PERFORMERS bring 'MARACOSA' by Indonesia-based Papermoon Puppet Theatre to life during the Singapore Night Festival at Armenian Street. The puppet theater production is part of The Somewhere Else Stage lineup on 4 and 5 September.
Photograph courtesy of Papermoon Puppet Theatre
The Peranakan Museum will transform Armenian Street into a world of myth, culture and imagination as part of the 2026 Singapore Night Festival, with extended museum hours and a lineup of free performances, installations and community activities.
Dubbed “Elsewhere at Armenian Street,” the program runs from 21 August to 5 September 2026, with the museum extending its opening hours until 10 p.m. Free museum entry and programs will be available on 28 and 29 August and 4 and 5 September from 6 to 10 p.m.
Among the featured installations is “The Great Mythical Stampede” by CHUNKIE, which imagines mythical creatures from Peranakan Museum objects coming to life after dark. Winged horses, lion-dogs and phoenixes are depicted breaking free from carved wood, porcelain and embroidered silk.
Visitors can also take part in “Fantasy Boutique: A Wearable Workshop” by GLITTER, where participants aged 12 and above can create embellished eyewear inspired by Asian myths and symbols. The workshop will be held on 28 and 29 August and 4 and 5 September at the Armenian Street shophouse, with a $5 fee and registration required.
For shoppers and visitors looking for a more unusual night market, “The Other Night” will feature fortune tellers, makers, storytellers and vendors offering curious wares along Armenian Street. The marketplace will run from 6 to 10 p.m. on the same four festival nights and will be free to enter, with cashless payments required.
Music, dance and theater will also take center stage at The Somewhere Else Stage, featuring performances from Singaporean and international artists across four nights. The lineup includes Dikir Barat group Kelana Purba, improvised music platform Off The Record, dream-pop artist Shye, Arabic cover band The Samrah Club, Chinese opera performers, bellydance ensemble Dance Angels, Singaporean project NADA and Indonesian puppet theater company Papermoon Puppet Theatre.
The program also highlights Singapore's multicultural heritage through Community Souq by Arab Network @ Singapore, offering visitors traditional Yemeni hospitality, Mandi rice, baklava, handcrafted goods, henna art and digital Arabic calligraphy.
Other activities include an Arab Peranakan fragrance workshop, magic performances, a communal culinary experience and an immersive Wayang tour that brings the Peranakan Museum's galleries to life through song and dance.
The Peranakan Museum, housed in the former Tao Nan School built in 1912, presents the cross-cultural art and heritage of Peranakan communities in Southeast Asia. Its collection spans three floors and explores Peranakan identity through themes of origins, home and style.
