Looking to spend some quality family time during the Mid-Autumn Festival and reminisce about your childhood?

You’re just in time for the Mid-Autumn Family FUN (MAFF) event from Sep. 19 to 20.

Held at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) and Singapore Conference Hall (SCH), it is an annual event organised by SCCC and the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO).

Members of the public will be able to enjoy a variety of family-friendly activities, including a Mid-Autumn rooftop installation and free programmes such as mooncake tasting, lantern walks and cultural performances.

There will also be ticketed hands-on workshops, where eligible Singapore citizens can use their SG Culture Pass credits to offset ticket costs for eligible MAFF 2026 programmes.

Here’s what you can expect at the festival.

Free cultural activities

Below are some activities that will let you soak in the Mid-Autumn vibes, all without the need for a dime.

Bit Bit Forest Mid-Autumn Light Up!

Looking to post more aesthetic photos on Instagram or other social media platforms? Head up to the SCCC Roof Garden to discover the Bit Bit Forest installation, featuring four lighted giant inflatable bunnies that make for a whimsical photo backdrop.

There will also be one bunny unique to Singapore, all dressed up in a kebaya which you can find at the Concourse.

The installation will be on display from 10am to 10pm from Sep. 11 to Dec. 13 at the SCCC Roof Garden and Concourse.

Mass Lantern Walk: Talking to the Moon

No Mid-Autumn festival is complete without a lantern walk and this one is no exception.

Go on an adventure and follow a story as you make your way from one pit stop to another, taking part in fun tasks along the way.

Families will also get to visit an SCDF fire station and pick up some fire safety tips as part of the journey.

Registration for the Mass Lantern Walk begins at 7pm at SCHl on a first-come, first-served basis, capped at 80 participants each day.

Each participant will also get a lantern for free.

Amazing Moongazing

In the evenings, from 7pm to 9pm on both days, the ITE College East Astronomy Club will be on hand at the SCCC roof garden with telescopes for a closer look at the moon.

And if you’re lucky, you may even get the chance to spot stars and planets in the night sky.

To add to the atmosphere, you can even enjoy music by local singer-songwriter Jason Yu.

The Hanfu Wardrobe Corner

If you would like a colourful souvenir to remember the day’s fun, you can dress up in a Hanfu (traditional Chinese attire) and snap a photo at the photo booth at SCCC Multi-Purpose Hall, Level 7.

The Activities Village

You’ll find two craft stations at SCCC Concourse, Level 1 and Singapore Conference Hall’s Exhibition Halls respectively.

Make your own Rabbit Ear Headband at SCCC or a colourful Cellophane Fan at Singapore Conference Hall from 1pm to 7pm on both days.

Dreams Under One Moon

Made your own cellophane fan at The Activities Village booth located at the Exhibition Halls of the Singapore Conference Hall?

Why not bring your artpiece and have it illuminated against different forest-themed backdrops at SCCC Practice Room, Level 10?

You can even catch an immersive theatre performance happening at selected timings on both days:

• 2:30pm to 3pm
• 4pm to 4:30pm
• 5:30pm to 6pm

Ticketed programmes

If you don’t mind paying for some programmes, here’s what you can look forward to, from performances to craft and even tea.

A Voyage of Voices: Moonbound

On Sep. 19, from 3pm to 4:15pm and 7:30pm to 8:45pm, get entertained by an interactive concert of moon-inspired music with Principal Conductor Quek Ling Kiong playing the role of Ah De in Moonbound at the SCO Concert Hall.

The concert will celebrate Singapore’s diversity through the sights, sounds, flavours and emotions of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Expect a riddle solving segment, and a chance to catch SCO’s soloists in works such as Singapore Pie and Pelayaran.

The Makers' Loft: Nagomi Art Workshop

Still looking to get a more hands-on experience during the festivities?

Head to the Multi-Purpose Hall on Level 7 of SCCC for a relaxing Pastel Nagomi Art workshop.

Using soft pastels and the technique of drawing with fingers, you get to create your very own Pastel Nagomi Art piece while exploring this gentle art technique.

This workshop will run on both days, from 1pm to 2:30pm and 3pm to 4:30pm.

The Makers' Loft: Tea Whisking & Painting Workshop

If you want to understand more about the history behind tea preparation, you can join the Tea Whisking and Painting workshop also held at the SCCC’s Level 7 Multi-Purpose Hall.

Taking place only on Sep. 19 from 5pm to 5:45pm and 6:15pm to 7pm.

This is your chance to pick up the traditional art of Chinese Song-style tea whisking using traditional techniques and antique tea bowls.

You could also team up with your family and friends to complete tasks on a stamp rally card.

Once you fill it up, there’s a treat from Old Chang Kee waiting to be redeemed.

There are also more activities to choose from and mooncake sampling if you get hungry midway through the day. You can also catch a delightful line-up of performances at Concourse which include engaging storytelling sessions, children's showcases, traditional dance performances, and other cultural acts.

Time to plan out a day of fun by selecting your favourite activities.

For more information, check out this link.

This branded article by Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre made this writer want to go on a lantern walk while eating mooncakes.

A newborn baby boy was found alive in a sanitary bin at Penang International Airport on Aug. 31.

According to the New Straits Times (NST), a Malaysian woman, 23, and a Myanmar man, 22, were detained shortly after to assist with investigations.

Discovery

Free Malaysia Today (FMT) reported that the baby was found by a janitor who heard its cries.

The baby was likely abandoned shortly after birth as it was discovered with the placenta and umbilical cord still attached, NST stated.

Soon after, a video showing the baby in the bin went viral on Malaysian social media.

The baby was eventually brought to a hospital for treatment.

Arrest

Police chief Anuwal Ab Wahab said in a statement that the couple was detained after a review of the CCTV footage, NST wrote.

The woman was subsequently arrested at Kompleks Bukit Jambul, a shopping mall close to Penang International Airport.

Further investigations led to the arrest of the Myanmar national.

The two are being investigated for the abandonment of a child under 12 by a parent or caregiver.

NST reported earlier this year that 18 cases of baby abandonment in Malaysia were recorded within the first quarter alone.

A 30-year-old man was found dead in the waters off Yishun Dam on the morning of Sep. 2.

In response to Mothership's queries, the police said they received a call for assistance along Yishun Avenue 1 at about 7:20am.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) also confirmed that SCDF rescuers retrieved a body from the waters using rescue equipment.

The person was pronounced dead at the scene by an SCDF paramedic.

Based on preliminary investigations, the police do not suspect foul play.

Police investigations are ongoing.

A Facebook post on Complaint Singapore showed a few police vehicles along the road, with some commenting that there was a bad jam in the morning.

Singapore and Thailand look to take advantage of their consecutive Asean chairmanships to work together across successive chairmanships and develop a multi-year agenda.

This comes as Singapore prepares to take the 2027 Asean chair, with Thailand chairing the regional bloc in 2028.

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said this during the joint press conference of the 2026 Singapore-Thailand Leaders Retreat in Bangkok on Sep. 2.

His trip was hosted by Thailand PM Anutin Charnvirakul, reciprocating a visit to Singapore by Anutin in 2025.

This was the first leaders' retreat in over a decade, and PM Wong said that he was glad to revive the platform “to take stock of our relations, discuss issues of mutual interest, and chart the way forward together.”

Relationship in excellent shape

PM Wong said the Singapore-Thailand bilateral relationship was “in excellent shape” and was “underpinned by a high degree of trust and rapport” at the leadership level.

This was in addition to the strong institutional ties between the two countries.

PM Wong noted the depth of the relationship, whether it be through bilateral platforms such as the Singapore-Thailand Enhanced Economic Relationship (STEER) or the Civil Service Exchange Program, or defence and economic ties.

Defence cooperation was also described as a “key pillar” of the relationship, with PM Wong saying he appreciated Thailand’s hosting of the SAF for training over several decades.

Economic ties were described as “extensive and growing”, and he noted that Singapore was the larger source of FDI into Thailand in 2025.

“We have every confidence in Thailand’s economy, and our companies continue to see good opportunities to invest and grow here for the long term.”

PM Wong also spoke about the evolution of the partnership in the face of changing needs and priorities, such as on food and energy security, digital economy, and tackling transnational crime.

Shared priorities into concrete projects

The retreat provided an opportunity to review progress and focus on how to turn shared priorities into "concrete projects”, such as in food and energy security, emerging technologies such as AI, and closer connectivity between countries.

On the final point, PM Wong said that Thailand sought to strengthen its position as a regional trade and logistics hub, and that Singapore was a “natural partner”, with companies such as PSA having “capabilities and experience that can contribute to these plans.”

Another aspect of close connectivity was the connections between people, including among civil servants and researchers.

PM Wong and Anutin witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen cooperation in the field of social sector development.

The MOU would enable both countries to learn from each other’s experiences and find new solutions to mutual challenges.

Sustained efforts

Singapore is due to take up the Asean Chair in 2027, with Thailand following in 2028, an occurrence that PM Wong said: “gives us a unique opportunity to work together across our successive Chairmanships, especially on initiatives that require sustained effort over several years.”

Both leaders agreed that their teams should work closely together to develop a “multi-year agenda that builds continuity and momentum from one Chairmanship to the next.”

“By working in tandem, we can sustain the momentum on important initiatives, and make greater progress on issues that matter to our region.”

Trusted partner

Anutin welcomed PM Wong, referring to him as his "good friend", and said he was pleased to return the hospitality extended to him when he visited Singapore in November 2025, calling the retreat "very productive."

He said the retreat was very timely, given their successive roles as chairs of Asean.

Beyond the MoU signed that day, Anutin said that he and PM Wong had agreed to work on four additional agreements on the digital economy, transnational crime, food security, and supply chain resilience.

Anutin also said that regarding food security, he had assured PM Wong that Thailand will be Singapore's "trusted partner" and will build on the 2025 rice trade agreement to supply 100,000 tonnes of Thai rice over five years, as well as expanding cooperation to other products.

The founder of Thai ice cream brand Hawell's has put his business up for sale for 165 million baht (S$6,309,710), as he prepares to enter monkhood.

Siripong Akkarasriyuk, chairman of Hawell's (Thailand) Co Ltd, announced the news in a Facebook post on Aug. 21.

He is searching for a successor to take over the brand, and is offering a 5 million baht (S$191,180) referral fee.

"My family and I have only two years left"

According to Bangkok Post, Siripong said the difficulty of expanding the business was only part of why he is selling.

He explained: "The most important reason is that my family and I have only two years left."

The two years is the timeframe he has set for renouncing worldly life.

In those two years, he wants to find land for a forest retreat where he can meditate, before ordaining as a monk and devoting entirely to spiritual solitude.

He plans to cut off contact with everyone, including his wife and daughter, with what he called "the ultimate goal of attaining enlightenment as an arahant.”

Arahant is the Sanskrit term meaning the "one who is deserving" in Buddhism.

Bangkok Post reported that he has been planning this stage of his life for over 15 years.

Why he is selling rather than staying on

Siripong spent the past two years trying to get mall space.

However, he kept being told there was none, even when units sat empty.

Standalone stores would require significant investment, and he ruled out franchising because it was too risky for the brand.

He has drawn up an expansion plan targeting annual sales of nearly 9 billion baht (S$344,166), but with only two years before he ordains, he figured the better move was to find someone with the passion and ability to see it through.

What the buyer gets

The successor stands to receive assets valued at 165 million baht (S$6,309,710).

These include a portion of land in Bang Bua Thong, Nonthaburi, an office building and a factory with machinery and licences, the Hawell's Ice Cream & Fast Food shop, and the Hawell's trademark.

Siripong said it also comes with "all the know-how accumulated over 37 years and all ice-cream recipes, both soft-serve and hard ice cream."

Whoever takes over inherits his project plan too. It targets annual sales of 8.8 billion baht (about S$337 million) from 300 soft-serve shops nationwide, 100 hard ice cream shops and 5,000 automatic cup dispensers, provided the funding is secured in the first two years.

"A part of my life and my family's life"

He said: "Hawell's is not just a business I built. It has been a part of my life and my family's life."

He thanked customers for their support.

He added: "Even if I choose to leave worldly life behind… I still want to see Hawell's move forward."

From 22 branches to one

Hawell's opened its first branch at Central Pinklao in December 1999 and grew to 22 outlets within three years.

Unfortunately, the bigger players started cutting exclusive-use deals with malls, locking direct competitors out.

Nearly every Hawell's branch closed as a result, with Central Pinklao the last to go in 2014.

The name returned in 2023 with a standalone outlet in Bang Bua Thong, which is still open and the only one left.

The police will be charging two men, aged 20 and 35, in court on Sep. 3, 2026, for their suspected involvement in two separate cases of driving dangerously under the influence of drugs.

1st case: Jurong West

On Oct. 28. 2025 at about 8:40pm, the police were alerted to an accident involving two cars and a van along Jurong West Street 91.

Investigations revealed that the 20-year-old man, who was the car driver, had failed to move off after the traffic light turned green.

A bus then overtook the car from the right, after which the man overtook the bus from the left and stopped his car, before driving across the centre divider kerb onto the opposite side of the road.

He drove against the flow of traffic when he collided into the right rear of another car and a van.

He subsequently mounted the centre divider kerb again and came to a stop.

No one was injured in the accident.

Driver appeared unstable

At the scene of the accident, the man was observed to be unstable and disoriented.

A vaporiser was found in his car and was seized.

The vaporiser-related offence was referred to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).

Etomidate was detected in his blood sample in a subsequent analysis by HSA.

The man will be charged with driving under the influence of drugs and dangerous driving.

2nd case: Chao Chu Kang

On Nov. 26, 2025 at about 8:40pm, the police were alerted to a case of a car driving against the flow of traffic along Choa Chu Kang Way.

Investigations revealed that the 35-year-old man, who was the car driver, was travelling along Choa Chu Kang Avenue 1 before turning into Choa Chu Kang Way.

He then drove against the flow of traffic before turning into a petrol station.

While he was driving against the flow of traffic, other road users had to slow down to avoid a collision.

No injuries were reported.

Driver appeared intoxicated

At the scene, the driver was observed to be disoriented and intoxicated.

A vaporiser was found in his car and was seized.

The vaporiser-related offence was referred to HSA.

Etomidate was subsequently detected in his blood sample in an analysis by HSA.

The man will be charged with driving under the influence of drugs and dangerous driving.

Penalties

The offence of driving under the influence of a drug carries a fine of S$2,000 to S$10,000, or a jail term of up to 12 months, or both.

Offenders may also face disqualification from driving all classes of vehicles.

The offence of dangerous driving as a serious offender carries a fine of S$2,000 to S$10,000 or a jail term of up to 12 months, or both, in addition a fine not exceeding S$5,000 or a jail term not exceeding 12 months, or both.

Offenders may also face disqualification from driving all classes of vehicles.

Former Wah!Banana actor Lev Panfilov has been cleared of raping and sexually assaulting a woman he met on Tinder.

This comes after he had appealed against his conviction for raping, sexually assaulting and molesting a woman in his flat on Jan. 12, 2021.

The 30-year-old Russian national was previously sentenced to 11 years and six months in jail, as well as 12 strokes of the cane on May 19, 2025.

During the initial trial, Panfilov did not deny that he had sex with the woman, but claimed that it was consensual.

Acquitted

According to CNA, the Court of Appeal overturned the convictions against Panfilov on four charges comprising rape, sexual assault and molestation on Sep. 2.

Panfilov reportedly broke into a smile upon hearing the verdict.

The appeal case was heard before a panel of three judges.

Speaking on behalf of the three, Justice Sushil Nair said they found inconsistencies in the alleged victim's testimony, giving rise to a reasonable doubt in the prosecution's case.

They also found that the woman is not an "unusually convincing witness", reported CNA.

In "he said, she said" cases, an “unusually convincing” standard sets the threshold for a witness’ testimony to be preferred over the evidence put forth by an accused person, according to Singapore Legal Advice.

The trial judge had previously convicted Panfilov after finding the woman an "unusually convincing" witness, while finding Panfilov not to be a "credible witness".

Inconsistencies

One of the inconsistencies in the woman's testimony was whether she had screamed during the alleged assault.

The woman had told a doctor that she had done so, but later said in court that she did not scream but had attempted to, reported CNA.

Additionally, the judges noted that the only physical evidence offered by the prosecution was a pair of blood-stained underwear.

The underwear was taken out of her laundry basket six days after the incident, during which she had her period, and there was no evidence that the blood was not menstrual, reported CNA.

The underwear also did not match Panfilov's description of the underwear worn by the woman that night.

Furthermore, there were no wounds found on the woman during examination that would have caused the amount of blood found on it.

Falls short of unusually convincing standard

In a Facebook post by Panfilov's appeal lawyer, Eugene Thuraisingam, following the appeal hearing, the defence noted that the woman had initially told police there was no evidence of rape, before later producing a pair of bloodied underwear retrieved from a laundry hamper.

According to CNA, the appeal judges found the woman's hesitation to make a police report "puzzling", despite apparently being aware of the bloodied underwear.

Justice Nair reportedly said the complainant’s evidence did not meet the "unusually convincing standard" required and was insufficient to overcome the absence of corroborative evidence.

Gap in time when he left to go bathroom

The judge also noted that there was a gap in time when Panfilov left the woman on the bed to go to the bathroom.

The woman had testified that she attempted to leave the room a couple of times before she was purportedly pushed onto the bed.

While Justice Nair acknowledged that victims of sexual assault can react to an assault in different ways, he said that the woman remaining on the bed, fully dressed, rather than leaving, was inconsistent with her evidence when considered alongside the rest of her testimony.

The gap in time was more consistent with a consensual encounter than a violent, non-consensual one, Justice Nair was cited by CNA as saying.

Challenging appeal

In response to Mothership's queries, Panfilov's defence team, comprising Johannes Hadi, Eugene Thuraisingam, and Seraphine Loh, said the appeal was an "extremely challenging" one.

“We thoroughly and meticulously combed through the record of proceedings of the court below. That was the level of detail we had to look at and present to the court in support of our argument that there were material inconsistencies in the complainant’s version of events," they said.

The team said they are "delighted" that the Court of Appeal accepted their argument and acquitted Panfilov.

"It has been a privilege to bring our advocacy to bear in a case of this magnitude, and we are proud to have played our part in the administration of justice in Singapore,” they said.

A Chinese national working in New Zealand fled the country after raping a woman who lived near his construction work site in March 2024.

Zhang Xuesong, now 42, was extradited to New Zealand in September 2025 after moving to Singapore for another construction job.

He has since pleaded guilty in Auckland's High Court on Aug. 31 to eight offences, including rape, aggravated burglary, threatening to kill, strangulation, unlawful detention, indecent assault and assault with a weapon, reported The New Zealand (NZ) Herald.

His sentencing date is scheduled for December.

What happened

According to NZ Herald, Zhang, who worked all over the city, had spent about three weeks on a site in West Auckland next to the victim’s home in late January and early February 2024.

He returned to the site a month-and-a-half later and drank three bottles of Tiger Beer before climbing the fence to the victim's home.

He then hid behind her bedroom door and rushed to her as she walked in.

Zhang proceeded to pin the woman to the bed and threatened to kill her if she screamed.

He then wrapped the tape twice around her head to cover her mouth before strangling her.

The victim temporarily lost consciousness, during which her landlord came to knock on her door to check on her.

The victim started to regain consciousness at this point, and Zhang brought his knife to her neck to threaten her again.

“If you [can’t] keep quiet and make [me] happy, I will go out and kill [the landlord],” he warned her, according to court documents seen by NZ Herald.

The landlord later left as they assumed the victim had experienced a nightmare.

Zhang went on to abuse the victim for the next hour-and-a-half, committing various sexual assaults on her.

Victim fought him off

The victim eventually managed to kick Zhang away at one point and screamed as loud as she could.

This time, the landlord called a male acquaintance over to check on her.

When Zhang realised there was another person in the house, he made his escape through the window.

Police eventually found the victim in her room, still “extremely confused and disoriented”.

She was taken to the hospital with numerous injuries, including deep bruises to her neck and wrists, NZ Herald reported.

Initially denied the offences

Zhang's vehicle was caught on CCTV driving around the block just minutes after police arrived and his DNA was also found at the crime scene.

When he was eventually extradited to New Zealand, he initially denied having raped anyone.

He claimed that he drank beer and played games on his phone before falling asleep at the site.

When told about the DNA match, he suggested that either he had been framed or the woman was a sex worker.

The judge reportedly approved the prosecution's request for two psychological reports necessary to seek preventive detention.

Preventive detention is a sentence without an end date reserved for those considered New Zealand’s most dangerous criminals, NZ Herald reported.

Rape usually carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment in the country.

A Filipino woman in Singapore who cheated two restaurants of over S$10,000 using edited PayNow screenshots successfully appealed to have her jail sentence reduced by 10 months.

Santos-Tumalip Maria Monalyn Bagaporo, 33, deceived these restaurants into delivering 59 meals without actually making payment, "because she wanted to order food for her friends and impress them", according to the prosecutor.

Previously on Nov. 13, 2025, she pleaded guilty to four charges including cheating and theft, and was sentenced to one year and 11 months' jail.

For her appeal hearing, she was represented by lawyer Sujesh Anandan, son of the late criminal lawyer Subhas Anandan.

He represented her pro bono and, on Aug. 28, successfully appealed to cut her jail term to one year and one month, Shin Min Daily News reported.

How she cheated the restaurants

Between 2022 and 2025, Bagaporo placed food delivery orders from restaurants and submit doctored PayNow screenshots as proof of payment, which the restaurants unknowingly accepted.

The PayNow transactions in the screenshots were actually payment transfers to herself. She used an app to edit the picture, changing the recipient to the name of the restaurant.

She would also edit the details of the sender's account, making it appear like she was making payments through different bank accounts.

Using this method, she made 35 orders from Home of Seafood amounting to S$3,891.75, and 24 orders from Baci Baci that added up to S$6,167.52.

Apart from restaurants, Bagaporo also cheated a hair salon at Orchard by using the same fabricated screenshot method to obtain gift vouchers valued at S$763.

During Bagaporo's sentencing in November 2025, the prosecution also pointed out that she reoffended four times while on court bail, using the same dishonest scheme.

The appeal

The day after she was sentenced, Bagaporo reached out to Pro Bono SG for legal representation through her sister, according to a court judgement dated Mar. 25, 2026.

In the appeal, Sujesh argued that Bagaporo's original jail sentence was too harsh because similar cases in the past received a lighter sentence despite involving greater losses or more instances of deception, Shin Min reported.

He urged the court to reduce her sentence for the cheating charge to seven months.

The prosecution objected to this, arguing that seven months is too low, and called for the original sentence to remain.

In his appeal for a more lenient sentence, Sujesh also told the court that a shorter sentence would allow Bagaporo to return home to the Philippines to reunite with her son sooner.

He said that she was pregnant during investigations for her case, and was granted permission to return home to give birth in 2023.

Not long after her son was born, she brought him to Singapore to continue assisting with police investigations.

After she was remanded from September 2025, however, mother and son have been separated.

Sujesh argued that the court should consider a lighter sentencer as Bagaporo had made full restitution for the losses she caused, expressed sincere remorse for her wrongdoing, and was cooperative throughout the investigation.

The judgement

Justice Kannan Ramesh, who presided over the appeal case, noted that past cheating cases involving a similar amount of losses as Bagaporo's typically received a sentence of three to six months in jail, according to a transcript of his oral judgement.

He also pointed out that Bagaporo's scheme of cheating the restaurants was simple, and she made no attempt to conceal her identity.

However, she did continue to reoffend while out on bail, which elevates her culpability, the judge added.

Ultimately, considering these factors, the judge decided to reduce the sentence for the cheating offence from 18 months to eight months.

This meant that Bagaporo's total jail sentence was cut by 10 months, from a year and 11 months, to a year and one month.

In court, Bagaporo's sister cried tears of joy when she heard the verdict, and thanked Sujesh after the hearing, according to Shin Min.

Over S$30.4 million worth of SG Culture Pass credits have been spent since the scheme's launch, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) said on Sep. 2.

This is about 10 per cent of the S$300 million allocated to the scheme.

The scheme gives all Singaporeans aged 18 and above S$100 in credits to encourage participation in local arts and heritage activities.

The credits are valid from Sep. 1, 2025 to Dec. 31, 2028, and can be used to purchase tickets from authorised ticketing partners for eligible local performances, exhibitions, and other cultural experiences.

Over S$30.4 million worth of credits have been used

In its one-year update, MCCY said the scheme has supported more than 1,400 cultural programmes, 3,100 books and 23 films since its launch, involving over 900 arts and heritage partners, 76 publishers and 17 bookstores.

More than S$30.4 million in SG Culture Pass credits have been used by about 411,000 Singaporeans, said the ministry.

Of this, around S$2.9 million was spent on Sing Lit books, while about S$1.6 million was used on local films.

"We have seen a big uptick in people who have never read Sing Lit being open to trying and giving our local authors a go," said Alex Chua, the founder of Book Bar.

"Hopefully this will raise awareness on the local literary scene and promote a good reading culture across all age groups."

Of the 1.4 million Singaporeans who have registered for the SG Culture Pass, 68 per cent had not attended a local arts and culture event in the previous five years, MCCY said.

Young adults and those in their 30s made up the largest share of credit users.

Those aged 18 to 35 accounted for 43 per cent of credits used, followed by those aged 36 to 54 at 38 per cent.

Those aged 55 and above accounted for the remaining 19 per cent.

Across all age groups, live events accounted for the largest share of credit utilisation.

New portal to encourage seniors to use credits

MCCY said it is also developing a new portal to help seniors make greater use of their SG Culture Pass credits.

Called the Group-Assist Portal, it will support organisations in arranging group outings to arts and cultural programmes for seniors.

The ministry said it recognises that seniors prefer to experience social activities with friends and loved ones, and has therefore been working with partners such as Active Ageing Centres, Community Clubs and nursing homes to organise group outings for them.

These partners help to identify suitable events for seniors, redeem SG Culture Pass credits, and make arrangements for the outings.

The portal will be piloted in November and December 2026.

MCCY will continue to review the scheme

MCCY has also partnered other organisations to broaden the reach of the SG Culture Pass.

As part of a National Day campaign with Klook, eligible SG Culture Pass bookings unlocked a matching local arts and heritage experience for migrant workers through local charity ItsRainingRaincoats.

The ministry also partnered dating app Coffee Meets Bagel to promote cultural activities suitable for couples.

MCCY said it will continue to work with partners to reach new audiences and encourage more Singaporeans to participate local arts and heritage activities.

"MCCY will continue to review the SG Culture Pass and work with sector partners to ensure that the scheme remains relevant, inclusive and effective in fostering participation," it said.

"This includes continuing to refresh the range of eligible offerings and exploring ways to expand the network of authorised ticketing platforms."