TEMALANG fills Esplanade on Saturday 31 October 2026 with a free day of dikir barat, the Malay vocal and percussion form practised in Singapore for 50 years. Norazam Hakub of Andika Kencana and the Singapore Dikir Barat Federation, billed as GABUNGAN, present the first edition with Esplanade. The National Arts Council and the Tote Board Arts Fund support the day. Six programmes run from 2pm in the Black Room through a 7.45pm set in the Concert Hall. No tickets are issued for that hall. Seats go first come, first served, and admission starts about 30 minutes before the set.
The Concert Hall move is the fact that matters
Esplanade's live listing now puts TEMALANG: Echoes of Heritage, Rhythms of Today in the Concert Hall, not the DBS Foundation Outdoor Theatre. Little Big Red Dot, writing on 24 October, records the same change. The programme runs as one continuous set of 1 hour 30 minutes, with no interval. Singapore Dikir Barat Federation shares the stage with Dikir Anak Singa, a Kelantan group from Malaysia. The bill pairs Kelantan styles with dikir Singapura and includes dikir laba, an older vocal form that few groups still keep. Language is Malay. Admission is age 6 and above. Photography inside the Concert Hall is generally not allowed unless staff say otherwise.
The hall seats 1,628 on the main floor and another 197 in the gallery. That is a large room for a free night, and it still fills from the front. Arrive close to the 7.15pm door time if you want a seat rather than standing at the back. Food and drinks bought at the foyer bars can come into some Concert Hall shows. Check the ushers on the night. The Theatre next door is a different room. Do not queue there for TEMALANG.
Workshops in the Black Room need a registration
Three Black Room sessions are free with registration. Registered patrons get priority, then must be in the room 5 minutes before the start. Late arrivals lose the seat to walk-ins. Limited door seats exist if the list is full. Workshops and the talk run in Malay, for ages 6 and above.
Teroka Spontan with Malaysia's Mohd Suhaimi Ibrahim starts at 2pm and runs 1 hour. It is a workshop on the tukang karut, the improviser who turns wit and rhythm into verse on the spot. Register at Esplanade's SecureTix page for terokaws1026. Madah and Melodi, a song-creation masterclass with composer Zainal Ismail, starts at 3.30pm and also runs 1 hour. Register on madahws1026. Tradisi and Transformasi starts at 5pm and runs 1 hour 30 minutes. Speakers Djohan A. Rahman and Sazali Zainal talk through how dikir barat has changed in Singapore, with Aiman Syafiq moderating. Register on tradisiws1026. If you cannot come, Esplanade says you can pass the e-ticket or return it from the SISTIC confirmation email.
Concourse programmes are walk-in
Gema and Gaya is the family slot. From 4pm the Concourse turns into a two-hour drop-in. Try rebana and canang, or fold a paper tanjak to wear. Stay 10 minutes or the full two hours. Language is Malay. All ages. No registration. Photography on the Concourse is generally allowed for personal use if you skip flash and stay out of the musicians' way.
SENADA-KUSTIK: Dikir Hits of the Past Decade plays the same Concourse at 6.15pm and 7.15pm. Each set is 30 minutes, Malay, age 6 and above, and free. SENADA, a group under GABUNGAN, mixes dikir with a cappella on hits from the last ten years. The 7.15pm set sits 30 minutes before Concert Hall doors, so you can hear one concourse set and still walk upstairs for the main programme. The Concourse is indoors. If outdoor weather turns, this is the part of the day that still runs under a roof.
How to get there from Bayfront
Esplanade, also called 滨海艺术中心, is at 1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore 038981. Esplanade station on the Circle Line, CC3, is the closest. City Hall NS25/EW13 is a sheltered 10 to 15 minute walk. Promenade CC4/DT15 is the other nearby interchange. From Bayfront, Gardens by the Bay or Marina Bay Sands, one Circle Line stop gets you to Esplanade. The Black Room, Concourse and Concert Hall all sit in that same building. You can stack a workshop, the drop-in, SENADA and the 7.45pm set without leaving the arts centre.
Practical Details
- Dates: Saturday 31 October 2026
- Time: 2pm Teroka Spontan, 3.30pm Madah and Melodi, 4pm Gema and Gaya, 5pm Tradisi and Transformasi, 6.15pm and 7.15pm SENADA-KUSTIK, 7.45pm Concert Hall programme
- Venue: Esplanade, Theatres on the Bay, 1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore 038981. Black Room, Concourse and Concert Hall
- Nearest MRT: Esplanade CC3 or City Hall NS25/EW13
- Price: Free. Black Room sessions by registration. Concert Hall seats first come, first served, no tickets
- Website: TEMALANG at Esplanade
