Join us from 5 to 13 September 2026 for nine days of music, art, and guided experiences celebrating the Gardens’ rich history and living heritage.
From glowing fungi to creepy crawlies, discover the hidden worlds of nature and history at the Singapore Botanic Gardens-Fort Canning Park Heritage Festival 2026
- Uncover the fascinating world of fungi, get up close with Singapore’s insects and spiders, and trace a century of transformation at Fort Canning Centre
- More than 50 free activities for the whole family lined up, including music performances, movie screenings, guided experiences and hands-on workshops
The Heritage Festival returns for its 11th edition from 5 to 13 September 2026 at Singapore Botanic Gardens and Fort Canning Park, with over 50 programmes and activities happening across both locations.
Three new exhibitions take centre stage at this year’s Festival. Over at Fort Canning Park, more than 120 species of Singapore insects and arachnids will reveal the extraordinary ways they hunt, hide and survive, including Ernestinus singaporensis, a new-to-science species described from specimens collected at both the Singapore Botanic Gardens and Fort Canning Park. An exhibition marking Fort Canning Centre’s centenary will retrace its transformation from British military barracks to the world’s largest commercial squash centre in the 1970s and, eventually, a home for the arts. At the Singapore Botanic Gardens, enter the little-seen world of fungi through an immersive installation featuring live bioluminescent mycelium and discover fungi found right here in Singapore — including a species first discovered at the Gardens.
Hidden World: Creepy Crawlies of Singapore
Fort Canning Park’s ‘Hidden World: Creepy Crawlies of Singapore’ exhibition will showcase over 120 species of insects and arachnids found in Singapore, including a section dedicated to those found in Fort Canning Park.
Among the species featured is Ernestinus singaporensis, a new-to-science species described from specimens collected at both the Singapore Botanic Gardens and Fort Canning Park. Typically spotted on the undersides of Alocasia leaves, the insect has been observed at Fort Canning Park along Five Kings Walk and near Artisan’s Garden.
Live specimens, in-situ photographs and microscopic images offer a closer look at the different ways they survive in the wild, from masterful mimicry to skilled hunting techniques. Examples of photographs that will be displayed in the exhibition include the katydid, Phyllomimus (Phyllomimus) inversus, which resembles a green leaf with a few brown scars and blemishes, as well as the magnificent female Long-horned Orb Weaver (Macracantha arcuata), which warns potential predators with its long median spines and striking colouration.
Fort Canning Centre: A Century of Transformation
From army barracks to the world’s largest squash centre – the Fort Canning Centre turns 100. The exhibition traces the history of the building in this exhibition from its construction in the 1920s as a British army barracks, to the world’s largest commercial squash centre in the 1970s, and its subsequent role as a home for the arts community. The exhibition will feature photographs of Fort Canning Centre over the years, including colonial-era images of the Centre’s construction progress.
Funtastical World of Fungi
Over at the Singapore Botanic Gardens’ Funtastical World of Fungi exhibition, visitors can delve into the fascinating and often unseen world of fungi and discover the important roles they play in nature, alongside the scientific research being carried out at the Gardens.
An immersive art installation featuring fungi and live bioluminescent mycelium brings this hidden world to life, alongside displays showcasing the diversity of fungi found in Singapore. These include Spongispora temasekensis, a species first discovered at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.
The exhibition also traces how fungal research at the Singapore Botanic Gardens’ contributions has evolved, from decades of archival and herbarium research to molecular science today.
Other Heritage Festival programme highlights
Singapore Botanic Gardens
Music, Movies and Light Installation at the Gardens
On weekend evenings, the Gardens will host a line-up of music performances and movie screening at the Gardens. There will be performances by The Purple Symphony, Singapore’s largest inclusive orchestra made up of musicians with and without disabilities, local Xinyao artists and the Open Score Project at the Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage as well as outdoor screenings at Eco-Lake Lawn of Fantastic Fungi (2019) and A Singapore Dementia Story (2026) in partnership with Dementia Singapore and in support of World Alzheimer’s Month.
Fungi After Dark, a light and projection installation illuminating the CDL Green Gallery lawn will also run every evening throughout the festival period.
Behind the Scenes at the Singapore Botanic Gardens (workshop)
Go behind the scenes with an orchid specialist, plant cultivator, horticulturist or arborist in the ‘In a Day’s Work’ workshop series. Discover what it takes to care for the flora and fauna in the Gardens, by learning more about areas such as nursery work, orchid cultivation, propagation techniques and arboriculture.
Guided tours through the Gardens
Guided experiences offer fresh perspectives on the Gardens. Led by the Gardens’ volunteer guides, these tours explore the Rain Forest and Learning Forest, uncover the Gardens’ heritage, visit the National Orchid Garden and Botanical Art Gallery, or take participants through the Gardens after dark on a special Night Tour tracing its rubber and orchid legacy.
Fort Canning Park
Immersive Audio Quest Through the Stories of Fort Canning
On weekend evenings, experience 14th-century Temasek through an immersive after-dark quest where participants can step into the role of a young prince on the sacred royal hill of Bukit Larangan, or the “Forbidden Hill” at The Heir: An Interactive Projection and Audio Quest. Set against the natural landscape of Fort Canning Park, the experience uses large-scale projections cast onto the park’s trees and terrain, making it best experienced after dark.
Follow the young royal heir as he takes on new responsibilities, from observing the harbour and meeting foreign envoys to responding to news of a looming threat. At various stations, these projections are complemented by audio storytelling and simple puzzles, creating an immersive journey through 14th-century Temasek. Those who complete the experience can redeem a limited-edition token, while stocks last.
Nature and Heritage Workshops
Hands-on workshops that draw on the nature and heritage of Fort Canning Park through creative activities will be available for sign-up. During the workshops, participants can learn how to craft botanical soap, create art using natural colours, try relief printing, or turn herbs and spices into otah-otah and refreshing brews. Other activities explore Fort Canning’s historical connection with clay and ceramic-making through Clay, Kings & Kilns, while craft booths at the atrium of Fort Canning Centre offer more creative activities throughout the festival period.
Slow Down and Reconnect with Nature
The Roots & Reflection Experience invites visitors to slow down and engage their senses, surrounded by the greenery of Fort Canning Park. Experience the historic hill not just as a place to explore, but also as a place to pause, reflect and reconnect with nature.
Heritage Rally
Those keen to explore Singapore Botanic Gardens and Fort Canning Park can pick up Heritage Rally passports for each location and collect up to 18 commemorative stamps across both passports. Each stamp design showcases a unique motif inspired by landmarks and features across the two locations, including the Bandstand, Swan Lake, Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage and Learning Forest at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, and Fort Gate, Gothic Gate, Spice Garden and Pancur Larangan at Fort Canning Park. Those who collect a select number of stamps at both spaces can also redeem an additional special prize, while stocks last.
On the weekends, the rally route will feature live demonstrations and interactive showcases at selected rally stops, from make-and-taste sessions and field recording walks at the Singapore Botanic Gardens to entomologist-led insect discoveries and macro photography experiences at Fort Canning Park.
The Heritage Rally passports and prize redemption will be available for free from 9.00 am to 5.30 pm daily throughout the festival period, while stocks last, at any Singapore Botanic Gardens’ Visitor Services Counters, as well as at Fort Canning Centre’s Visitor Services Counter.
📅 5 to 13 Sep 2026
📍 Singapore Botanic Gardens and Fort Canning Park
Pre-registration for some activities and workshops is required.
For more information about the Singapore Botanic Gardens and Fort Canning Park Heritage Festival 2026, visit here.
September School Holiday 2026
It is the one-week September school break. Do check out our compilation of exciting September School Holidays Activities 2026 in Singapore.
Mid-Autumn Festival falls on 25 September this year. Remember to check out our list of Best Mooncakes and Best Bak Kwa in Singapore 2026.
Looking for what to do during the Mid-Autumn Festival? Read Mid Autumn Festival 2026 Events in Singapore.
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