The Defence Collective Festival 2026 takes over three museums on Saturday and Sunday, 14 and 15 November, from 10am to 6pm. Entry and most activities are free, and a S$10 Premium passport unlocks extras like drone flying and gel blaster battles. It lands one weekend before the school holidays start on 21 November, so it is a cheap way to burn off some energy early.
The three venues are Singapore Discovery Centre in Jurong, Singapore Navy Museum near Changi and Singapore Air Force Museum on Airport Road. You can do one, or museum-hop with the passport.
Defence Collective Festival 2026 tickets: free vs the S$10 passport
There are two ticket types on the official ticketing site, with no booking fees.
- Basic (Free Admission), S$0: museum entry and selected festival activities
- Premium (Exclusive Passport), S$10 per person: everything in Basic, plus passport-only activities, a stamp booklet and a festival tote bag
Even the free ticket needs registration for each museum you plan to visit. Passports are non-refundable, and you need one for every person joining the Premium activities, kids included.
With the passport, you pick a collection museum, collect your booklet and tote there, then chase stamps across the museums. Finish the required stamps and you can customise your tote at the DIY booth.
Singapore Discovery Centre: first aid relays and city building
Singapore Discovery Centre at 510 Upper Jurong Road has the longest list of free activities, so it suits families with younger kids.
- Buddy Aid & Casualty Relay: learn basic first aid and carry a buddy to safety
- SDCity in Discovery Land: role-play responders and citizens keeping a neighbourhood safe, for kids under 12
- Mini Tactical Challenge: an obstacle course for young children
- Decode & Deduce, Bridge Building and Signal Relay: puzzle and teamwork games
- Dream City Builder, City Mise en Scene and a Community Art Wall in the lobby
- Stage performances by schools, polytechnics and community groups over both days
Passport holders also get the SDC Gallery Experience, a riddle trail through the galleries, and Target Lane Shooting, a precision challenge.
Singapore Navy Museum: drone rescue and a giant battleship game
Over at Singapore Navy Museum, 112 Tanah Merah Coast Road, the free line-up is spread over three levels.
- Giant Battleship Game on Level 2
- Navy Craft & Badge Making on Level 3
- Build Our Ship Together, a shared message wall on Level 1
- An AI Photobooth that turns your photo into a portrait in uniform
- Future Builder Corner and a Digital Movement Game on Level 3
The passport adds Reach & Rescue, where you fly a drone through a maritime course to drop aid packages, and a compass-themed gallery trail. My bet is the drone course will have the longest queue, so head there first.
Singapore Air Force Museum: flight simulator and RC planes
Singapore Air Force Museum at 400 Airport Road is the one for aviation-mad kids. All of these are free:
- Flight Motion Simulator: try to land an aircraft safely
- Air Space Navigator: fly a remote-controlled aircraft around a course
- Aircraft Design Lab: design and paint a future aircraft
- Kids Uniform Try On: dress up as an airman or airwoman
- Mosaic Workshop, Wings of Strategy and the Defend Our Skies pledge wall
Passport holders get two more: an Air Supply Mission to choose and deliver relief supplies, and a gallery trail about the people who keep Singapore’s skies safe.
Getting there: free shuttles from Boon Lay, Expo and Tampines
Shuttle buses run hourly on both festival days. The official pages list these routes:
- Jurong Point (Boon Lay MRT) to Singapore Discovery Centre: departures 9.45am to 4.45pm, about 15 minutes each way; returns 10.30am to 6.30pm
- Expo MRT (Exit B) to Singapore Navy Museum: departures 10am to 5pm, about 20 to 23 minutes; returns 10.30am to 6.30pm
- Our Tampines Hub (Festive Drive) to Singapore Navy Museum: last pickup 4.30pm, about 20 to 25 minutes; Tampines MRT is roughly a 12-minute walk away
Bus 35 from Bedok Interchange also reaches the Navy Museum, but only on Saturday, 14 November. The Air Force Museum page does not list a shuttle, so plan a cab or check your transit app.
Tips for parents
- Pick one or two museums, since the organisers put an average visit at about two hours each
- Children under five must be with an adult, and some activities are only for kids aged 12 and below
- Register for every museum you plan to visit, even on a free ticket
- Activities can change or be cancelled without notice, so check the museum page the night before
Planning the rest of the holidays? The Grandparents’ Day programme at the National Museum is the following Saturday, and Downtown East’s free Christmas shows start on 16 November.
