- The Singapore Fringe Festival returns in January 2026 as a crowdfunded independent festival!
In its 22nd edition, Fringe 2026 will feature an inspiring and thought-provoking line-up of events by Singapore and international artists that address the theme of Represent. Both as an issue explored in the works, as well as a play on the re-presentation of the Fringe.
“We are truly heartened and grateful by the enthusiastic groundswell of support we received for our fundraising campaign to keep the Fringe alive,” says Melissa Lim, Singapore Fringe Festival’s Executive Producer and General Manager of The Necessary Stage, which organises and curates the festival.
“Their robust belief in socially oriented art and its relevance to the Singapore society has been incredibly inspiring and motivating for us”
Lim adds that the work to fundraise for future iterations of the festival continues. “We are continuing our search for a new title donor aligned to our ethos and vision for the Fringe,” she states.
“But in order to run the 2027 edition of the Fringe, we will be launching a new fundraising campaign later this year. We are appealing to you, members of the public and arts community, to stand with us like you did, and support innovative, thought-provoking, and pertinent art so that we can make Fringe 2027 materialise.”
Why the Theme “Represent”?
Since its inaugural edition in 2005, the Fringe has been dedicated to curating cutting edge, contemporary works tackling critical social issues faced by communities around the world.
As populations in many parts of the world grow increasingly diverse, we also see an alarming pushback against minority groups with racist, xenophobic, homophobic, and other discriminatory behaviour and statements. Representation in theatre, media, politics, etc, becomes more important than ever, as the visibility of diverse communities and voices reduces stereotyping and prejudices, and broadens perspectives. This leads to informed actions that help shape a more equitable, empathetic, and compassionate society that benefits everyone.
Lim asserts that as Singapore celebrates SG60, it is apt for the Fringe to spotlight the complexities of representation. “We should relook at how we can become a more inclusive and cohesive society,” she affirms.
“There is no better time to consider who we might have overlooked, left behind, or marginalised, and we must uplift these communities so that no one is left behind in our national pursuit for excellence and well-being.”
In a line-up of six events, one can see a range of works exploring this theme of representation-from visible and invisible disabilities, to the inner dilemma of a military personnel who abhors violence; from the multiplicity of ethnicity, to affirming positive portrayals of love in the LGBTQIA+ community.
As peace in the world still appear to be elusive, if not precarious, they hope that you can find a sense of hope and community in Fringe 2026: events that celebrate our strength in diversity, encourage empathy and understanding, and build bridges rather than emphasise differences.
Lim says that the theme is also a play on the idea of re-presenting the festival as a ground-up initiative. “For the first time, the Fringe can truly profess to be independent and propelled by the public’s warm support,” she shares.
“This Fringe, we will reimagine how we can be more fearless and responsive to societal needs, going beyond presentation of productions to actively engage communities in difficult but crucial conversations about recent developments in Singapore.”
Discover the Line-Up!
In this edition, we see the theme of representation being explored by various communities.
Tired of how lesbian romances always end in tragedy? Charlie decides to write the happiest queer love story the world will ever see in A Lesbian Love Story: The Musical.
Created by Rosie McGowan and Kluane Saunders from the queer, female-led theatre company Woody Avenue (Australia, Singapore & United Kingdom), with original music composed by Henry Allen, this musical starring Coco Wang Ling, Melissa May Garcia, Mitchell Fang, and Natalie Yeap will make you laugh, cry, and sing along as they explore what a love story really is.
ART:DIS and The Necessary Stage (Singapore) have put together a powerhouse team for Invisible-a thought-provoking theatrical exploration of disabilities both visible and hidden, and the importance of empathy.
Written by award-winning playwright Haresh Sharma and co-directed by Sharma and Grace Kalaiselvi, Invisible stars Dalifah Shahril, Deonn Yang, Jaspreet Kaur Sekhon, and Periyachi Roshini.
Taiwanese theatre-maker Wang Ping-Hsiang presents a bold exploration of war, national ideology, and geopolitical tensions through the eyes of a queer middle-class military reservist in Retina Manoeuvre by k*hole karaoke (Taiwan & Germany).
Sofie Buligis (Singapore) has her race listed as “Malay” on her IC, but why is her Malay accent so kekok?
What are the assumptions we make about ethnicity when we meet someone? Celup explores Sofie’s musings on her mixed heritage and not feeling Malay enough.
The Fringe is also organising two panel discussions on topics incredibly relevant to times today.
The first panel discussion Is This Too Loud? Representation in Theatre features Rosie McGowan, Sindhura Kalidas, Sofie Buligis, and Wang Ping-Hsiang as panellists, with facilitation by Kathy Rowland. Join the artists as they share their collective insights about the importance and challenges of representation from their personal and professional experiences.
The second panel discussion No Space for Art: Is the Fringe Dead? features Anais Adjani, Kok Heng Leun, Melissa Lim, and Noorlinah Mohamed as panellists, with facilitation by Charlene Rajendran. As we grapple with the loss of several independent arts spaces and platforms in recent years, what does the future of fringe art-making and support look like? Will it perish under the weight of commercial viability? How can we converge as a community to create new structures to propel discourse, innovation, and experimentation?
An Accessible Fringe
Fringe will continue their collaboration with Official Accessibility Partner Equal Dreams to increase the accessibility and inclusivity of the festival for all, including those with disabilities.
They will present some new accessibility features- Invisible will be the first Fringe production with embedded narration, and selected shows for Invisible, A Lesbian Love Story: The Musical, and Celup will be relaxed performances.
Fringe aims to be a positive, accessible experience for as many people as possible by continuing accessibility features such as Plain English versions of text on the Fringe website, visual stories for travelling to theatres, open captions for in-theatre performances, and speech-to-text interpretation available for post-show dialogues and panel discussions.
Through the struggles of the loss of spaces and visibility, the theme of Represent is more important than ever.
Join conversations on social media @sgfringe about Fringe 2026 with the hashtag #sgfringe
Get involved.
Singapore Fringe Festival 2026
15 to 25 January 2026.
FAST FACTS ABOUT FRINGE 2026
EVENTS:
1. A Lesbian Love Story: The Musical* by Woody Avenue (Australia/ Singapore/ United Kingdom)
2. Invisible* by ART:DIS and The Necessary Stage (Singapore)
3. Retina Manoeuvre by k*hole karaoke – Wang Ping-Hsiang (Taiwan & Germany).
4. Celup* by Sofie Buligis (Singapore)
5. Is This Too Loud? Representation in Theatre
6. No Space for Art: Is the Fringe Dead?
* Fringe Commissions
VENUES:
Esplanade-Theatres on the Bay The Theatre Practice
WEBSITE:
singaporefringe.com
SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLE & HASHTAG
@sgfringe |
#sgfringe
TICKETING
BOOK TICKETS AT: bookmyshow.sg
TICKET PRICES:
$38 for regular priced tickets
*20% discount for students, NSF, senior citizens and PwD cardholders
Admission to panel discussions is free with registration
REDEEMABLE WITH SG CULTURE PASS CREDITS
1. A Lesbian Love Story: The Musical by Woody Avenue (Australia/ Singapore/ United Kingdom)
2. Invisible by ART:DIS and The Necessary Stage (Singapore)
3. Celup by Sofie Buligis (Singapore)
ESPLANADE&ME SPECIALS: (from 11 November 2025 to 25 January 2026, limited tickets)
Esplanade&Me members enjoy a 10% discount off standard price tickets to performances at Esplanade venues. Log in to your Esplanade&Me member account to access the promo code.
EARLY BIRD SCHOOL BOOKINGS
School bookings confirmed before 15 December 2025 are eligible for the Early Bird School Booking rate of $26 per student ticket.
Ticket prices exclude ticketing fee.
Random verification checks for valid passes may be carried out at the theatre.
About The Singapore Fringe Festival
The Singapore Fringe Festival is an annual festival of live performances by Singaporean and international artists. The Fringe aims to bring the best of contemporary, cutting-edge and socially engaged works to the Singapore audience.
Fringe seeks to present meaningful, socially engaged and provocative art to encourage civil and open dialogue and collaboration. Through their programming, they hope to collectively dream and create a more inclusive and compassionate future.
Join conversations on socials @sgfringe about Fringe 2026 with the hashtag #sgfringe.
About The Necessary Stage
Established in 1987 by Artistic Director Alvin Tan, The Necessary Stage (TNS) is a non-profit theatre company with charity status. TNS’ mission is to create challenging, indigenous and innovative theatre that touches the heart and mind.
Fringe is supported by the National Arts Council under the Major Company Scheme for the period from 11 April 2023 to 31 March 2026. They are also the organiser of the Singapore Fringe Festival.
TNS also has the honour of being the only arts company in Singapore helmed by two Cultural Medallion recipients: Artistic Director Alvin Tan and Resident Playwright Haresh Sharma.
More from Wake Up Singapore:-
The Necessary Stage Contemplates Nation-Building in SG Insecure
Haresh Sharma Awarded Honorary Doctor of Arts by Bath Spa University (UK)
‘To Be Seen’: Mental Health Film Festival Singapore Seeks Films That Turn Struggles Into Stories
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