20 Best Performing Arts Venues in Singapore

One of the leading theater companies in Singapore, Chinese Theatre Circle does an excellent English-language workshop on Chinese opera every Friday and Saturday for novices. In addition to their regular performances, which come with either dinner or tea, they sometimes give free demonstrations at places like Clarke Quay.

Singapore's only professional Chinese orchestra is comprised of more than 80 musicians. It stages annual blockbusters, both locally and internationally, that push the boundaries of traditional Chinese music, and it holds free performances to promote appreciation of the genre.

What was once Singapore’s historic Golden Theatre has been transformed into an indie theater space and hangout spot for Singapore’s creative talents. There's always something going on, thanks to an eclectic rotation of films (schedules are released every Tuesday), documentaries, festivals, and themed screenings. The Intermission Bar bar enables you to enjoy a glass of wine or a cold beer during a show. There are also pop-up Projector locations at The Picturehouse.

This multidisciplinary arts center is home to a number of local performing groups, including groundbreaking collectives like Nadi Singapura and New Opera Singapore. Check the website for what’s going on (workshops, performances, classes), and keep an eye out for the annual Aliwal Urban Art Festival and other ad-hoc events. 

This immersive light-and-sound show is staged along a stretch of Siloso Beach, including two sections where you can interact with the light art on the sand. The 15-minute show runs from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm on weekdays, till 10:30 pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Founded in 1988, this dance company (previously known as The Singapore Dance Company) has a repertoire that ranges from classical to contemporary ballet. Periodic performances are held at the Esplanade Theatre, as well as on outdoor stages in Fort Canning Park. It also offers various dance classes catering to different skill levels.

The respected Singapore Film Society, founded in 1958, holds regular screenings of art-house and foreign films. You have to be a member to participate, but membership starts at a reasonable S$15 per month, barely the price of two movie tickets. Everything in Singapore goes through the censors, but they usually let Film Society films go uncut as a gesture to the nation's small but serious film-buff community. (Generally, sexual themes, especially homosexuality, and certain political topics are the first to be cut.)

The Singapore National Youth Orchestra is made up of players under the age of 25. They perform publicly about three times a year, usually in March, June, and November. Check their website for upcoming events and to book tickets.

The popular Singapore Repertory Theatre stages plays and musicals at the KC Arts Center. Its subsidiary, The Little Company, produces children's plays for two age groups (under-5s and 6 to 12 year-olds).

The nearly 100 members of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Singapore's flagship orchestra, regularly deliver a mix of Western classical music and new Asian compositions. Performances are usually held at the Esplanade Concert Hall or Victoria Theatre & Concert Hall.

This popular troupe—founded by renowned cultural Medallion recipient Madam Som Said—offers traditional Malay performances in town several times a year.

This dance group has earned renown for its creative spins on traditional Malay dances.

This theater company puts on original performances, often with a social, sometimes socialist message.

After 30 years at the forefront of Singapore's independent art community, this independent establishment closed its former space on Armenian Street, which had its own theater, art gallery, and dance studio, in 2021. The collective still aims to nurture the city's up-and-coming artists by continuing without a physical space. Check their website to keep abreast of scheduled events, which include short film festivals, art exhibits, experimental theater, and poetry readings.

Under director Ong Keng Sen, this internationally known theater company has staged daring cross-cultural productions, such as Asian versions of King Lear and Desdemona (derived from Othello), and has traveled to Denmark to workshop Hamlet. Workshops, readings and comedy nights, are held regularly on its premises.

A crowd-pleasing multisensory night show about two cranes that journey together through time, this story is told via a larger-than-life water screen programmed with 3-D effects, lasers, robotic water fountains, and spectacular pyrotechnics. For a good view of the stage, dole out extra for the premium seats. Shows take place at 7:40 pm and 8:40 pm nightly. Discounted tickets are available online.