Play tug-of-war with a police dog, simulate being a prison officer & more at Home Team Festival at Suntec Convention Centre from Nov. 20-22

Not every weekend gives you the chance to play tug-of-war against a police dog.

This one does. The Home Team Festival is back at Suntec Convention Centre from Nov. 20 to 22, billed as the largest public showcase of the Home Team’s work.

The festival is held once every three years, so if you miss it, you’ll be waiting another three.

Here are the dates and opening hours:

• Nov. 20: 11am to 9pm
• Nov. 21: 1pm to 9pm
• Nov. 22: 9am to 9pm

If you’re a fan of our canine heroes

Ever wondered how a dog is trained to find people buried under rubble, or to sniff out clues on what started a fire?

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) Search Platoon is bringing its Fire Investigation (FI) and Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) dogs for a live demonstration.

You can watch them work through rubble and debris, locate “trapped casualties” and detect accelerants at a simulated fire scene.

Then there’s the Singapore Police Force (SPF) K-9 Show, with police dogs and their handlers.

Highlights include:

• “Human vs Dog”: A contraband detection challenge where you hunt for hidden items alongside the dogs. Good luck keeping up.
• Tug-of-war: Test your strength against a police dog.
• Meet & greet: Say hello and take photos with the dogs up close.

Also on stage is the Ops Demo, a theatrical showcase inspired by real-life Home Team operations. It shows how different Home Team departments work together as One Home Team.

If you’ve always wanted to play officer

Several activities let you take on the job for a few minutes.

At the SPS Dayroom Dash, you can take on the role of a Correctional Unit Officer in a fast-paced video game. You’ll juggle daily duties, support inmates’ rehabilitation activities and respond to unexpected situations, all against the clock.

Meanwhile, the SPS VR Scenario is a simulation used to train new Prison Officers. It drops you into realistic situations where you have to size things up and decide quickly under pressure.

There’s also the Shooting Range, where you can try a supervised live-firing activity using non-lethal equipment used by the Singapore Prisons Emergency Action Response (SPEAR) Force and Singapore Police Force (SPF) Special Operations Command. It’s a rare chance to test your focus, accuracy and composure. There is no age limit, but participants must be at least 1.1 metres tall.

The ICA Vehicle Search allows you to experience how Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers conduct checks on vehicles at the land checkpoints. You will be given mock-up scanning tools to search for contraband and prohibited items within the life-sized vehicle.

Fight the Manikin by SPS lets you test your strike accuracy and strength on a combat training manikin, with a Straight Extendable Baton.

In Drug Buster, you play a Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officer in two games.

• Game 1: Search a mock-up HDB unit for as many hidden drug exhibits as you can before time runs out. Kids and parents can play together.
• Game 2: A VR game for those aged 12 and above, where you gather intelligence through three stages of covert surveillance.

If you like gadgets

Think you can spot a deepfake? Curious what a human-like robot can do? These exhibits are for you.

• Forensic LiDAR: Mapping the Truth – View how 3D scanners are used to digitally reconstruct scenes, and learn how this helps investigators examine scenes digitally.
• Humanoid Embodied AI: Watch a humanoid demonstrate autonomously how officers and agentic AI-powered robots could work together in future for public safety.
• AlchemiX: Are you the Sherlock Holmes of deepfake detection? Test yourself against AI-generated media, and find out how AlchemiX works to identify manipulated content.
• SGSecure Mini Games in SPF Metaverse: An interactive Roblox-based experience that introduces SGSecure concepts through a series of mini games, including how to respond in a terror attack, spot suspicious people and behaviour, and perform basic CPR.
• PROTECT: Get up close with PROTECT, an autonomous robotic unit, and discover how it supports Prison Officers in maintaining safety and security within prisons, transforming prison operations with technology.

If you want to get up close with the gear

Some of the Home Team’s most interesting kit doesn’t usually come out in public, so this is your chance to stand next to it.

Start with the Traffic Police Expressway Patrol Car, a Polestar 2 that is the SPF’s first electric patrol vehicle.

Nearby is Spyder, a Hull Climbing Robot that scales metal ship hulls so officers can board vessels.

The SCDF is bringing the Electric Pump Ladder, which it says is the first of its kind in ASEAN and runs mainly on electricity with zero emissions.

Beside it is a Vehicle Extrication Robot, built to move affected electric vehicles away from incident scenes once the fire is out.

Further along, you can get close to the vehicles that the SPS uses to move inmates safely between prison, courts and hospitals.

The ICA showcases an automated clearance system that allows drivers and passengers to clear immigration at land checkpoints without stepping out of their vehicles.

The CNB explains how it uses science and technology to detect drug abuse.

Then it’s your turn.

At HTX’s (Home Team Science and Technology Agency) Hands-On Robotics Experience, you control a humanoid robot’s movement along a course, steering around obstacles to reach a post-blast site and collect key evidence before the clock runs out.

And before you leave, stop by the Yellow Ribbon Singapore (YRSG)’s Hope booth on the Level 3 concourse.

Fuel up with a cake or coffee at the Hope Café, where all proceeds go to Yellow Ribbon Cares in support of ex-offenders and their families.

While you're at it, what's an event without a meaningful keepsake? Head over to the Hope Workshop and find out how you can walk away with a truly unique memento made from upcycled clothing fabrics and exclusive charms!

If you’re bringing the kids

There’s plenty for the little ones too.

At the Home Team Kiddy Rides, children drive miniature vehicles inspired by Home Team operational vehicles around a course.

Families can also pick up life-saving skills from SCDF officers at the CPR-AED & IFAS Booth. You learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED), and Improvised First Aid Skills (IFAS) for treating severe bleeding with everyday items.

The Smoke-logged Confined Maze replicates a smoke-filled room during a fire. Learn how to escape to safety by keeping close to the ground and moving towards the exit while navigating through obstacles in the dark.

Put your observation skills to the test at the Cell Search Challenge! Step into the shoes of a Prison Officer as you search a mock prison cell for hidden contrabands. Complete the challenge and win a token.

Children aged three to seven can also pick up a Children’s Activity Book, filled with colouring pages, connect-the-dots, mazes, puzzles and fun facts. It comes with stickers and coloured pencils.

If you like free stuff

Every visitor gets an exclusive two-way canvas bag, which you can carry as a sling bag or a tote.

If you complete missions by participating at selected booths across the festival, you can also redeem a HTF 2026 collectible – a keycap keychain!

The designs are inspired by the different Home Team departments and the festival’s identity.

Before you go

A few reminders for visitors:

• Keep your valuables with you, and don’t leave children or bags unattended
• Keep young children within reach, especially in crowded areas
• Follow the instructions of ushers and security staff, and the safety signs at exhibits
• Use the electronic queue management system at popular booths instead of crowding around
• Do not push or rush when entering, exiting or queuing, and do not cross barriers or enter restricted areas
• Report unattended bags or suspicious behaviour to security staff or booth ambassadors

Prohibited items include weapons, knives, fireworks, pepper spray, e-cigarettes and alcoholic beverages.

Join the Home Team Festival

Location: Suntec Convention Centre, Halls 401-406, Level 3 Concourse Atrium near Convention Centre

Date & Time:

• Nov. 20: 11am to 9pm
• Nov. 21: 1pm to 9pm
• Nov. 22: 9am to 9pm

Admission is free. To find out how you can play a part in keeping Singapore safe and secure, visit MHA’s website for more details.

If you are keen to join the Home Team as a volunteer, come down and check out the Home Team Volunteer Network booth.

This Home Team-branded article made this writer want to challenge a police dog to a tug-of-war.