Singapore Writers Festival 2026

The festival is in November. The decision that saves you money comes sooner.

Buy the Festival Pass early, pick three or four sessions and string them into a Civic District day: that is how to get the most from the Singapore Writers Festival, 13 to 22 November. The early-bird rate has closed: the Festival Pass is S$30 and the Youth Pass S$15. The compromise is that one pass doesn't cover everything; some events are ticketed separately, so read the details on the sessions you want most.

This 29th edition runs under the theme 'Hidden in Plain Sight', with more than 200 programmes and over 300 writers, speakers and moderators. It is organised by Arts House Group and commissioned by the National Arts Council.

The line-up has range. Amitav Ghosh is the biggest name, though his keynote on Saturday 14 November has sold out; Tan Twan Eng brings the literary heft, Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Ruha Benjamin pull rather different crowds, and Rachel Smythe and Robin Stevens are names your teenager may know before you do. Jemimah Wei is on the bill, there's a crime fiction track, and the Filipino author Caris Avendaño Cruz is flying in, the Daily Tribune reports. Amitav Ghosh's festival keynote on Saturday 14 November is sold out; Stephen Witt's keynote, on Friday 13 November at 7.30pm (S$25), was still on sale on 11 November.

It is also the last edition under festival director Yong Shu Hoong, so long-time regulars may want to give it a little extra attention.

Sessions are spread across the Civic District: Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall, The Arts House and National Gallery Singapore among them, all a short (occasionally damp) November dash apart, with City Hall MRT nearby. SG Culture Pass credits can be used for selected events.

Leave gaps between sessions for the conversations that start in the queue, and budget for the books you swore you weren't going to buy.

Good to know 13–22 November 2026 across Civic District venues (nearest MRT: City Hall). Festival Pass S$30, Youth Pass S$15 (the early-bird rate has closed); confirm the programme and venue for each session on singaporewritersfestival.com. Amitav Ghosh's keynote (Sat 14 Nov) is sold out; Stephen Witt's (Fri 13 Nov, 7.30pm, S$25) was on sale on 11 November. Some events are ticketed separately; SG Culture Pass credits can be used for selected events.

Singapore Writers Festival 2026 | The Arts House, Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall, National Gallery Singapore and other Civic District venues | Nearest MRT: City Hall