Singapore Night Festival returns in August with new Museum Zone and larger-than-life light shows

SINGAPORE – The Singapore Night Festival (SNF), one of the country’s largest nocturnal events, is set to return for its 17th edition across three weekends from Aug 21 to Sept 5.

An artist’s impression of Tales Of Earth And Sea, a facade projection at the National Museum of Singapore by Indonesia-based multimedia artist team, The Fox, The Folks.

PHOTO: THE FOX, THE FOLKS

Themed Myths And Legends, the festival invites visitors to uncover the stories, folklore and traditions that have shaped communities in Singapore and across South-east Asia, with free admission for most of the programmes.

Visitors will be able to explore the wider Bras Basah.Bugis precinct through a line-up of projection mapping, artworks, experiential programmes, performances and festival villages with food and retail offerings. 

Presented by HeritageSG, a subsidiary of the National Heritage Board, SNF 2026 also introduces a new Museum Zone as its key festival hub. Located around the National Museum of Singapore, the Children’s Museum Singapore and surrounding heritage spaces, the hub will bring the theme to life through experiences and programmes inspired by the precinct’s heritage.

The festival will also span three other zones, with Zone 1 stretching from Funan to CHIJMES, Zone 2 spanning Cathay Green to Waterloo Centre and Zone 3 anchored by partners at Bras Basah Complex and Stamford Arts Centre.

A major festival highlight during the launch weekend is Tales Of Earth And Sea, a facade projection at National Museum of Singapore by The Fox, The Folks, a multimedia artist team based in Bandung, Indonesia.

The work reinterprets local folklore, set to an original cross-border soundtrack by Singapore’s multi-ethnic music collective Artusik and UiTM Malaysia.

Sharing the spotlight for the festival’s opening week is the South-east Asian debut of Birdmen by Dutch group Close-Act Theatre. Visitors can get up close with luminous stilt walkers dressed as fantastical, pterodactyl-like creatures as they roam alongside the visuals.

Birdmen by Dutch group Close-Act Theatre.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF CLOSE-ACT

A second highlight is The Lost Legacy Of Fort Canning: The Forbidden Hill, a 70-minute nocturnal walking trail through Fort Canning Park that uncovers the ancient secrets and myths of Bukit Larangan. Featuring atmospheric soundscapes and live traditional Malay dance, the immersive journey transports visitors to the 14th-century world of early Singapura.

The MALAM Projection Mapping Competition is the third festival highlight. It brings together emerging artists across South-east Asia to showcase their works, with the top 20 entries projected onto Cathay Building during the first week of the festival. 

Festival director Qazim Karim said in a press statement that SNF has always been more than light installations, and added: “It is about creating shared experiences that bring people together after dark, while showcasing the best of creative talent from Singapore and South-east Asia.

“This is reflected in the strong response to our inaugural MALAM Projection Mapping Competition, which signals a clear appetite among regional creatives to be part of Singapore’s premier night festival.”

Other works in the line-up:

• Once Upon A Time at Capitol Singapore Outdoor Plaza: The installation features 30 animal sculptures crafted from textile waste, retired uniforms and everyday discarded fabrics.

• You And I, Believing... at Singapore Management University Campus Green: A site-specific installation that is inspired by the Bras Basah jail in the 19th century.

• Inter-Light at Raffles City Singapore: A participatory installation inspired by Singapore’s multicultural landscape and traditions of street performance through shifting light, shadow, sound and projection.

More information can be found on the official website heritage.sg/sgnightfest, which will feature an interactive map of the different zones and personalised trails that will go live during the festival period. 

This article was originally published on The Straits Times. Its inclusion on this website is solely for education purposes.