Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts 2026

A quarter-century of Indian arts by the bay, celebrated the obvious way: a Bollywood night.

Book one ticketed night and treat the rest as a free post-work stroll: that is the way to do Kalaa Utsavam, Esplanade's Indian festival of arts, which reaches its 25th edition from 20 to 29 November. The headliner is a Bollywood night with the composing duo Sachin-Jigar, making their Singapore debut, and it is the one to book early if you know the songs. The compromise is choice: music, dance, theatre and comedy are spread across ten days, so pick by what you like before you look at dates.

For dance, Aakash Odedra Company appears twice: the dance-theatre piece Songs of the Bulbul on 20 November and Ether to Earth on 22 November. Carnatic music is on the bill too, for anyone who would rather spend the evening on a raga than a remix.

For theatre, HuM Theatre's Rafta Rafta runs from 18 to 22 November, starting before the festival officially opens, so check the date on your ticket. Closer to home, the Esplanade-commissioned comedy Bedok to Bollywood plays on 27 and 28 November (the title does a fair bit of the work).

You don't need a ticket for some of it. Esplanade says its public spaces will host free music, dance and community programmes throughout the festival, which makes a walk along the bay after work a reasonable way to sample it. Ticketed shows carry their own age guidance, so check each one before you bring the children.

Esplanade opened on 12 October 2002, so the festival has been part of nearly every year of the building's life. Book the nights you care about now, then drop in on the free programmes whenever the evening allows.

Good to know 20–29 November 2026 at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, 1 Esplanade Drive (nearest MRT: Esplanade or City Hall). Free programmes run in the public spaces; check Esplanade's site for ticketed show times and prices.

Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts 2026 | Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, 1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore 038981 | Nearest MRT: Esplanade, City Hall