The Malay Heritage Centre (MHC) in Kampong Gelam runs a three-day festival from 6 to 8 November 2026, and most of it is free to walk into. The inaugural Teroka Nusantara Festival brings live music and dance from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, free talks, traditional houses you can pose in front of, and a family zapin class. It runs from 10am to 10pm daily.
Teroka Nusantara translates to “Exploring the Malay World”, and Nusantara refers to the Malay Archipelago. This year’s theme is Rumah Orang Kita, or “A Home for Our Community”. MHC calls it a new annual signature festival, the first it has introduced since its reopening.
If heritage still makes you think of glass cases and wall text, this weekend works the other way round. You can learn the steps, sit in on the stories and eat your way across the lawn, all in a former palace.
Zapin, Before UNESCO Decides
Zapin has good timing this year. The National Heritage Board (NHB), which manages MHC with the Malay Heritage Foundation, announced that Singapore will join Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia in a joint nomination of the dance. The four countries are nominating it for the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity kept by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), and they aim to submit the file in March 2027.
Singapore once performed it only at weddings and other ceremonial occasions. Today it turns up at events and festivals everywhere, danced by everyone from specialised companies to student interest groups.
That’s the backdrop for Ayuh Menari! A Zapin Dance Workshop for Families (roughly “Come On, Let’s Dance!”) on 7 November from 4.30pm to 6pm in MHC’s Gelam and Sirih Room. Attrians Singapore will teach the basic steps of Zapin Asyiik, Singapore’s signature form. Participants learn what selected movements symbolise and finish with a short choreographed routine, and no dance experience is needed.
Four Groups, Three Countries, One Stage
The main ticketed event is Rumah Orang Kita: Nusantara Arts Showcase in the MHC Auditorium. Four groups each perform traditional and contemporary pieces from their hometowns, then come together for a combined finale. Orkes Nico and Atrika Dance Company represent Singapore, Yayasan Warisan Johor comes from Johor in Malaysia, and Kepai Ruai travels from West Kalimantan in Indonesia.
There are three 75-minute sessions: 7 November at 3pm and 8pm, and 8 November at 3pm.
Orkestra Melayu Singapura plays free street sets on Baghdad Street on 7 November, from 6pm to 6.45pm and from 9pm to 9.45pm, with Malay songs from Singapore in the open air. Be aware that the late street set starts 15 minutes before the 8pm session ends, so if you want both, the early set is the one to catch. Want something slower? Rumi Folks plays an acoustic set at Rumah Santai-Santai! (Our Chill Home) on the MHC Lawn.
Free Talks Worth Registering For
Three talks are free, and each has its own registration link (go.gov.sg). The one most likely to surprise you is Public Lecture Series: Traditional Games in the Malay World on 7 November from 1.30pm to 3pm. It’s built around a fun fact: the Malay World has its own version of chess. Speaker Dr Mohd Hasanuddin Mohd Yusof and moderator Puthera explore the ideas and philosophies behind the region’s games.
Music and film fans should grab a seat at Public Lecture Series: Film and Music: Singapore’s Contribution to the Malay World on 8 November from 4.30pm to 6pm. Singer-songwriter Art Fazil and Wahyu Rahman, an actor, screen producer and director, trace Singapore’s impact on the region’s music and film from 1900 to today.
History buffs get Rantau ke Rumah: Two Princes, a Chieftain and He Who is Made Lord on 7 November from 10am to 12pm. Dr Suhail Yazid and curator Dr Hadi Osni trace a century of Malay political sovereignty, starting with Sultan Hussein’s descendants in Kampong Gelam. That story hits harder in this building, because MHC occupies the former 19th-century Istana Kampong Gelam, once the royal seat of Malay royalty in Singapore.
Houses, Booths and a Bazaar
Most of the daytime programme is free and drop-in. The Rumah Kita Play Space in Courtyard 2 opens from 10am to 6pm daily, and rumah means “house”. It has four iconic house types from the Malay Archipelago: the Rumah Gadang from Padang, Sumatra; the Rumoh Aceh from Aceh, Sumatra; the Rumah Limas, associated with Riau and the Straits Settlements; and the Rumah Joglo from Central and East Java. Information panels explain the communities behind each house, so your photos come with a history lesson attached.
The Nusa Budaya Kita booths sit in Courtyard 1 and keep the same hours. They bring together traditional textiles, food, games and musical instruments from places including Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Sabah, Sarawak and Aceh. It’s the easiest way to spot which customs your family shares with communities across the region, and which ones are new to you.
When the courtyards wind down, the Teroka Bazaar keeps the MHC Lawn going from 3pm to 10pm on all three days, with free entry. There are retail, food and beverage stalls, plus accompanying programmes at the Front Courtyard.
Craft Hour for the Kids
Two more ticketed family workshops run on 8 November in the Gelam and Sirih Room. First up is Selamat Datang ke Rumah Kita: A Sensory Journey through Malay Traditions Family Workshop (selamat datang means “welcome”) from 10am to 12pm. Little Rimba leads it, and parents act as co-explorers while children learn about traditional patterns, Malay food and hospitality.
Everyone goes home with their own bunga rampai, a potpourri-like mix of dried flowers and leaves doused with natural fragrance. Tickets cost S$24 per parent-child pair and S$12 per additional child or adult.
From 1.30pm to 3pm, Tales from the Nusantara: The Story of Pulau Ubin tells how the island came to be through a frog, a pig and an elephant. Matiin, a mentee from MHC’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Mentorship Programme, presents the story, and afterwards the kids craft their favourite animals with materials provided.
Saturday Is the Big Day
If you can only spare one day, make it Saturday, 7 November. Start with the traditional games talk at 1.30pm and wander the houses and booths before they close at 6pm. Then catch Orkestra Melayu Singapura’s early street set, eat at the bazaar and settle into the 8pm arts session in the auditorium.
🗓️ Date: Friday, 6 November to Sunday, 8 November 2026
⏰ Time: 10am to 10pm (Nusa Budaya Kita booths and Rumah Kita Play Space 10am to 6pm; Teroka Bazaar 3pm to 10pm)
📍 Location: Malay Heritage Centre, Kampong Gelam, with street performances on Baghdad Street
🎟️ Tickets: See the festival page for ticketed programme details.
🔗 Details: Teroka Nusantara Festival 2026
The Teroka Nusantara Festival packs a lot into one weekend: free courtyards full of houses and booths, a dance on its way to UNESCO, and a Saturday night of Malay music spilling onto Baghdad Street. Book the paid sessions on the Teroka Nusantara Festival 2026 page, register for the free talks through the go.gov.sg link given for each, and follow @malayheritage on Facebook and Instagram for more festival offerings. See you in Kampong Gelam!
Photos and Visuals courtesy of the Malay Heritage Centre and Wahyu Rahman.
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