The Malay Heritage Centre holds its first Teroka Nusantara Festival from Friday 6 to Sunday 8 November 2026. Hours run 10am to 10pm. The centre is at 85 Sultan Gate in 甘榜格南, a 12-minute walk from 武吉士 MRT. Festival admission is free. Selected performances and workshops sell tickets. CNA Lifestyle published the programme on 23 October, written by Izza Haziqah Abdul Rahman. MHC points visitors to its own website for registration.
Teroka means exploring. Nusantara is the Malay world that links Singapore with Malaysia, Indonesia and the rest of the archipelago. The three-day theme is Rumah Orang Kita, A Home for Our Community. MHC is treating this as a new annual event. The palace compound reopened on 25 April 2026 after a long restoration. This November weekend is the first time the centre has put a regional festival on that refreshed lawn.
Ticketed arts showcase, free street sets
The indoor headliner is Rumah Orang Kita: Nusantara Arts Showcase on 7 and 8 November. Singapore's Orkes Nico and Atrika Dance Company share the bill with Yayasan Warisan Johor from Malaysia and Kepai Ruai from West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Each group plays its own set, then they close together. Adult tickets are S$30. Student tickets are S$24.
Orkestra Melayu Singapura plays Baghdad Street for free on 7 November at 6pm and again at 9pm. Baghdad Street is the lane that runs from Sultan Mosque toward the centre. If the street band is the only set you want, skip the showcase ticket and stand on the road.
Four house types and the cultural booths
Rumah Kita Play Space puts four traditional house types on the grounds. Rumah Gadang from Padang in Sumatra. Rumoh Aceh from Aceh. Rumah Limas from Riau and the Straits Settlements. Rumah Joglo from Central and East Java. Hours are 10am to 6pm. Free.
Nusa Budaya Kita booths sit next to the houses. Textiles, food, games and musical instruments from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Sabah, Sarawak and Aceh. Same hours, also free. This is the stretch you can walk with children without a booking. The permanent galleries inside the yellow palace hold songket, fans and metalwork from the same world. Gallery hours stay 10am to 6pm, last admission 5.30pm, closed Monday. The festival weekend falls Friday to Sunday, so the rooms are open.
Zapin, bunga rampai and Pulau Ubin stories
Ayuh Menari, a zapin workshop for families, runs on 7 November. Parents and children learn basic steps, including Singapore's Zapin Asyiik, then put a short routine together. No prior dance experience. CNA used a zapin demonstration as the festival's lead photograph. UNESCO already has zapin on its nomination path as a Malay dance form. This workshop is the practical version: shoes off, short routine, parent-child pair.
On 8 November, Selamat Datang ke Rumah Kita walks children through food, patterns and crafts, including making bunga rampai, the fragrant mix of flowers and leaves. Tales from the Nusantara: The Story of Pulau Ubin retells the island tale of a frog, a pig and an elephant, then adds an animal craft. MHC already runs Tales From the Nusantara as a year-round family series. The festival slot is the Pulau Ubin edition.
Workshop tickets run S$12 to S$24 per parent-child pair, with extra charges for extra people. MHC also lists free talks on Singapore's Malay royal past and on film and music from the region. Register on the MHC site. As of 25 October the festivals page still advertised the August National Day programme, Siang Malam di Kampong Gelam. Use the home page and the CNA listing until MHC publishes a dedicated Teroka URL.
Teroka Bazaar on the lawn
A Teroka Bazaar occupies the MHC lawn daily from 3pm to 10pm. Food, drinks and retail stalls. The lawn is the grass in front of Istana Kampong Gelam. Bring a tikar if you want to sit. The compound's usual last hour is 9pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Festival hours push that to 10pm for these three days.
Singaporeans and PRs enter the permanent galleries free. Foreign adults pay S$10. Seniors, students and persons with disabilities pay S$8. Children under six enter free. The festival grounds themselves stay free even if you skip the galleries. Phone the centre at +65 6391 0450 if a workshop listing is still missing from the site in the first week of November.
From Bugis MRT walk north on Victoria Street, then Sultan Gate. About 12 minutes. Lavender MRT is 10 minutes. Jalan Besar MRT is 12 minutes. Buses on North Bridge Road and Beach Road stop closer. Sultan Mosque is next door. Haji Lane is a few minutes west. The palace compound is the venue. The shopping streets around Bugis station are a separate walk after you leave.
Practical Details
- Dates: Friday 6 to Sunday 8 November 2026
- Time: 10am to 10pm. Play Space and cultural booths 10am to 6pm. Bazaar 3pm to 10pm
- Venue: Malay Heritage Centre, 85 Sultan Gate, Kampong Gelam
- Nearest MRT: Bugis, East-West and Downtown lines. Also Lavender and Jalan Besar
- Price: Festival admission free. Arts showcase S$30 adult, S$24 student. Workshops S$12 to S$24 per parent-child pair. Permanent galleries free for Singaporeans and PRs
- Website: Malay Heritage Centre
