Singapore Night Festival returns from 21 August to 5 September 2026 with its 17th edition, inviting visitors to experience the stories, folklore and traditions that have shaped Singapore and Southeast Asia through the theme Myths and Legends. Presented by HeritageSG, this year’s festival transforms the Bras Basah Bugis precinct into an immersive cultural playground filled with projection mapping, large scale artworks, performances and interactive experiences.
Running across three weekends, Singapore’s largest nocturnal festival introduces a new Museum Zone as its central festival hub alongside Zones 1 to 3. Centred around the National Museum of Singapore, Children’s Museum Singapore and surrounding heritage spaces, the Museum Zone will showcase programmes inspired by the area’s rich history. Zone 1 stretches from Funan to CHIJMES, featuring experiences that include a creative craft market at Capitol Singapore and interactive installations within the historic grounds of CHIJMES. Zone 2 extends from Cathay Green to Waterloo Centre, highlighting performances, exhibitions and participatory experiences presented by arts groups and educational institutions. Zone 3, anchored by Bras Basah Complex and Stamford Arts Centre, celebrates Singapore’s living heritage through xinyao performances, traditional arts and community led activations.
Festival visitors can expect a packed programme of projection mapping displays, immersive installations, live performances, experiential activities and festival villages offering food and retail experiences, with each zone presenting its own interpretation of the myths and legends that continue to shape the district.
One of the festival’s key new initiatives is the inaugural MALAM Projection Mapping Competition, which provides a platform for artists, students and creative collectives across Southeast Asia to showcase their work. Supported by Epson, the competition attracted nearly 50 submissions from around the region. The top 20 entries will be projected onto the façade of The Cathay during the festival’s opening week, while the five winning works will remain on display throughout the event.
Singapore Night Festival 2026 will also host ALIGHT 2.0, its thought leadership platform dedicated to projection mapping and light-based art. The conference is expected to welcome around 100 participants and will feature keynote presentations, panel discussions and networking sessions with leading regional creatives. Speakers include Michiyuki Ishita, Founder and General Producer of the internationally recognised 1minute Projection Mapping Competition and Representative Director of the Projection Mapping Association of Japan, Malaysian new media artist Abdul Shakir, and Indonesian multimedia artist collective The Fox, The Folks.
Among the festival’s signature experiences is Tales of Earth and Sea, an immersive production combining projection mapping and street theatre at the National Museum of Singapore during the opening weekend. Created by Indonesian multimedia collective The Fox, The Folks, the work reimagines local folklore through spectacular visuals accompanied by an original soundtrack developed by Singapore’s Artusik and Universiti Teknologi MARA Malaysia. Sharing the spotlight is the Southeast Asian debut of Birdmen by Dutch theatre company Close Act Theatre, featuring illuminated stilt walkers inspired by mythical bird-like creatures that interact with audiences throughout the performance.
Visitors can also embark on The Lost Legacy of Fort Canning: The Forbidden Hill, a 70-minute guided night trail through Fort Canning Park that uncovers the myths and mysteries surrounding Bukit Larangan. Featuring atmospheric soundscapes and live traditional Malay dance performances, the experience transports audiences into the world of 14th century Singapura.
Historic landmarks and public spaces across the precinct will also be transformed through a diverse collection of installations. At Armenian Street Lawn, local creative studio TELL YOUR CHILDREN presents Vikings of the Tropics, inspired by the maritime myths of the La Galigo epic and the Bugis seafaring tradition. Capitol Singapore Outdoor Plaza will host Once Upon A Time, a community artwork by weaver and upcycling artist Natalia Tan created with students from local schools using recycled textiles and retired uniforms to promote biodiversity conservation through stories such as Sang Kancil and Sang Buaya.
Singapore Management University Campus Green will feature several installations, including The Dragon’s Tooth: A Legend of Becoming Light by Starlight Alchemy, You and I, Believing… by the Yellow Ribbon Community Arts Festival Committee 2026, and Traces by Filipino artist Isaiah Cacnio, inspired by the legend of the Singapore Stone.
The festival also extends beyond the core precinct into nearby CapitaLand malls including Bugis Street, Funan, Plaza Singapura and Raffles City Singapore. Highlights include Inter Light by local artist Ching Kai at Raffles City, Rising of Sister Islands by SERIAL CO_ at Funan, THE BLOOMING HEARTS FORTUNE MERLION by UNIPLAY at Plaza Singapura, and Stormy Straits by the Melting Po(r)t Collective at Bugis Street Art Lane, which recreates Singapore’s seafaring past through immersive light installations. Festivalgoers can also discover Lovebug, a large-scale installation by ART ZOO in collaboration with the National Library Board that celebrates local myths surrounding native wildlife and plants.
In conjunction with the festival and Singapore’s National Day celebrations, the inaugural Light Together Bras Basah Bugis programme will debut with four additional installations inspired by local myths, superstitions and everyday folklore, adding another layer of creativity to the festival experience.
Most Singapore Night Festival 2026 programmes will be free to the public. Powered by Official Sponsors Accenture and Adobe, the festival’s official website will feature an interactive map and personalised visitor trails during the event, making it easier for audiences to explore the many experiences spread across the Bras Basah Bugis precinct.
