Resorts World Sentosa Launches Inaugural RWS Cares Festival

Two-day festival aims to rally collective action in support of social and environmental causes and contribute to the President’s Challenge

RWS Cares Festival 2026

Resorts World Sentosa (RWS, 圣淘沙名胜世界) today announced the launch of the inaugural RWS Cares Festival, an annual community festival to promote social inclusion and environmental sustainability, which will take place from 22 to 23 August 2026. Through a walkathon and sustainable marketplace, RWS aims to raise S$2 million in monetary and in-kind contributions, including a S$700,000 fundraising target for the President’s Challenge – a national movement that seeks to unite the community to uplift aspirations, empower lives, and foster a culture of unity and respect. President Tharman Shanmugaratnam will grace the opening day of RWS Cares Festival as the Guest-of-Honour. RWS Cares Festival is the flagship event of RWS Cares, RWS’ corporate volunteerism and community engagement arm focused on supporting local communities, education, and climate action.

‘Steps of Hope’ Walkathon and Green Living Fair to Mobilise 4,000 participants

Headlining the festival’s first day is the ‘Steps of Hope’ walkathon on 22 August, which will bring together diverse groups from the community to complete a 1.4 km route through some of RWS’ most iconic attractions. The walkathon will rally members of the public, community partners, President’s Challenge beneficiaries, as well as RWS team members, to unite in a show of inclusivity.

Beginning in Universal Studios Singapore, participants will meet their favourite characters as they walk through the theme park then on to Weave, Singapore Oceanarium, and concluding at Adventure Cove Waterpark with a breakfast rave complete with live music. Illumination’s Minions, Dreamworks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda and Shrek, the Sesame Street friends, and the Transformers, such as Bumble Bee, Optimus Prime and Megatron, will be among the roster of stars waiting to welcome guests at Universal Studios Singapore, along with Popmart’s Twinkle Twinkle characters at WEAVE, and manta ray and hammerhead shark mascots at Singapore Oceanarium. Guests are welcome to continue to enjoy Adventure Cove Waterpark after the walkathon.

To amp up the buzz, RWS will also host the Green Living Fair from 22 to 23 August at its Research and Learning Centre. Featuring local brands’ and social enterprises’ eco-friendly products, hands-on workshops, interactive booths, and performances by artists of all abilities, the fair builds on RWS Cares’ sustainability and education efforts while making green living accessible, practical, and engaging for individuals and families.

Over two days, RWS Cares Festival aims to engage around 4,000 participants, with every ticket sold for Steps of Hope going directly to the President’s Challenge. This year, RWS is supporting three President’s Challenge benefitting organisations – the Autism Resource Centre (Singapore), TomoWork, and MILK (Mainly I Love Kids) Fund. Donations will support persons on the autism spectrum, youths-at-risk, and persons with disabilities in their education and employment. The donations to ARC(S) will be channelled to the Employability and Employment Centre (E2C) which equips adults on the autism spectrum with employability skills through training and place them in suitable jobs with appropriate job support. At TomoWork, contributions will be used to support their Talent Accelerator Programme (TAP), a school to work transition programme that equips graduating or recently graduated students from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) and Polytechnics who require tailored assistance, with essential workplace skills towards gainful employment. Proceeds for MILK Fund will be directed to the Uplift! Programme, a career readiness and financial literacy programme for at-risk youth aged 16 to 24, which includes experiential workshops, mentoring, and career networking opportunities. In support of social and environmental causes, RWS has committed to a three-year partnership with the President’s Challenge, starting in 2026.

More Than a Festival: A Platform for Long-term Impact

RWS Cares Festival supports Genting Singapore’s 2030 Sustainability Master Plan, which guides RWS in delivering positive socio-economic impact and achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. It also advances the Master Plan’s goal of building a more inclusive community and industry. Its goals are:

Surpass 500,000 cumulative volunteer hours
Build long-term partnerships that engage communities and advance sustainability education
Drive behavioural change through education, outreach and immersive programmes
Support local communities by prioritising local businesses and social enterprises

RWS Cares brings together community support, education and climate action through long-term partnerships, employee volunteerism and sustained engagement. Last year, it reached 24,700 beneficiaries, contributed more than S$2.1 million in cash and in-kind support, and raised additional funds for causes across Singapore. RWS team members also clocked over 1,600 volunteer hours across 67 activities, bringing total volunteer hours since 2010 to 478,085. The RWS Cares Festival shines a spotlight on these efforts and invites the wider community to be part of them.

“RWS Cares Festival reflects our ambition to be a national platform for inclusion and action, bringing communities together to connect, participate and contribute. We hope people from all walks of life will come together in a shared spirit of inclusion and environmental sustainability, and have fun along the way,” said Ms Loh Su Kim, Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer, Resorts World Sentosa. “More importantly, the festival is the start of a long-term platform that will deepen its impact through sustained community partnerships.”

“Meaningful employment can be transformative for adults on the autism spectrum, providing dignity, purpose, and independence. We are deeply grateful to Resorts World Sentosa for their support through the President’s Challenge. Their generosity will strengthen our efforts at the Employability and Employment Centre to equip our clients with employability skills, connect them with suitable jobs, and provide the support needed to thrive in sustainable employment and be contributing members of society,” said Ms Jacelyn Lim, Executive Director, Autism Resource Centre (Singapore).

Early bird tickets for Steps of Hope are available until 31 July at S$80 for adults and S$70 for children, and can be purchased here. Regular tickets will be available from 1 to 15 August at S$85 for adults and S$75 for children. All tickets include same-day admission to Adventure Cove Waterpark.

For more information on RWS Cares Festival, visit here.

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