Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) 2026 — 'Let's Play!' Runs 15-30 May Across 5 Festival Pillars

The Festival Village is at the historic Empress Lawn, the open-air space directly in front of the Asian Civilisations Museum (1 Empress Place) along the Singapore River. It's free to enter and the most-photogenic open SIFA pillar — concerts and performances against the National Monument backdrop. Easiest access: Raffles Place MRT (NS26/EW14) Exit H → 7 min walk via Cavenagh Bridge, or City Hall MRT (NS25/EW13) Exit A → 10 min walk via Connaught Drive. Festival Village runs the full 16 days with rotating daily programmes typically 5pm-10:30pm.

Top picks across budgets: (1) **Hedda Gabler** by the National Theater Company of Korea (~S$48-78) — a reimagining of Ibsen's classic with Korean staging conventions, the headline international ticket. (2) **Hamlet** by Peruvian company Teatro La Plaza (~S$38-58) — Hamlet performed entirely by a cast of actors with Down syndrome, the most talked-about international booking of the season. (3) **Jacintha Abisheganaden showcase** at Festival Stage — homegrown jazz vocalist's commissioned production, mid-festival weekend. For free options: any Festival Village evening will deliver a strong sample without spending. Book Hedda + Hamlet 7-10 days ahead to avoid sold-out.

Yes — selected SIFA 2026 programmes are SG Culture Pass eligible. The SG Culture Pass is the S$100 voucher all eligible Singaporeans (born 1979 or earlier as of 2024) received for use on local arts experiences from 2024-2028. Eligible SIFA programmes are tagged at the booking page on sifa.sg. Typical SG Culture Pass value: $30-60 saved on a Festival Stage ticket. Check your remaining Pass balance via the SingPass app under 'Culture Pass'. Note: not all SIFA programmes accept the Pass — Festival Village free programmes obviously don't need it, and some international co-productions may be excluded.

Yes — Festival House is the family-friendly pillar specifically designed for ages 5+. Programmes include hands-on workshops, interactive installations, and scheduled family-friendly performances (typically 1-2 hours, no late nights). Festival Play!Ground also has accessible interactive works that work for older kids 8+. The mainstream Festival Stage productions (Hedda Gabler, Hamlet, dance productions with holography) are NOT for under-12s — content / pacing / language are adult-oriented. Festival Village is fine for all ages but late evening (8pm+) skews older. For ages 5-12, target Festival House programmes specifically — they're often free or low-cost.