Dates: 13–22 Nov 2026 · daily 9am to 10pm (weekdays from 10am; times vary by programme)
The Singapore Writers Festival takes over the Civic District for ten days from 13 November. This year’s theme, Hidden in Plain Sight, looks at how truth is built, bent or hidden in writing. There are panels, readings, book launches and family programmes in English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil, with The Arts House at the Old Parliament as the main base.
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At a glance
Neighbourhood
Civic District
Best for
Readers, writers, students and families
Budget
Festival Pass S$30; Youth Pass S$15; many free programmes
Time to allow
An evening or a full weekend day
Nearest MRT
City Hall, Raffles Place or Clarke Quay (suggestion)
Good to know
Pass entry is first come, first served
Why go?
One pass gets you into more than 100 talks and readings.
Free programmes and family sessions make it easy to drop in.
What to do
01 · Passes and tickets
Festival Pass S$30 and Youth Pass S$15 (students; bring your student card), both plus a BookMyShow fee. They cover 100+ pass programmes and give 15% off separately ticketed shows.
Students, NSFs and seniors 55 and up get 20% off. Some programmes are free, some need registration.
02 · Opening night, 13 November
The festival opens with a keynote talk by Stephen Witt at Victoria Theatre at 7.30pm, followed by talks, a book launch and a comedy session at The Arts House and the Asian Civilisations Museum.
03 · Where it happens
The Arts House at the Old Parliament (1 Old Parliament Lane), Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall (9 Empress Place) and the Asian Civilisations Museum, with some pop-ups beyond the Civic District. More reading spots are in our bookworms guide.
Plan your visit
Address
The Arts House at the Old Parliament, 1 Old Parliament Lane, Singapore 179429, and other Civic District venues
Opening hours
13 to 22 November 2026; programmes from 9am or 10am to 10pm, varying by day
Getting there
City Hall, Raffles Place or Clarke Quay MRT (suggestion)
Tickets or booking
Passes and tickets online via BookMyShow or at the SWF ticketing counter
Accessibility
See SWF’s accessibility page
Before you go
- Have your digital pass QR code ready to scan at each venue.
- Passes are non-refundable and non-transferable.
- Check the full schedule; it was updated on 21 October and may change.
- SG Culture Pass credits can be used on eligible programmes (see SWF FAQ).
The Arts House
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Sources and disclosure
Information checked: 21 October 2026 · Singapore Writers Festival 2026 · SWF – Festival Pass and tickets · SWF – Full programme schedule · SWF – Venues
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors, used under the licences shown in each caption (images resized): Frank Schulenburg (CC BY-SA 4.0); Balon Greyjoy (CC0); Basile Morin (CC BY-SA 4.0); Dietmar Rabich (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Disclosure: Not a firsthand visit. Details come from the official pages linked below, checked on 21 October 2026. Photos are freely licensed from Wikimedia Commons and show the actual place unless the caption says otherwise. We weren’t paid or hosted, and there are no affiliate links.