The annual Singapore Arts Festival is one of the most significant events in the arts scene of this region. Inaugurated in 1977 as a regional showcase celebrating the local arts of the diverse community in Singapore, the festival is organised by the National Arts Council. Usually held stretching for a whole month during the mid of the year, the event incorporates music, dance and theatre arts with the participation of local and international artists.

Over the years the event has played a catalytic and symbiotic role in the progression of the cultural and artistic life of the region. It has played a major role in the transformation of the city’s landscape, developing it to one of the main cultural capitals in Asia. The works of many artists were influenced by it whilst generating an ever growing public demand for the arts and other aspects that help strengthen the vivacious cultural scene in the modern Singapore.

The arts festival has been gradually formed into an international and interactive showcase of ideas, discourse and art with a unique Asian flavour. Popular for its innovative discussions between contemporary art and vernacular, the festival went through some significant changes in 2010. A vital participation programme was added to the event with the intention of transforming it to a festival of heritage and creativity.

The festival sees a comprehensive and broad range of programmes from contemporary creations to premier classics whilst continuing to play its strategic role as a national platform for the people with a desire for arts as well as a connector in the international festival circuit.