In light of the recent measures announced by the Singapore government to help curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), Arts House Limited (AHL), together with festival commissioner National Arts Council (NAC), regretfully announces that the 43^rd edition of the Singapore International Festival of Arts 2020 (SIFA 2020) will no longer take place from 15 to 31 May 2020.

Recent measures announced by the Government include safe social distancing, the cancellation of all events catering to over 250 people, and the implementation of travel restrictions into Singapore. These wide-reaching measures, along with similar travel restrictions imposed by countries around the world, mean it is no longer viable to proceed with SIFA as scheduled.

SIFA 2021 will take place in the same May/June period next year. More information will be released at a later date.

SIFA 2020 has been cancelled and full refunds will be provided.

For Bookings Made via Cash and NETS

Cash refunds can only be done at CustomerService@SISTIC located at the 10 Eunos Road 8, #03-04, Singapore Post Centre, Singapore 408600 (accessible via Singapore Post Centre, Center Lift Lobby on Level 1) during the stipulated refund period. Alternative refund options via cheques or PayNow may also be provided by SISTIC. More information with regards to these refund options will be provided by SISTIC at a later date.

For Bookings Made via Debit or Credit Cards

You will receive an automatic refund issued by SISTIC within one to two months’ debit or credit card billing cycle. The tickets will be invalidated and no other action is required.

For Bookings Made via Cash and NETS 

Please present your photo ID for verification purposes and the original tickets at CustomerService@SISTIC to obtain your cash refund. If you are obtaining the refund on behalf of the original ticket holder, please bring a letter of authorisation signed by the original ticket holder, your photo ID for verification purposes and the original tickets.

If you are obtaining your cash or NETS refund through cheque or PayNow, you will need to fill in a form sent by SISTIC and the refund will be made within 30 working days upon submission of the completed form.

For Bookings Made via Debit or Credit Cards

No action will be needed as the refund will be credited back to the account directly.

maybe we should add here any SISTIC new operating hours or rules for onsite visits. 

Should you be unable to obtain your cash refund during the refund period, you may authorise another person to obtain the refund on your behalf. The authorised person will be required to present an authorisation letter from you, the authorised person’s photo ID for verification purposes and the original tickets to obtain the cash refund.

Alternatively, you may wish to opt to receive your refund via cheque or PayNow.

For cash transactions, stringent cash security rules have to be met. Most times large sums of cash are required to fulfil refund requirements. In a major refund exercise many counters may also be required to provide prompt service. In addition, audit controls require a strict refund verification procedure.

Currently, only the CustomerService@SISTIC located at the 10 Eunos Road 8, #03-04, Singapore Post Centre, Singapore 408600 (accessible via Singapore Post Centre, Center Lift Lobby on Level 1) can meet all these requirements and provide dedicated counters to efficiently fulfil all refund obligations.

Depending on the refund process, the refund may take up to 30 working days to be processed. We seek your kind understanding and patience on this matter.

Unfortunately, as the lineup for SIFA 2021 has not been released, we are unable to exchange the SIFA 2020 tickets with the shows for 2021. As such, all tickets will be fully refunded.

For Bookings Made via Debit or Credit Cards

The refund will be credited back to your account directly. The tickets will not be required.

For Bookings Made via Cash and NETS

You will receive a full refund of the ticket price paid and the SISTIC booking fees. Handling fees will not be refunded if the service has been rendered.

The Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) is organised by Arts House Limited.

SIFA is an annual highlight of Singapore’s cultural calendar. It began as the Singapore Festival of Arts in 1977 and was a biennial event up till 1999. Started at a time when Singapore was often called a “cultural desert”, the festival has since contributed greatly to the nation’s arts and cultural development.

The festival underwent a review in 2012 and as a result, an independent company, Arts Festival Limited, was set up by the National Arts Council to take over the organising of the festival. After merging with the The Old Parliament House, it was renamed Arts House Limited (AHL) on 19 March 2014. That year the festival was revamped into SIFA to huge success.

Committed to enriching lives through the arts, AHL is set up as a company limited by guarantee (CLG) under National Arts Council. AHL manages two key landmarks located in the heart of Singapore’s Civic District -- The Arts House, a multidisciplinary arts centre with a focus on literary programming, and the Victoria Theatre & Victoria Concert Hall, a heritage building that is home to the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. It also runs the Goodman Arts Centre and Aliwal Arts Centre, two creative enclaves for artists, arts groups and creative businesses, and performing arts space Drama Centre.

While there isn’t a mobile app for the Festival, there are various ways to stay informed! You can download our festival guide here.

Sign up for our mailing list for the latest news and special deals for SIFA here.
You can also connect with SIFA via our social media platforms for the latest updates:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram

As the tickets are reserved for individual purchases, you will not be able to purchase the tickets in bulk.

For the $10 Student Front Row tickets, it would be best for the students to purchase the tickets personally. If the students are interested to catch any of the performances, they may proceed to any SISTIC authorised ticketing agent and present their student pass to enjoy the special price.

For teachers wanting to purchase bulk tickets or if there are any queries, please email Amanda Tan at amandatan@artshouse.sg.

Seating plans for shows with reserved seating are available at any SISTIC outlet, so you are able to select your seat, subject to availability.

Some shows at SIFA 2020 are General Admission, meaning that your ticket does not assign you an allocated seat at the venue. These are free-seating and available on a first-come-first-served basis on the day of the performance/event. We encourage all ticket holders to reach the venue at least 30 minutes before the performance to secure your seats.

At the Festival House, there are also events with free admissions. However, these may require registrations due to venue capacity. The full festival line-up will be announced in February.

To expedite resolutions to lost/stolen tickets, please prepare the following before calling +65 6348 5555 for assistance: 

• Transaction number
• Event title
• Number of tickets purchased
• Name and NRIC/FIN number

Only tickets for reserved seating can be replaced for a service fee of $5.00 per ticket.
Lost / Stolen General Admission (GA) tickets cannot be replaced.

For more information, please click here.

In the case of advisory rating, Arts entertainment with an Advisory rating will be accompanied by consumer advice to enable the public, especially parents, to make an informed choice for their children.

In the case of restricted age, this is an enforceable category where arts companies and event organisers have to ensure that no one below the permissible age is allowed into the performance venue. Consumer advice will also be provided as early as possible for potential audience members to make an informed choice.

We are sorry to inform you that once the programme is sold out, there will not be any waiting list or extra slots.

Registered guests would have to show up at least 15 minutes before the free programme. If the registered guests are not there by 15 minutes before the programme, SIFA reserves the right to offer the seats to the walk-in guests. However, SIFA will not be able to guarantee seats for walk-in guests.

Patrons are encouraged to be at the venue at least 30 minutes before the performance time listed on your ticket. As a general practice, please be seated 15 minutes before the performance start time.

Out of respect to the performers and other audience members, latecomers will only be admitted into the venues at a suitable break. This varies from performance to performance. For some performances, there might be no latecomers admission or latecomers may be admitted only after first interval.

SIFA is made possible because of passionate individuals like yourself who love and wish to contribute to the arts. 

SIFA 2019 is currently recruiting Festival Ambassadors who will be instrumental in making the festival a success.

To be a Festival Ambassador, do register your interest or share your questions about the programme at sifavolunteer@artshouse.sg.

Closing date for SIFA Festival Ambassador registration will be on Friday, 27 March 2020.

Yes, there certainly are! For more information, click here.

If you have further enquiries, you may send an email to us at sifa@artshouse.sg.

Alternatively, you may write to us at Singapore International Festival of Arts 2020, 28 Aliwal Street, #03-05, Singapore 199918. We strive to get back to you as soon as possible.