Esplanade‘s children’s festival Octoburst! is back at the arts centre on Children’s Day, Friday 2 October 2026, and every programme is free. It returns after a year away: the festival could not take place at Esplanade in 2025 because of the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix.
Twelve free programmes sit under the 2026 festival. Two are for schools only, and nine are open to the public on Friday, from a 10am start at the Concourse to an 8pm concert at the DBS Foundation Outdoor Theatre. Children’s Day is a scheduled school holiday for primary schools only. All programmes are in English.
Morning: choir, sports day and paper flowers
The Joyful Voices Children’s Choir sings Disney and musical favourites in a 30-minute set at the Esplanade Concourse at 10.30am.
Come and Play: Sports Day, led by Singapore artist Cheryl Ho, is a non-competitive games session of 45 minutes on the Esplanade Lawn outside the Singtel Waterfront Theatre. It runs four times, at 10am, 11.45am, 3pm and 5.15pm, and is recommended for ages 6 and above.
The Color-Your-Mood Flower Studio by WahSoSimple is a free-and-easy craft table at the Concourse from 10am to 6pm. Children pick paper petals in colours that match a feeling and fold them into a flower to take home. Admission is from age 2, with 5 and above recommended, and children aged 2 and younger need one parent or guardian with them.
Stories and roving music through the afternoon
The Story Keeper’s Room is one of the festival’s two new commissions, made with Zip Zap Zoom Collective. The Esplanade White Room is open from 10am to 6pm to browse stories written by preschool and primary school pupils from across Singapore, with live storytelling at 12pm, 2pm, 3.30pm and 5pm. No tickets are issued and seats go first come, first served. The installation moves to PIP’s PLAYbox from 3 October to 1 November.
Riff Raff Glitter Noise, with musicians Tan Weiying, Liz Sergeant Tan and Rudi Osman, is a 30-minute roving set that turns children’s moves and sounds into music, at 11am, 2pm and 4.30pm, for ages 3 and above. Pocketful of Songs plays folk songs on ukulele and keyboard in Sing, Strum and Giggle at 1.15pm, and The Voice Company sings Roald Dahl stories in From Page to Stage at 4pm, both on the Concourse.
Evening: a dance party and The Feelings Farm
Groovers 645, a one-hour family dance party with Safuan Johari, starts at 6.45pm at the Concourse.
The Feelings Farm: Live in Concert has two 30-minute shows at the DBS Foundation Outdoor Theatre, at 6pm and 8pm. The songs come from the musical by Amanda Chong and Julian Wong, first commissioned by Esplanade for March On in 2021. Pam Oei replaces Ethel Yap, who has withdrawn, alongside Shafiqhah Efandi, Nadya Zaheer and Marcus Cheong, with Julian Wong and Feri Susanto accompanying.
A Universe In Sounds, a 30-minute sound and movement session for children aged 3 and above, runs at PIP’s PLAYbox on 3 and 4 October at 11.30am, 12.30pm, 3.15pm, 4.15pm and 5.15pm. Entry is for children with one adult each and is open to Esplanade&Me members, including the free Discover tier.
Esplanade is at 1 Esplanade Drive, served by Esplanade MRT on the Circle Line and City Hall MRT on the North-South and East-West lines. Outdoor programmes may be delayed, moved or adjusted if it rains.
