Things to do

34 things to do in Singapore in November

Edited by Jamie 15 October 2026

November is the month Singapore remembers it has a calendar of culture, and tries to fit it all in.

November is crowded, so pick by weekend. The first belongs to Deepavali, which falls on Sunday 8 November with the Monday off, so Little India has its biggest weekend of the year early on, and Kallang has a Pokémon run with a free festival zone for anyone avoiding the crowds. A week later the Singapore Writers Festival takes over the Civic District and Brazil, Japan and Paraguay play at the National Stadium. Esplanade's Kalaa Utsavam marks its 25th edition at the end of the month. The catch is that it all lands at once: book the shows you care about now and leave the free things for the nights you haven't planned.

The stage is busy. Cats is at Marina Bay Sands until 22 November, Wild Rice's Monkey Goes West begins previews on 12 November and Just For Laughs keeps the comedy coming, with Trevor Noah now on two nights, Dara O Briain and Atsuko Okatsuka among the names. Kallang hosts My Chemical Romance, Guns N' Roses and a K-pop weekend to close the month.

School breaks up on Friday 20 November, and Christmas starts the same day: the train show in the Flower Dome, Garden Rhapsody's Christmas edition from the 27th and a free village at Sands Expo that weekend. Leave room for the art too: the Affordable Art Fair returns to the F1 Pit Building and SAM opens the final chapter of its Lost & Found project. Every date here was checked on the organiser's page on 25 October; sale status changes, so check before you commit.

Valid Sunday 1 November 2026 – Monday 30 November 2026 · Refreshed monthly

The roundup

1. Singapore Writers Festival
13-22 Nov · Civic District
The festival to plan a weekend around if you read: ten days, more than 200 programmes and over 300 writers across the Civic District, under the theme Hidden in Plain Sight, with Amitav Ghosh and Tan Twan Eng the biggest names (Ghosh's keynote on Saturday 14 November has sold out, so do not plan around it). SWF Playground brings children's authors Robin Stevens and Jessica Townsend for younger readers, which turns one of the weekends into a family day. It is also the last edition under festival director Yong Shu Hoong. Pick your sessions early and leave gaps between them. A Festival Pass is S$30 and a Youth Pass S$15, each covering more than 100 programmes; Stephen Witt's keynote on Friday 13 November at 7.30pm at Victoria Theatre is ticketed on its own, S$25, and still on sale.
Book on Klook for Singapore Writers Festival (opens in a new tab)
2. Kalaa Utsavam turns 25
20-29 Nov · Marina Bay
The month's best free evening, with ticketed nights if you want them. Esplanade's Indian festival of arts marks its 25th edition with a Bollywood night from Sachin-Jigar on 28 November and a kathak masterclass with Aakash Odedra and Rani Khanam on the 21st. Rishi Budhrani's Bedok to Bollywood is the comedy, and the title tells you who it's for. The free music and dance in the public spaces are reason enough to walk over after work, ticket or not.
3. Brazil and Japan at the National Stadium
Fri 13, Sat 14 & Tue 17 Nov · Kallang
The sport-to-watch of the month, and a rare one: Brazil, Japan, Paraguay and Singapore play four matches at the National Stadium in the November international window. Singapore face Paraguay on Friday the 13th, Japan play Brazil on the Saturday, and Tuesday the 17th is a double-header, Singapore against Brazil at 6pm then Japan against Paraguay at 9.10pm, on one ticket. Take the Tuesday if you want value, the Saturday if you want the football.

4. Monkey Goes West
From Thu 12 Nov; until 13 Dec · Civic District
The family show of the month: Wild Rice's cheeky Journey to the West pantomime returns after a decade, reimagined by Ivan Heng for the Funan stage, with songs, wushu and magic. Weekend matinees are the family pick and previews are cheaper, so book a preview if your dates allow. Check the age guidance and running time on Wild Rice's page before you book for small children; a long panto is a big ask at the end of a school term.
5. Cats at Sands Theatre
Until 22 Nov · Marina Bay
The junkyard musical runs at Marina Bay Sands until 22 November. If you have only ever heard 'Memory' on a talent show, here is your chance to hear it in context, which is a better reason to go than it sounds. It's the simplest night out on this list: book, eat somewhere at the Sands, done. Tickets run from S$68 and the show is about 145 minutes with an interval; under-sevens aren't admitted.
6. Eureka Day at KC Arts Centre
18 Nov–6 Dec · Robertson Quay
The play for anyone who has survived a school parents' chat group. Singapore Repertory Theatre stages the Broadway and West End comedy about a progressive school whose vaccine-policy debate spirals out of control. It's sharp and talky, in the small room on the river at KC Arts Centre, so no seat is far from the lines. Previews from S$48, under-25s from S$28 on Tuesday to Thursday nights; it has some coarse language.
7. The Nutcracker by the State Ballet of Georgia
26-29 Nov · Marina Bay
An early start on the festive season, and the better choice for anyone who finds December too crowded. A cast of 60 dancers from the State Ballet of Georgia brings Tchaikovsky's holiday ballet to Sands Theatre for four days only, which is the main constraint: there's no second chance in December. Check the box office for current prices, and pick the weekend performances if you're bringing children with school the next day. Tickets from S$48; the ballet runs about 115 minutes with an interval, with 2pm and 7.30pm shows on the Saturday and 1pm and 5.30pm on the Sunday.
8. SSO Family Film Favourites
Sat 14 & Sun 15 Nov, 11am & 2pm · Civic District
The gentlest introduction to an orchestra in town: an hour of film music at Victoria Concert Hall, no interval, in a relaxed performance where small audience members can come and go. The 11am slot is the one for younger children, before the post-lunch slump; 2pm suits older ones. Check the age guidance and ticket prices with the SSO before you book, because a relaxed performance still has a lower age limit.
Illustration
9. Guns N' Roses
Wed 25 Nov · Kallang
The big rock night of the month: Axl, Slash and Duff, one night only at the National Stadium, with doors at 6pm and the show at 8pm, and their shows tend to run long. It is a Wednesday, so book Thursday morning off now rather than negotiating it at midnight. Under-sixes aren't admitted and everyone else needs a ticket; one night only means there's no second go.
10. Just For Laughs All Star Gala
Sun 15 Nov, 8pm · Marina Bay
The best way to find your next favourite comedian in one evening. Fadzri Rashid hosts a sampler of comics from across Asia, including Sashi Perera, Azeem Banatwalla, Daniel Fernandes, Alex Calleja and Garron Chiu, at the Esplanade Theatre. A gala suits a group with mixed tastes, because nobody is on long enough to lose anyone. Morgan Jay's three nights at the same theatre have sold out, so this is the festival's easiest ticket now.
11. Dara O Briain at Capitol Theatre
Fri 20 Nov, 8pm · Civic District
A Friday-night laugh in one of the city's handsomest old rooms: Dara O Briain brings his show Re:Creation to Capitol Theatre. He's our pick for a crowd that likes its comedy clever and a bit nerdy (the show title is a clue). Have dinner in the Civic District first and book an early table, since the show starts at 8pm and Capitol is no place to arrive flustered.
12. Atsuko Okatsuka at The Star Theatre
Wed 25 Nov, 7pm · one-north
Atsuko Okatsuka brings The Big Bowl Tour to The Star Theatre on the same night Guns N' Roses play Kallang, so choose your Wednesday wisely. She's the alternative for anyone whose idea of a big night doesn't involve a stadium. The 7pm start is earlier than most of the month's comedy, which makes this the one that still gets you home at a sensible hour on a school night. Tickets from S$98; no under-15s.
13. Kallang’s November gig calendar
4–29 Nov · Kallang
If you'd rather hear music than laugh, The Kallang's calendar is crowded: LANY at the Indoor Stadium on 4 November, My Chemical Romance on the 10th and 11th, wave to earth on the 20th, Simple Plan's pop-punk nostalgia on the 22nd, Guns N' Roses at the National Stadium on the 25th and BABYMONSTER to close the month. Check sale status on The Kallang's page before you get attached; the stadium shows sell in tiers.
14. LE SSERAFIM and BABYMONSTER
Sat 28 & Sun 29 Nov · Kallang
A K-pop double weekend to close the month: LE SSERAFIM's Pureflow tour at Apex @ Expo on 28 November, with a 5pm start that catches people out, and BABYMONSTER at the Indoor Stadium on 28 and 29 November. Saturday is a clash, so anyone with both on the list has a choice to make; LE SSERAFIM tickets run from S$178 before fees. Check the official pages before you plan around either.
15. Affordable Art Fair
26-29 Nov · Marina Bay
The art fair to buy at rather than browse. The F1 Pit Building turns art market with 97 galleries, and the fair says every work is under S$15,000 and about three-quarters are under S$7,500. Friday runs from noon to 10pm, the after-work sweet spot. Bring a budget, a tape measure and a photo of the wall you are filling, and decide the budget before you see anything you love.
16. Lost & Found: How We Remember opens
From Fri 27 Nov · Tanjong Pagar
The quiet one for the end of the month. The final chapter of Singapore Art Museum's project on forgotten and erased stories brings 16 artists to Gallery 1 at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, and runs to April. It's free for citizens and PRs, which makes it an easy hour to add to a Tanjong Pagar afternoon, and a reflective way to begin the year-end wind-down after a month of stadium shows.
17. Last call for Maria Taniguchi: Afterimage
Until 22 Nov; curator tour Sat 21 Nov, 3.30pm · Tanjong Pagar
Last call: the brick paintings and duhat-wood sculptures leave SAM on 22 November. If you want context, the curator tour on Saturday 21 November at 3.30pm, the day before closing, is the best way in. Otherwise go on a weekday, slowly and ideally alone; this is work that rewards standing still in front of it for longer than feels normal.
18. Fan Chang Tien and a Nanyang afternoon
Until 31 Jan 2027 · Civic District
An afternoon of Singapore art history told through brush and paint, free for citizens and PRs. The ink master's retrospective is in its first full month at National Gallery Singapore; pair it with Lai Foong Moi: Crossings in the same building. It runs until the end of January, so there's no rush, which is exactly why it's worth doing in November, before the school holidays fill the weekends.
Book on Klook for Fan Chang Tien and a Nanyang afternoon (opens in a new tab)
19. A Silk Road evening at ACM
Fridays to 9pm · Civic District
Our pick for a Friday night in a museum: the Dunhuang cave replicas and the Louvre's Islamic treasures share the Asian Civilisations Museum, which stays open until 9pm on Fridays. Start with the reclining Buddha in the foyer, end with Louis XIV's jade cup. The caves run to March, so there's no rush on paper, but one Friday evening covers both shows and saves you a second trip.
20. The last nights of Haw Ror Villa 5
6-8 & 13-15 Nov · Pasir Panjang
For anyone who missed Halloween or wants a second go. Haw Par Villa's scares linger into November, with the horrors packed closer together this year, from 6.30pm to midnight with last entry at 10pm. Children aged 6 and under go free but the operator advises parental guidance under 9, and Hell's Museum is a lot for small children in daylight, let alone after dark. It takes SG Culture Pass credits.
Book on GetYourGuide for The last nights of Haw Ror Villa 5 (opens in a new tab)
21. Hairy crab at Cassia and Min Jiang
Cassia 1–18 Nov; Min Jiang until 30 Nov
The seasonal splurge of the month, with two different deadlines. Cassia at Capella Singapore serves its hairy crab à la carte until 18 November, then shuts until 3 December for works, so that one is an early-month booking. Min Jiang at Goodwood Park and Min Jiang Dempsey carry on until 30 November, subject to supply, with set menus and à la carte. Leave the white shirt at home.
22. Boutiques Singapore: The Gifting Edition
Fri 20–Sun 22 Nov · Marina Bay
The fair residents plan their Christmas shopping around, back for three days with more than 300 brands and designers at the F1 Pit Building. Friday and Saturday run 11am to 9pm, Sunday 10am to 6pm; a one-day pass is from S$8 and a three-day pass S$19, with children under 12 free. Go on the Friday evening if you want to talk to the makers rather than queue behind them.
23. The Christmas Train Show arrives in the Flower Dome
From Fri 20 Nov, 9am–9pm · Marina Bay
The Gardens' model railway returns to the Flower Dome on the day school breaks up, and runs into January. It's covered by the usual Flower Dome ticket, which makes it the cheapest Christmas thing on this list for a family, and the dome is cold enough to feel the part. Go on a weekday in the first week before the holiday crowds settle in.
24. Christmas Together, a free village at Sands Expo
Fri 27–Sun 29 Nov, 10am–9pm · Marina Bay
A 70,000 square foot Christmas village in Hall F at Marina Bay Sands for three days, with more than 150 brands, workshops and a Santa's Post Office for the children, and free to enter with registration. It opens on the first Friday of the school holidays, so expect families; the Friday morning is the calm window. Some workshops and rides are charged.
25. Garden Rhapsody goes Christmas
From Fri 27 Nov, 7.45pm & 8.45pm · Marina Bay
The free light-and-sound show at the Supertree Grove switches to its Christmas edition on 27 November, earlier than most people expect, with shows at 7.45pm and 8.45pm nightly. It costs nothing, needs no ticket and sits next to the Flower Dome's train show, so one evening at the Gardens does both. Supertree Grove may be ticketed on Christmas Wonderland nights once that opens, so November is the free window.
26. Deepavali weekend in Little India
Village until Sun 8 Nov; lights nightly 7pm–midnight · Little India
Ended. Not a current recommendation; see its page for the latest.
The weekend to be in Little India, if you don't mind company. Deepavali falls on Sunday 8 November in 2026, with the Monday a public holiday, and the Campbell Lane Festival Village bows out on the day itself, so the run-up is when to go for the stalls. Expect it to be the busiest stretch of the season. The Serangoon Road lights stay on nightly from 7pm through the festival, so if you'd rather admire them in peace, come back on a weeknight afterwards.
27. Pokémon RUN 30 and its free festival zone
Sat 7 & Sun 8 Nov, 7am–2pm; festival zone free · Kallang
Ended. Kept here for the record, not as a recommendation.
The Deepavali-weekend alternative for families who'd rather be at Kallang than in Little India. The 30th-anniversary fun run is at Stadium Roar from 7am to 2pm on both days, and the festival zone is free for everyone, so you don't need a race bib to let the children loose among the Pikachus. Runners should have booked by now; everyone else just turns up early.
28. Asia Pacific Food Expo over the long weekend
Fri 6–Mon 9 Nov · Changi
Ended. Kept here for the record, not as a recommendation.
The big food fair falls on the Deepavali long weekend at Singapore Expo's Hall 4, four days from Friday to the Monday public holiday. It's the one to do with people who like to graze and bargain rather than sit down, and the Expo is an easy MRT ride east. Hours and any entry charge are on the Expo's events page; go in the morning before the aisles fill.
29. My Chemical Romance
Tue 10 & Wed 11 Nov · Kallang
Ended. Not a current recommendation; see its page for the latest.
For anyone who still owns the eyeliner. My Chemical Romance play the Indoor Stadium on two school nights, rescheduled from April and expanded to a second show; tickets bought for the original date are valid for 10 November. No under-12s are admitted, so this is not a family outing. Plan the morning after now; save your voice for 'Welcome to the Black Parade'.
30. Trevor Noah at The Star Theatre
Tue 3 & Wed 4 Nov, 8pm · one-north
Ended. Kept here for the record, not as a recommendation.
The biggest name in the Just For Laughs Singapore line-up, now playing two nights at The Star Theatre at Buona Vista after a second show was added. A 5,000-seat horseshoe is a big room for stand-up, and he is one of the few comics built for it. If you only book one comedy night this month, this is the safe one; Dara O Briain is the pick for an older theatre and a nerdier hour.
31. Halloween Horror Nights' final night
Sun 1 Nov, 7.30pm–12.30am · Sentosa
Ended. Not a current recommendation; see its page for the latest.
One night only at the top of the month for anyone who left it too late. Universal Studios' scare season has its last run on Sunday 1 November, from 7.30pm to 12.30am, and a Sunday closing night is the least crowded way to do it. Not for young children, and pair it with the Haw Par Villa pick if one fright isn't enough.
32. Sunflower Surprise's final week
Until Mon 9 Nov · Marina Bay
Ended. Not a current recommendation; see its page for the latest.
The last chance for the Flower Dome's Portuguese-themed sunflower display, which closes on Monday 9 November, the Deepavali public holiday. A public holiday is when everyone else has the same idea, so go early that morning, or better, on a weekday before it. The Christmas Train Show takes over the dome from 20 November, so there's a reason to return.
33. Kusu Island before the pilgrims leave
Until 8 Nov · Southern Islands
Ended. Not a current recommendation; see its page for the latest.
The pilgrimage season is the reason to go now. It runs until 8 November, with ferries from Marina South Pier run by Singapore Island Cruise, S$16 on weekdays and S$18 at weekends for adults, S$12 for children. Our advice is a weekday in the first week of the month, because the final weekend is the obvious day for everyone else. Bring water, and dress for a place of worship.