TEMALANG: A Celebration of Dikir Singapura, Esplanade

Fifty years of dikir barat, and nobody is keeping score.

If you only know dikir barat from school competitions, TEMALANG on Saturday 31 October is the easy, free way to hear what it sounds like when nobody is being judged. Esplanade's one-day festival marks 50 years of the form in Singapore, and its stated aim is to present dikir barat as a living art form rather than only a contest: a call-and-response tradition with a lead singer, the tukang karut, trading lines with a seated chorus who sing and clap in tight, fast unison.

There are six free programmes. Teroka Spontan with Mohd Suhaimi Ibrahim looks at the craft of the tukang karut, whose improvised verses are the heart of a performance. Madah & Melodi is a song-writing masterclass with Zainal Ismail. Tradisi & Transformasi is a talk on how the form has changed in Singapore. SENADA-KUSTIK plays the dikir hits of the past decade, and the main showcase, TEMALANG: Echoes of Heritage, Rhythms of Today, closes the day.

For families, Gema & Gaya is the one to find: a drop-in session Esplanade says is open to visitors of all ages, where you clap and respond instead of sitting still. Esplanade hasn't published the times on the festival page, so check the individual listings before you set out, and plan to arrive for the drop-in first and stay for the showcase.

It is presented by Norazam Hakub of Andika Kencana and the Singapore Dikir Barat Federation. On a Saturday that is also Halloween, it is the most Singaporean free thing in town, and the only one where the audience is expected to join in.

Good to know Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, 1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore 038981. Saturday 31 October 2026. Free; no tickets. The showcase, TEMALANG: Echoes of Heritage, Rhythms of Today, is at 7.45pm in the Esplanade Concert Hall (moved from the Outdoor Theatre), about 1 hour 30 minutes with no interval, in Malay, for ages 6 and above, first come, first served, doors about 30 minutes before. Gema & Gaya, the drop-in dikir barat session on the Concourse, starts at 4pm for 2 hours and is open to all ages. Nearest MRT: Esplanade or City Hall.

TEMALANG: A Celebration of Dikir Singapura, Esplanade | Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, 1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore 038981 | Nearest MRT: Esplanade; City Hall