Arts & culture

Gigs, comedy & theatre in Singapore: October and November

Edited by Jamie 15 October 2026

If you have ever complained that nothing comes to Singapore, the run to the end of November would like a word.

The live calendar runs hot from mid-October until the school holidays, and the stadium shows are the ones to sort first. Kallang is the busiest postcode on the island, with BIGBANG and NCT 127 on the same October weekend and My Chemical Romance, Guns N' Roses and a K-pop double bill in November. The smaller rooms are where the fun is too: Silica Gel at the Esplanade Annexe Studio, yung kai at Capitol Theatre and ARTBAT inside the old Pasir Panjang Power Station.

Comedy has rarely been this well stocked. Just For Laughs Singapore runs until 1 December, with Trevor Noah, Dara O Briain, Atsuko Okatsuka and an all-star gala, while the Sands Comedy Season brings Mark Lee to Marina Bay Sands. On stage, Wild Rice has both a chaotic short-play marathon and its year-end panto, Cats and The Nutcracker take over Sands Theatre, and SRT tackles school-gate politics in Eureka Day.

Book the big shows early rather than hoping, and buy from official channels only: several venues warn that resold tickets will not be honoured.

Valid Sunday 11 October 2026 – Monday 30 November 2026 · Refreshed monthly

The roundup

1. Junior and the Holiday Magic
21 Oct-21 Nov · Bugis
The Little Company, SRT's children's theatre arm, puts on its latest show for little ones at Drama Centre Theatre. It is the easy first theatre trip for three-year-olds and up, and a gentler outing than anything else on this list. Pick a session that doesn't clash with nap time, and arrive early enough for a toilet stop.
2. Cats
29 Oct–22 Nov · Marina Bay
The Jellicle Ball comes to Sands Theatre, and it is the crowd-pleaser on this list for a three-generation outing: the grandparents know the songs, the theatre kids know the moves. Book early if you need a block of seats together, and check current prices on the official page.
3. Monkey Goes West
12 Nov-27 Dec · Civic District
Wild Rice's family panto is back after a decade, reimagined by Ivan Heng, with songs, wushu and magic at Funan. It is the family show of the season and the one to book for the school holidays. Previews from 12 November are the cheaper way in, if you don't mind seeing it before the run has fully settled.

4. Morgan Jay and the Just For Laughs All Star Gala
13-15 Nov · Marina Bay
Morgan Jay's Goofy Guy Tour plays the Esplanade Theatre, then Fadzri Rashid hosts a gala of comics from across the region. The gala is the best-value way to sample several acts in one night, and the pick for a group that can't agree on a single comic.
5. SSO Family Film Favourites
Sat 14 & Sun 15 Nov · Civic District
An hour of film music, relaxed rules and no interval at Victoria Concert Hall, which is exactly the right shape for a young child's first concert. There are four sessions; the 11am ones suit small fry best, before the afternoon slump. Let them hum along; that is what relaxed rules are for.
6. 5 Seconds of Summer
Mon 16 Nov · one-north
5 Seconds of Summer bring their latest world tour to The Star Theatre. A Monday night to sing like it is your school days again, and to feel it a little on Tuesday morning. Go with whoever you used to play them with.
7. Eureka Day
18-29 Nov · Robertson Quay
SRT stages the comedy about a progressive school's vaccine-policy meltdown at KC Arts Centre, a comedy about why you should never read the comments. Anyone who has survived a parents' group chat will recognise the room. It is the play on this list most likely to start an argument on the way home, which is the point. Check SRT's site for prices.
8. Dara O Briain: Re:Creation
Fri 20 Nov, 8pm · Civic District
Dara O Briain plays Capitol Theatre for Just For Laughs. A big name in a 1930s picture palace is the best room-to-comic ratio of the season, and the pick if Trevor Noah's arena feels too big. Book early, and make a night of it with dinner around the Capitol complex.
9. Kalaa Utsavam
20-29 Nov · Marina Bay
Esplanade's 25th Indian festival of arts brings Sachin-Jigar's Singapore debut, Aakash Odedra Company's dance and the local comedy Bedok to Bollywood, plus free shows by the bay. If you only do one thing, make it the free programme on a weeknight; book Sachin-Jigar if you know your film songs.
10. Joji, Simple Plan and Khalid
21-24 Nov · Kallang
Joji plays two nights at Arena @ Expo, Simple Plan revive pop-punk at the Indoor Stadium and Khalid plays The Star Theatre, all within a few days of each other. Pick one: three venues across the island in four nights is a lot even for the committed. Check dates and prices on each official ticketing page.
Illustration
11. Guns N' Roses
Wed 25 Nov · Kallang
One night only at the National Stadium, with Axl, Slash and Duff. Shows often run past three hours, so eat first and plan the journey home for a late finish. If you have waited years for this line-up, it's the gig of the month.
12. Atsuko Okatsuka: The Big Bowl Tour
Wed 25 Nov, 7pm · one-north
The comedian plays The Star Theatre on the same night as Guns N' Roses. If you would rather laugh than headbang, this is your Wednesday, and the better choice for anyone whose ears are already ringing from the month.
13. The Nutcracker
26-29 Nov · Marina Bay
The State Ballet of Georgia brings a 60-strong cast to Sands Theatre: Tchaikovsky's tunes, a little early for Christmas. It is the one to book for a child's first ballet, since everyone already knows the music, and a gentle way to start the season.
14. LE SSERAFIM and BABYMONSTER
Sat 28 & Sun 29 Nov · Kallang
A K-pop double bill to end the month: LE SSERAFIM at Apex @ Expo and BABYMONSTER at the Indoor Stadium. If you want either, buy now from the official channels rather than waiting for a resale; the venues' warning about resold tickets applies here as much as anywhere.
15. The Lemon Stand Comedy Club, any week
Tue-Sat, shows 8pm · Bugis
When the touring names have gone home, Singapore's full-time comedy room on Queen Street keeps going: the club says Tuesdays are open mic and Wednesdays The Kumar Show, with headliners later in the week. It is the answer for any week after the festival ends. Sit near the front only if you are happy to become material.
16. Avenged Sevenfold
Tue 13 Oct · Kallang
Ended. Kept here for the record, not as a recommendation.
Avenged Sevenfold opened the loud fortnight at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Tuesday 13 October, so this one has been and gone. If you missed it, the heavier end of the calendar picks up again in November with My Chemical Romance and Guns N' Roses, both further down this list.
17. Fat Kids Are Harder To Kidnap
16-25 Oct · Civic District
Ended. Kept here for the record, not as a recommendation.
Thirty-one short plays, run in whatever order the audience yells, against a ticking clock. The 18th edition plays at Wild Rice @ Funan, and it is the show on this list for a rowdy group of friends who would rather heckle than hush. Book seats together, find your voice early and check the theatre's site for prices.
Illustration
18. BIGBANG
Sat 17 & Sun 18 Oct · Kallang
Ended. Kept here for the record, not as a recommendation.
Two nights at the National Stadium on the group's 2026–2027 world tour, the second added after the first. For fans the case makes itself; for everyone else, it is a weekend to give Kallang a miss. If you are going, plan the journey home before you leave: NCT 127 are at the Indoor Stadium the same Sunday, so expect a sea of lightsticks and long MRT queues afterwards.
19. ARTBAT
Sat 17 Oct · Pasir Panjang
Ended. Kept here for the record, not as a recommendation.
A DJ night inside the old Pasir Panjang Power Station, and the setting is the reason to go: there aren't many chances to dance inside a decommissioned power station. Check the ticket price on the official page, and sort out your ride home before you go in rather than at the end of the night.
20. NCT 127
Sun 18 Oct · Kallang
Ended. Kept here for the record, not as a recommendation.
Neo City: Singapore – The Redline at the Indoor Stadium, the same night BIGBANG are next door at the National Stadium. Fans will already know; anyone else heading to Kallang that Sunday should allow extra time for the crowds. Check the official ticketing page for current prices.
21. Aaron Chen
Mon 19 Oct, 7pm · Civic District
Ended. Kept here for the record, not as a recommendation.
Just For Laughs Singapore brings Aaron Chen's show Technology to Capitol Theatre. A 1930s picture palace with a zodiac on the dome makes a handsome room for a laugh, and a Monday show is an easy one to fit round work. It is the gentlest way into the festival before the bigger names arrive in November.
22. Silica Gel
Mon 19 Oct · Marina Bay
Ended. Kept here for the record, not as a recommendation.
Silica Gel play the intimate Esplanade Annexe Studio: a small-room gig with big-room ambitions, and the one on this list where you'll stand closest to the band. A small room means few tickets, so buy early, and check the current price on the official page.
23. Trevor Noah: Off The Record
Tue 3 Nov, 8pm · one-north
Ended. Kept here for the record, not as a recommendation.
The headline act of Just For Laughs Singapore plays The Star Theatre: a big room for a big name. If you book one comedy night this season, this is the obvious choice. If you would rather see a comic in a smaller, older room, Dara O Briain at the Capitol later in the month is the alternative.
24. yung kai and LANY
2-4 Nov · Kallang
Ended. Kept here for the record, not as a recommendation.
Two very different early-November nights: yung kai's Asia tour at Capitol Theatre and LANY's soft world tour at the Indoor Stadium, with Benson Boone opening the month at The Star Theatre. Choose by room as much as by act: the Capitol is the intimate one, the Indoor Stadium the big singalong.
25. My Chemical Romance
Tue 10 & Wed 11 Nov · Kallang
Ended. Not a current recommendation; see its page for the latest.
Nineteen years after their last Singapore show, two nights at the Indoor Stadium. The Kallang gives doors at 6.30pm, show at 8pm, and no under-12s, so this is not one for the family. If you were there the first time, this is the gig to book this season. Black eyeliner optional, singing along compulsory.