# Singapore Writers Festival 2026

> Ten days of talks, panels, workshops, literary walks and performances across the Arts District and islandwide, 13–22 Nov 2026; Festival Pass S$30, keynotes S$25–35.

## Key facts

- **Status:** Scheduled
- **When:** Fri, 13 Nov – Sun, 22 Nov 2026 (Singapore time, UTC+08:00)
- **Start:** 2026-11-13T00:00:00+08:00
- **End:** 2026-11-22T23:59:00+08:00
- **Venue:** [The Arts House at the Old Parliament](https://kakiout.com/singapore/venues/the-arts-house-at-the-old-parliament.md), 1 Old Parliament Lane, Singapore 179429, Singapore 179429
- **Price:** S$15 – S$35
- **Ticket availability:** Tickets on sale (as of 2026-11-08)
- **Organiser:** Arts House Group
- **Categories:** Talks & Conferences, Cultural Festivals
- **Page:** https://kakiout.com/singapore/events/singapore-writers-festival-2026
- **Calendar:** https://kakiout.com/singapore/events/singapore-writers-festival-2026.ics

## About

Singapore Writers Festival 2026 runs from 13 to 22 November, organised by Arts House Group. This year's programme explores how "truth" can be constructed, reinterpreted or concealed in literature and beyond ([Arts House Group, accessed 8 Nov 2026](https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/)). Most sessions take place at The Arts House at the Old Parliament, Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall, Asian Civilisations Museum and National Gallery Singapore, with further programmes at libraries, bookstores, parks and heritage sites ([Arts House Group, accessed 8 Nov 2026](https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/venues)). A Festival Pass opens more than 100 programmes, while keynotes and some other sessions are ticketed separately ([Arts House Group, accessed 8 Nov 2026](https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/festival-passes-tickets)).

## What is on

The festival mixes panel conversations, lectures and masterclass talks, meet-the-author sessions, workshops, literary walks, games, children's storytelling and performances, in English, Chinese, Bahasa Melayu and Tamil, with live interpretation or translation at selected sessions ([Arts House Group, accessed 8 Nov 2026](https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/)). Examples include a conversation on writing about Asia for a global market (14 Nov, 8pm, Victoria Theatre), a poetry game night with Ella Frears (14 Nov, 8.30pm, Arts House Annex), a session on the continuity and change of rural China in Chinese (15 Nov, 10.30am) and a translation masterclass with Jeremy Tiang (21 Nov, 1pm) ([Arts House Group, accessed 8 Nov 2026](https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/)). Free programmes and a festival bookstore with signings after many sessions are also part of the line-up ([Arts House Group, accessed 8 Nov 2026](https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/programmes/resisting-the-exotic-writing-about-asia-for-the-world))

## Keynote talks

Three festival keynotes are ticketed individually at Victoria Theatre: Stephen Witt on his book The Thinking Machine and the rise of Nvidia (13 Nov, 7.30–8.30pm, S$25), Amitav Ghosh on how writers can reimagine a planetary future (14 Nov, 1.30–2.30pm, S$35, listed as selling fast on 8 Nov) and Silvia Moreno-Garcia on writing between the real and the unreal (21 Nov, 1.30–2.30pm, S$25) ([Arts House Group, accessed 8 Nov 2026](https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/programmes/festival-keynote-talk-amitav-ghosh-a-writers-reimagining-of-our-planetary-future))

## Venues

The main hubs are The Arts House at the Old Parliament (1 Old Parliament Lane), Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall (9 Empress Place), Asian Civilisations Museum (1 Empress Place) and National Gallery Singapore (1 St Andrew's Road). Satellite venues include the National Library Building, Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, Indian Heritage Centre, Funan, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Capella Singapore on Sentosa, several public libraries and independent bookstores ([Arts House Group, accessed 8 Nov 2026](https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/venues))

## Tickets and how to buy

A Festival Pass costs S$30 and a Youth Pass S$15 (student card required), excluding the BookMyShow booking fee. Each opens more than 100 pass programmes, including panels, talks and readings. Entry to pass programmes is first-come-first-served and the pass is non-refundable and non-exchangeable. Pass holders get 15% off individually ticketed programmes. Passes can be bought online or at the SWF Ticketing Counter during the festival, and are issued electronically as a QR code scanned at each venue ([Arts House Group, accessed 8 Nov 2026](https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/festival-passes-tickets)). Some SG Culture Pass credits can be used for selected programmes ([Arts House Group, accessed 8 Nov 2026](https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/faq))

## Festivalgoer perks and fringe events

Showing a pass or e-ticket gives discounts at participating venues from 13 to 22 November, such as 10% off food and drinks at NSSR and 10% off the à la carte menu at Brasserie Astoria ([Arts House Group, accessed 8 Nov 2026](https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/festivalgoer-perks)). Before the festival, SWF pop-ups ran at malls from 10 Oct to 5 Nov, and in-conjunction programmes by partners include poems displayed at Caldecott and MacPherson MRT stations ([Arts House Group, accessed 8 Nov 2026](https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/swf-in-conjunction))

## Good to know

- **Dates:** 13–22 Nov 2026
- **Main venues:** The Arts House at the Old Parliament; Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall; Asian Civilisations Museum; National Gallery Singapore
- **Passes:** Festival Pass S$30; Youth Pass S$15 (student card required); excludes booking fee
- **Entry:** Pass programmes are first-come-first-served; bring your QR code

## Ticket prices

| Category | Price |
|---|---|
| Festival Pass | S$30 |
| Youth Pass | S$15 |
| Keynote: Stephen Witt (13 Nov) | S$25 |
| Keynote: Amitav Ghosh (14 Nov) | S$35 |
| Keynote: Silvia Moreno-Garcia (21 Nov) | S$25 |

## Sessions

- 2026-11-13T19:30:00+08:00 (Keynote: Stephen Witt, The Thinking Machine (Victoria Theatre))
- 2026-11-14T13:30:00+08:00 (Keynote: Amitav Ghosh, planetary future (Victoria Theatre))
- 2026-11-14T20:00:00+08:00 (Resisting the Exotic: Writing About Asia for the World)
- 2026-11-20T20:00:00+08:00 (Firasat: a dikir performance (Victoria Theatre))
- 2026-11-21T13:30:00+08:00 (Keynote: Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Victoria Theatre))

## Getting there

- MRT: City Hall (NS25/EW13), ~10 min walk 
- MRT: Raffles Place (NS26/EW14), ~10 min walk 
- MRT: Clarke Quay (NE5), ~15 min walk 
- MRT: Esplanade (CC3), ~15 min walk 
- MRT: Fort Canning (DT20), ~15 min walk 
City Hall (NS25/EW13) and Raffles Place (NS26/EW14) stations are about a 10-minute walk; Clarke Quay (NE5), Esplanade (CC3) and Fort Canning (DT20) are about 15 minutes. Bus stops nearby include Supreme Court (02181), Opposite The Treasury (04241), High St Ctr (04229), Esplanade Drive after Esplanade MRT Exit D (02029) and Fullerton Sq (03011) ([Arts House Group, accessed 8 Nov 2026](https://artshousegroup.sg/tah))

## Sources

- [Singapore Writers Festival 2026](https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/) — Arts House Group  (accessed 2026-11-08)
- [Festival Passes & Tickets](https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/festival-passes-tickets) — Arts House Group  (accessed 2026-11-08)
- [Venues](https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/venues) — Arts House Group  (accessed 2026-11-08)
- Last verified: 2026-11-08T13:38:25+08:00
- Last updated: 2026-11-08T13:38:26+08:00