16 October 2026 – 31 January 2027: The Singapore International Photography Festival (SIPF) returns for its landmark 10th edition, bringing together photography exhibitions, artist showcases and international programmes across Singapore. Discover the festival highlights, venues and admission information below.
What can photographs tell us about a country, its people and the passage of time? At the Singapore International Photography Festival 2026, that question takes centre stage as artists revisit familiar places, challenge conventional ways of seeing and uncover stories that might otherwise be forgotten.
Organised by DECK Photography Art Centre, the biennial festival celebrates its 18th year with the theme In My End Is My Beginning, inspired by T. S. Eliot’s Four Quartets.
Highlights include a major survey of Singaporean photography, a remarkable archive of everyday life captured by filmmaker Tan Pin Pin, and international portfolio and photobook showcases.
At a Glance
- Event: 10th Singapore International Photography Festival (SIPF 2026)
- Dates: 16 October 2026 – 31 January 2027 (individual exhibition dates vary)
- Theme: In My End Is My Beginning
- Venues: Multiple locations across Singapore, including Geylang, Gillman Barracks, Joo Chiat, Bugis and Esplanade
- Admission: Most exhibitions are free; selected venues require tickets from S$15
- Festival pass: S$50 general / S$40 concession, before applicable GST
- Organiser: DECK Photography Art Centre
- Official website: Singapore International Photography Festival
Shifting Images: 25 Years of Singaporean Photography
One of the festival’s major highlights is Shifting Images: Photography from Singapore (2000–2025), an ambitious survey featuring 48 artists and examining how photography has evolved alongside Singapore over the past 25 years.
Rather than presenting Singapore’s photographic history as a straightforward timeline, the exhibition unfolds across different venues and themes. Together, the works explore memory, identity, technology, urban development and the ways images shape our understanding of the world.
Visitors can explore different perspectives through exhibitions such as Image After Image: Material, Memory, Machine at Mizuma Gallery, which considers the relationship between analogue photography, digital images and artificial intelligence.
Elsewhere, Where We Stand at Guoco Midtown examines Singapore’s changing built environment, while The Stories We Carry at Geylang East Library considers the role photographs play in preserving personal and collective memories.
Other presentations explore archives, belonging, portraiture and the boundaries between photographic documentation and imagination. Exhibition dates vary, with selected displays continuing into January 2027.
Singapore Index: Tan Pin Pin’s Portrait of Everyday Singapore
For visitors interested in Singapore’s social history, Singapore Index by filmmaker and artist Tan Pin Pin is one of the festival’s most compelling exhibitions.
After returning to Singapore as a young adult, Tan embarked on an extensive photographic project documenting the country’s everyday gatherings, customs and rituals in 1991 and 1992.
Working with a wide-angle lens and direct flash, she produced approximately 2,800 black-and-white negatives, photographing everything from weddings and funerals to school outings, funfairs and community gatherings.
The exhibition presents a selection of 67 photographs from this remarkable body of work, offering a glimpse into a Singapore that feels both familiar and distant.
What makes the collection particularly interesting is its attention to ordinary moments. Instead of concentrating exclusively on landmarks or major historical events, Tan’s photographs reveal the social spaces and everyday experiences that help define a community.
These images also offer an early glimpse of the observational approach that would later inform Tan’s documentary filmmaking, including works such as Singapore GaGa and In Time to Come.
Where: Shop-House by DECK, 4 & 6 Lorong 24 Geylang, Singapore 398616
When: 16 October 2026 – 31 January 2027
Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 12pm–7pm; generally closed Mondays, Tuesdays and public holidays
Admission: S$15 for this venue, or S$20 for admission to both ticketed venues
Discover International Photography and Photobook Showcases
Beyond its focus on Singapore, SIPF 2026 also introduces audiences to photographers and visual storytellers from around the world through its Open Call Portfolio Showcase and Open Call Photobook Showcase.
The portfolio showcase features 20 selected projects from 16 countries, presenting a wide range of contemporary approaches to photography. Subjects extend from family histories and social identities to changing environments and the experiences of communities across different cultures.
Among the featured projects is Singaporean photographer Ore Huiying’s We Were Farmers, a long-term photographic account of her family’s experience with farming in Singapore.
Meanwhile, the photobook showcase features 41 shortlisted entries selected from 188 applications spanning more than 37 countries. These publications demonstrate how photography can tell stories not only through individual images, but also through sequencing, page design and the physical experience of reading a book.
The international portfolio presentations take place at venues including the SingPost Geylang Post Office and Esplanade Tunnel, while the photobook showcase is held at Shop-House by DECK. Check the individual exhibition dates before visiting.
Talks, Workshops and Photography Programmes
The festival extends beyond gallery exhibitions, with opportunities to learn from photographers, curators, publishers and other visual arts practitioners.
Its Asia Meet programme brings together local and international photography communities through discussions, portfolio reviews and a photo market. Additional talks, guided walkthroughs and workshops explore subjects ranging from photographic storytelling to the relationship between photography and emerging technologies.
Some activities require separate registration or paid admission. Visitors interested in attending a specific programme should check the latest schedule on the official SIPF events page.
SIPF 2026 Ticket Info: What’s Free and What’s Paid?
Good news for visitors exploring Singapore’s arts scene on a budget: most SIPF 2026 exhibitions are free to enter.
Admission fees apply to selected exhibitions at Shop-House by DECK and the SingPost Geylang Post Office.
| Admission Type | Price |
|---|---|
| Most exhibitions | Free |
| One ticketed venue | S$15 |
| Both ticketed venues | S$20 |
| Festival Pass (General) | S$50 |
| Festival Pass (Concession) | S$40 |
| Asia Meet Symposium Pass (General) | S$30 |
| Asia Meet Symposium Pass (Concession) | S$20 |
Complimentary admission to the two ticketed exhibition venues is available to Festival Pass holders, children aged 12 and below, and seniors aged 60 and above. Valid identification or a Festival Pass may be required for verification.
The Festival Pass includes repeat exhibition visits, complimentary guided walkthroughs subject to registration and availability, and selected discounts on festival programmes and merchandise. It is also redeemable using SG Culture Pass credits, according to the organisers.
Festival Pass sales run until 30 November 2026. For the latest ticketing arrangements, visit the official SIPF venue admission listing.
Where to Visit the Singapore International Photography Festival 2026
Because SIPF is spread across multiple locations, it is worth planning your visit around the exhibitions you most want to see.
- Shop-House by DECK, Geylang: Tan Pin Pin’s Singapore Index, international photobooks and other photography showcases.
- SingPost Geylang Post Office: States of Becoming, In Circles and selected international portfolios.
- Geylang East Library: The Stories We Carry, exploring photography and memory.
- Gillman Barracks: Exhibitions at Mizuma Gallery, ShanghART Gallery and Yeo Workshop.
- Guoco Midtown: Where We Stand, examining place and Singapore’s evolving landscape.
- Esplanade Tunnel: International Open Call Portfolio Showcase.
- STORIES Joo Chiat: What We Carry Forward, exploring memory and personal histories.
- Figment Club House: After the Archive, examining archives and historical narratives.
EP Tip: Start with the Geylang exhibitions if you’re particularly interested in Singapore Index and the international showcases. Several festival venues are located in or around the neighbourhood, making it easier to explore more than one exhibition during a visit.
Opening hours and exhibition dates differ between locations. Some exhibitions began before the festival’s official opening on 16 October, while others conclude in October, November or December. Selected exhibitions continue until 31 January 2027.
Our Take: Why SIPF 2026 Is Worth Exploring
Photography is often associated with memorable destinations, major events or extraordinary people. Yet some of its most revealing stories emerge from the ordinary moments that rarely attract attention.
That’s what makes Singapore Index particularly appealing to us. By documenting gatherings, traditions and everyday encounters, Tan Pin Pin’s photographs invite visitors to consider how much of Singapore’s social history exists outside official records and familiar landmarks.
Paired with the contemporary perspectives of Shifting Images and the international Open Call showcases, SIPF 2026 offers an opportunity to discover not just what photographers see, but why their perspectives matter.
With many exhibitions offering free admission, the festival is also an accessible introduction to contemporary photography for visitors who may not usually frequent galleries.
More Information
For the latest exhibition schedules, venue details, tickets and programme updates, visit the official Singapore International Photography Festival website.
Information and artwork references are based on the official SIPF 2026 press materials provided by DECK Photography Art Centre and Front & Off-Centre. Exhibition schedules and admission arrangements may change.
Related Articles
Looking for more things to do? Explore our guide to events in Singapore this October 2026 for more exhibitions, festivals and experiences happening around the island.
Leave a Reply