It’s that time of the year again, where Singapore’s downtown district becomes even more dazzling than usual. Singapore Night Festival 2026 is here, with breathtaking projection shows, plenty of art displays and sculptures that are as meaningful as they are mesmerising, and photo ops galore.
Before the festivities kick off on 21st August, here’s a sneak peek at some highlights. There’s even a vintage horror movie fest that horror junkies won’t want to miss!
The crowning jewel of every Singapore Night Festival, this year’s projection mapping display showcase is titled Tales Of Earth & Sea. Cast upon the National Museum of Singapore’s facade is a colourful and rousing telling of local folklore. Our nation’s history, myths, and legends are brought to life in this awe-inspiring display, amplified by an original soundtrack.
Keep your eyes peeled for special appearances by the roaming Birdmen, stilt-walking puppet performers from Dutch theatre company, Close-Act Theatre who have made headlines with their otherworldly form.
Date: 21st Aug-5th Sep
Time: 7.30pm-12am
Admission: Free
Venue: National Museum of Singapore
Photo-worthiness aside, this light sculpture tells the tale of how Bugis seafarers back in the 1800s braved treacherous waters and hazardous monsoon winds.
The glowing cloud-like sculptures, coupled with moving shadow projections, signify the stormy conditions which sailors of yesteryear had to navigate. There are also interactive elements to the sculpture – illuminated platforms for guests to “seek refuge” from the crowd, similar to how conquerors of Singapore’s maritime history would sail towards lighthouses to escape the elements.
Date: 21st Aug-5th Sep
Time: 7.30pm-12am
Admission: Free
Venue: Bugis Street Art Lane
This sculpture is an adorably patriotic reimagination of the maneki-neko, or prosperity cat as most of us probably know it. Besides being a cute photo op, the mechanical sculpture – standing at 2.8 metres tall – is actually made sustainably and bears a deeper meaning to Singapore’s history.
The Merlion is our country’s official mascot, there’s no doubt about that. But this particular sculpture also alludes to the OG Merlion’s location: Singapore River, which was once majorly polluted before the modernisation of national sanitation systems.
As a tribute to how far Singapore has come in the journey to becoming a clean and green Garden City, 50% of the Fortune Merlion is made out of recycled PET bottle flakes.
Date: 21st Aug-5th Sep
Time: 7.30pm-12am
Admission: Free
Venue: Plaza Singapura
Horror buffs will be thrilled by the vintage film screenings happening at Oldham Theatre, located within the National Archives of Singapore building. It’s your chance to check out a curated series of horror flicks said to be from the golden age of cinema across Southeast Asia.
One of the movies that will be screened is Tiger Stripes, which won the Critics’ Week Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
Not only will you be scared silly, your moviegoing experience will be brought to the next level with special post-screening showcases highlighting behind-the-scenes factoids.
Date: 22nd-23rd Aug, 29th-30th Aug, 5th Sep
Time: 7.30pm-9pm
Admission: $10 per screening
Venue: Oldham Theatre
Of course, there’ll be a bevy of other aesthetic installations and thought-provoking artworks dotted through the district. A modern art piece titled Traces is one, situated on the SMU Campus Green and showcasing the fragments of Singapore’s past through an abstract form. Then you have the cutesy Lovebug installation at NLB Plaza, which weaves in national and regional flora and fauna through playful dotted motifs and bold colour palettes.
Other locations to chance upon artwork include Raffles City Shopping Centre, Capitol Plaza, and Funan’s kinetic wall. It’s an ambitious itinerary if you’re planning to course through every event highlight in a single evening, so we’d recommend splitting it up over multiple nights to give each exhibit the time and attention it deserves.
This year’s edition of Singapore Night Festival is set to be a treat not just visually, but mentally stimulating and food for the soul too. Course through exhibits that combine gorgeous works of art with contemplations of sustainability, nature, and our nation’s storied past. It’s a great way to spend the evening if you’re looking for new things to do after dinner!
All images courtesy of Singapore Night Festival.
There’s even a vintage horror movie screening at Oldham Theatre.
Free after-dark makeover for heritage buildings this National Day!
If you haven't been able to visit a normal cinema for fear of your tot…
Confirm kena scratched bumper.
Discover new ways to contribute that actually feel meaningful to you.
Skip the VPNs and dodgy streaming sites.