’s it like starting a business in Singapore?
Tough. Budgeting can be a real issue with the rental costs being as high as they are. You really need a steady capital.

How do you like the local startup scene?
Most of the startups in Singapore are IT-based, but Singapore is getting better. I have many friends now who share my aspirations and are willing to take risks, but we need more people who dare to be operationally-involved in their business.

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