SIFA 2026: Singapore International Festival of Arts Gets Playful

The Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) is back from May 15 to 30, and it is officially hitting the reset button. Under the new direction of feted playwright Chong Tze Chien, we are looking at the start of a bold three-year arc titled Legacy, Roots, and Renaissance. This year is all about Legacy, but forget any ideas of dusty archives or stiff history lessons; the festival is treating our cultural past like a giant playbook that we are invited to pull apart, mess with, and rebuild to see what actually sticks for us today.

What is actually exciting this time around is the “day-to-night” energy they are bringing to the programming. We are moving away from the traditional sit-down theater vibe and into a nearly 24-hour cycle of experiences.

What are we talking about? Well for starters, you could be starting your morning with 6.30am immersive sound experience by the river (yes, that timing is correct), and ending it at a late-night rave at the Festival Village (a staple of the festival during the ‘80s and ‘90s that’s been resurrected). It’s essentially turning the civic district into a social hub where you can drift between interactive art and free performances long after the sun goes down.

Beyond the traditional stage, the festival is also branching out into the heartlands with Festival Play!Ground, bringing massive spectacles like a 25-foot-high aerial net sculpture to Punggol. As observers, we have to say that we welcoming this new approach to SIFA, which some might have found too esoteric or intimidating in years past.

Here, we’ve singled out some works that caught our eye:

Lacrima

What: This is essentially a three-hour deep dive into a Parisian haute couture house. It follows the secret global network of artisans working on a single royal wedding dress, exposing the high stakes and hidden labor of the luxury industry.

Where: Singtel Waterfront Theatre at Esplanade, 8 Raffles Avenue

Where: May 15 – 16 (7.30pm), May 17 (2pm)

Get your tickets here

AUTOMATA: Two Weddings & A Rapture

What: Curated by local art collective Hothouse, AUTOMATA isn’t about robots — it’s a series that looks at how patterns, rituals, and repeated actions shape the way we move and interact. Taking inspiration from real-life traditions and ceremonies, it turns everyday behaviours into a kind of performance, blurring the line between people, space, and technology.

One of the key highlights of AUTOMATA is the show Two Weddings & A Rapture, where a woman recounts two weddings in one week — including a jaw-dropping speech from a new mother-in-law — while hotel staff loop through endless, repetitive tasks. Fog rolls in, a song kicks off, and suddenly, the ordinary becomes hypnotic. Part film, part performance, part trippy reality check, this show messes with your expectations, plays with time, and asks: how do our behaviours, traditions, and anxieties shape the way we move through the world?

Where: Empress Lawn outside Asian Civilisations Museum, 1 Empress Place

When: May 15 – 16, 10pm, entry is free

AUTOMATA: Excess Without Return

What: The festival wraps with AUTOMATA: Excess Without Return, a three-hour closing party by gig promoter Big Duck Music. Expect a line-up of regional acts and an atmosphere that slowly builds from chilled-out vibes to full rave energy — turning the dancefloor into a space to let go, transform, and maybe see our everyday routines in a whole new way.

Where: Empress Lawn outside Asian Civilisations Museum, 1 Empress Place

When: May 30, 9.30pm – 12am, entry is free

Rupture

What: Now this is a special one by the directional art rock band The Observatory. It’s a site-specific sound installation that takes place at dawn (yes really), transforming the Earth’s hidden forces — think volcanoes and seismic shifts — into an immersive soundscape. Inspired by the myth of Prometheus, the work explores the tension between destruction and creation. Using recordings from volcanic sites and real seismic data, the piece unfolds through the night, with sounds that build and collapse like eruptions.

Where: Wayang Stage @ Empress Lawn outside Asian Civilisations Museum, 1 Empress Place

When: May 28, 29, and 30, 6.30am, two hours per session, entry is free

Tempo

What: In this experimental magic show, the everyday turns weird: people fall, stumble, and float like the rules of gravity just took a break. This is part magic, part dance, all mind‑bending. Visual artist and magician Kalle Nio joins forces with choreographer Fernando Melo and musician Samuli Kosminen to twist reality. Clocks skip beats, motions loop, and ordinary actions suddenly feel epic. It’s a show that makes you stop, stare, and wonder what “now” even means.

Where: Drama Centre Theatre, 100 Victoria Street, #03-01, National Library

When: May 16 – 17, 8pm, May 18, 2pm

Get your tickets here

We Live Here

What: Ever notice the tiny rhythms in your daily moves? This one’s all about that. Two movement artists – Li Xie (Singapore) & Lee Ho Young (South Korea) – turn ordinary gestures into a full-on ensemble dance. You’re invited to join in, explore, and see how small actions can spark big connections. No experience needed, just show up and move. It all wraps up in a vibrant outdoor showcase at the Festival Village, turning everyday life into shared moments of empathy and play.

Where: Wayang Stage @ Empress Lawn outside Asian Civilisations Museum, 1 Empress Place

When: May 28 – 30, 8pm, entry is free

Noli Timere

What: Noli Timere is a jaw-dropping aerial show where dance and sculpture come together like you’ve never seen before. Created by choreographer Rebecca Lazier and sculptor Janet Echelman, eight performers move, spin and balance inside a huge floating net sculpture, suspended up to 25 feet above the ground. Set to an original score by JORANE, the performance mixes contemporary dance, circus, and art installation into one mesmerizing experience.

Where: Empress Lawn outside Asian Civilisations Museum, 1 Empress Place, and Punggol Digital District, 88 Punggol Way

When: May 15 – 17 May, 7.15pm & 9:15pm (for the Empress Lawn location)

May 22, 6.30pm & 8.30pm, May 23 – 24, 6.30pm & 8.30pm, May 28 – 29, 6.30pm & 8.30pm (for the Punggol location), entry is free

Strangely Familiar

What: Strangely Familiar is a non-verbal dance production that explores the threshold between human instinct and digital machine invention, directed and choreographed by Kuik Swee Boon, founder of T.H.E Dance Company. The piece explores how bodies react and adapt when physical and virtual worlds collide, creating unexpected interactions and reactions. Co-commissioned by Asia+ Festival (Hong Kong) and SIFA, it’s a striking mix of movement, tech, and performance that feels modern and alive.

Where: Victoria Theatre, 9 Empress Place

When: May 22 – 23, 8pm, and May 24, 2pm

Get your tickets here

Planet [wanderer]

What: Planet [wanderer] is basically a live performance created by choreographer Damien Jalet and scenographer Kohei Nawa where eight dancers move through a stage filled with unusual materials and textures, almost like a playground of shapes. The choreography makes you feel the connection between humans and the Earth—sometimes graceful, sometimes fragile, sometimes intense—showing how we exist in balance with the planet’s forces.

Where: Esplanade Theatre, 1 Esplanade Drive

When: May 29 – 30, 8pm

Get your tickets here