Puppets, comedy, vampires, Shakespeare, dance… There’s only one festival in Singapore that dares to pack all of these into one wonderful lineup: SIFA 2025.
Having spent years chasing the pulse of Singapore’s arts scene, a new edition of the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) is always a treat in our books. Call it professional curiosity, but there’s something magnetic about this annual gathering of bold ideas, enthralling performances, and brilliant storytelling. This year, SIFA 2025 is shaping up to be one for the books. Running from 16 May to 1 June 2025, the festival spans multiple artistic genres to surprise, delight, and move you. Keep scrolling for the shows that are on our radar.
Perk alert: enjoy 20% off Cat 1 tickets for groups of four.
VAMPYR
For something truly out-of-the-box, Chilean playwright Manuela Infante brings VAMPYR to the stage – a Spanish mockumentary (with English surtitles) featuring shapeshifting South American vampires struggling to adapt to modern life. With Infante’s signature mix of the absurd and the political, expect a darkly funny exploration of survival, identity and transformation. One thing’s for sure: you’ll love this if dark humour is up your street.
Price: $38, $48
Dates: 23 May, 8pm; 24 May, 8pm; 25 May, 2.30pm
Venue: Drama Centre Theatre
COLONY – A True Colors Project
Watch performers challenge their limits with COLONY – A True Colors Project. Dancers from Southeast Asia and Japan are bound by shared space, forced to create a new world (or a colony) built through movement. The performers collaborate and collide, blurring borders and celebrating shared humanity. Witness how obstacles and breakthroughs shape the creation of art – you’ll even get a glimpse of behind-the-scenes footage that reveals how this project was brought to life.
Price: $38, $48
Dates: 30 May, 8pm; 31 May, 8pm; 1 Jun, 3pm
Venue: Drama Centre Theatre
Told By My Mother
Lebanese choreographer Ali Chahrour brings a tale of love and loss to the stage with Told By My Mother, a dance piece that pays homage to the quiet, steadfast strength of these everyday heroines. Weaving in a tapestry of stories set in torn-up Lebanon, expect sweeping movements, gut-wrenching tenderness, and a tribute that feels deeply personal – whether or not you speak the same language. Bring tissues.
Price: $38, $48
Dates: 16 May, 8pm; 17 May, 4pm and 8pm
Venue: Victoria Theatre
Animal Farm
The Finger Players have long been darlings of Singapore’s puppetry theatre scene, and this time, they’re tackling Orwell’s Animal Farm. But forget dusty schoolbook flashbacks – this adaptation bursts into life through jaw-dropping puppetry and visual storytelling. Get ready to see power, politics, and betrayal unfold through ingenious puppetry that promises a darker take on George Orwell’s classic tale.
Price: $48, $68
Dates: 15 & 16 May, 4pm (School Exclusives), 16 May, 8pm; 17 May, 4pm and 8pm; 18 May, 4pm
Venue: Drama Centre Theatre
Waiting for Audience
If you’re craving a clever, meta-theatrical twist, Waiting for Audience by Nine Years Theatre is your ticket. Playful yet profound, it follows two actors stranded onstage as they wait for an audience that may never arrive. A wry Mandarin commentary (with English surtitles) on the nature of performance and perseverance, this one feels especially poignant in a world where attention spans are fleeting.
Price: $48, $68
Dates: 30 May, 8pm; 31 May, 3pm and 8pm
Venue: SOTA Drama Theatre
LEAR
Glasgow-based Singaporean director Ramesh Meyyappan is known for ripping up the rulebook – and his bold reimagining of King Lear promises to be no exception. Stripping the tragedy down to its emotional core, LEAR uses physical theatre and visual storytelling to reframe power, betrayal, and madness. It’s produced by Raw Material in association with the National Theatre of Scotland, so snag a seat to watch this contemporary re-imagining come alive.
Price: $48
Dates: 23 May, 4pm and 8pm; 24 May, 4pm and 8pm; 25 May, 4pm
Venue: SOTA Studio Theatre
Whether you’re into reinvented Shakespeare, heart-wrenching dance, or experimental performances that make you question reality, SIFA 2025 is bursting with stories that demand to be seen. Grab your friends, book your tickets, and prepare to be mesmerised!
This post is in partnership with Singapore International Festival of Arts.
