The Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) 2026 returns from 15 to 30 May under the playful tagline “Let’s Play!” — an invitation to lean in with curiosity, embrace the unexpected, and experience the festival with a sense of openness and joy.
Spanning five Festival pillars, SIFA 2026 presents a vibrant constellation of offerings, from bold performances by local and international artists and the return of the beloved Festival Village, to roving presentations that animate the city through play. Best of all, several programmes are eligible for SG Culture Pass credits, making it easier than ever to discover the local arts scene.
Here are five programmes at SIFA 2026 you can enjoy with your SG Culture Pass credits this May.
1. Lush Life
Dates: 29–30 May 2026, 8pm
Venue: Victoria Theatre
Tickets: $48, $68, $88 (SG Culture Pass eligible)
Duration: 2hr 15min (with 15 min intermission)
A groundbreaking new work directed by internationally acclaimed Singapore director Ong Keng Sen, Lush Life brings together two of Singapore’s most iconic creative voices — jazz songbird Jacintha Abisheganaden and pop icon Dick Lee — in a rare, intimate documentary performance. Through personal narratives, archival traces and a live four-piece band, this distilled work paints a dual portrait of artistic and life pursuits, exploring what it means to live a creative life in its most resonant form.
2. Salesman之死
Dates: 15–16 May 2026 (Fri 8pm, Sat 2pm & 8pm)
Venue: Victoria Theatre
Tickets: $38, $58 (SG Culture Pass eligible)
Duration: 2hr
A contemporary reimagining of Arthur Miller’s landmark 1983 Beijing production of Death of a Salesman, this multilingual tale centres on cultural confusion, impossible translation, and unexpected encounters amid the chaos of theatre-making. The production examines language as both bridge and barrier, asking urgent questions about cultural ownership and interpretation.
3. Strangely Familiar《熟悉的陌生》
Dates: 22–24 May 2026 (Fri & Sat 8pm, Sun 2pm)
Venue: Victoria Theatre
Tickets: $38, $48 (SG Culture Pass eligible)
Duration: 1hr 10min
Conceived and directed by T.H.E Dance Company’s Founding Artistic Director Kuik Swee Boon, Strangely Familiar brings together collaborators from Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia and Singapore. Created through Kuik’s signature HollowBody methodology, the work explores themes of coexistence, healing and our capacity to live with what we create in an era of relentless change.
4. Makan Culture
Dates: 15–17, 20–24, 28–30 May 2026 (sessions at 6pm, 8pm & 10pm)
Venue: Empress Lawn
Tickets: $20 (SG Culture Pass eligible)
Duration: 50min per session
A vibrant interactive performance celebrating Singapore’s beloved dishes through live performance including object puppetry, music, and theatre. A “culture critic” disrupts the celebration, sparking a lively debate about what elevates food and art, while performers explore each dish’s story and the richness of tradition and personal narratives behind them.
5. Last Rites
Dates: 22–23 May 2026 (Fri 8pm, Sat 2pm & 8pm)
Venue: SOTA Studio Theatre
Tickets: $38 (SG Culture Pass eligible)
Duration: 1hr 30min
Directed by Liu Xiaoyi, Last Rites brings together five veteran Asian performance artists — with an average age of 74 — from Indonesia, Japan, Korea and Singapore for a cross-cultural theatrical experience. The work confronts themes of artistic legacy, weaving together narratives of perseverance, conviction and heritage through in-depth conversations with these remarkable artists.
SIFA 2026 Festival Details
Festival dates: 15 to 30 May 2026
Tagline: “Let’s Play!”
Website: www.sifa.sg
For more arts and culture events in Singapore, check out other lifestyle highlights on Little Big Red Dot.
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