Singapore Night Festival 2025: Where Island Nights Come Alive

As the waters around Singapore have long connected our island to faraway shores, so too have the stories, cultures, and exchanges they carried shaped our identity. This year, those rich currents of connection will flow through the Bras Basah.Bugis precinct as Singapore Night Festival 2025 returns from 22 August to 6 September. Marking its 16th edition and its first under the helm of HeritageSG, the festival takes on the theme Island Nights, illuminating our history as a bridge between nations in celebration of Singapore’s 60th year of independence.

Three Weekends of Nocturnal Discovery

Over three vibrant weekends, the city’s largest nocturnal arts experience will invite festival-goers to immerse themselves in captivating projection mapping works, luminous Night Lights installations, lively performances, and buzzing festival villages. More than a feast for the senses, the festival offers fresh ways to encounter the island’s heritage and explore the stories of belonging and exchange that continue to shape our present.

Highlight Installations: From Sky Castle to Kampong Chill

Cathay Green will be transformed into a dreamscape with Sky Castle by Australian art and technology studio ENESS. Towering inflatable arches will react to crowd movement in a dynamic symphony of colour and sound, symbolising rainbows after the storm and carrying a message of hope and renewal.

Across the precinct, Kampong Chill by artist duo Yok & Sheryo offers an oasis of calm at Capitol Singapore. Here, festival-goers can relax in a charming pavilion and take part in workshops inspired by island living, offering a slower, more reflective experience amidst the city buzz.

Projection Mapping: Art Meets Architecture

Two iconic landmarks will once again serve as canvases for spectacular projection mapping works. The National Museum of Singapore will feature MOSAIC by French artist Jérémie Bellot, a voyage through constellations and historical maps that reflects on navigation and exploration. Delicate kebaya and batik motifs will honour 60 years of Singapore–France diplomatic ties.

CHIJMES will shine with creations from four local female artists – Adeline Kueh, HAFI, KangLi, and Tororo.aoi – graduates of the SNF Projection Mapping Masterclass led by Malaysia-based Filamen. Their works explore themes from island connectivity to natural beauty, showing how historic architecture can become living storytelling surfaces.

Night Lights, Performances, and Festival Villages

Six glowing Night Lights installations will enliven spaces from Armenian Street to Plaza Singapura, each reimagining the familiar through light and form. Performances will fill the evenings with music, movement, and narrative – from Starlight Alchemy’s LED artistry to Our Songs, Our Stories, which celebrates xinyao, folk, and campus classics. Puppet theatre takes centre stage with Penang’s Ombak Potehi and Paper Monkey Theatre’s adaptation of a classic novel.

The festival villages promise distinct vibes: Paradise Island at Armenian Street and the retro-inspired Retro District at Bugis Street Art Lane, a new addition for 2025. Expect food, retail, and interactive experiences that extend the magic of the night.

Collaborations That Spark Dialogue

This year, SNF partners with The Listening Biennial to explore listening as a creative practice, and launches the inaugural ALIGHT Conference on 21 August, bringing Southeast Asia’s light art community together for talks and workshops. These collaborations reflect HeritageSG’s mission to foster creative exchange and build a sustainable arts ecosystem.

National Day Activations: Celebrating Our Island

From 1 August, the precinct’s National Day Activations will set the festival in motion. Themed Celebrating Our Island, this year’s activations expand beyond building illuminations to include experiential zones inspired by food, flora, fauna, and place. Hidden histories like Sungei Beras Bassa, once nourishing nutmeg plantations, will be brought to life through collaborations with LASALLE College of the Arts and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.

When and Where

Singapore Night Festival 2025 runs from 22 August to 6 September across the Bras Basah.Bugis precinct, with free admission and select ticketed programmes. It is organised by HeritageSG, supported by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and presented with official partners including Bugis Town, Capitol, CHIJMES, and Funan.

As the city lights up under the theme of Island Nights, this year’s festival invites you to wander, wonder, and rediscover the deep connections that bind our island home to the world.