Overview
The Singapore HeritageFest (SHF) will be five this year. We are pleased to announce that festival visitorship has been rising since it began in 2004. 1.43 million visitors checked out the festival in 2007, a 23% increase from the year before, and a 131% increase since its beginnings!
The festival celebrates Singapore's diverse, multicultural heritage. Through the many fun, educational and interactive programmes planned, the festival aims to share with everyone stories or aspects of our heritage and shared culture.
Over the past years, the festival’s specially-curated exhibitions, treasure hunts, heritage trails, competitions, movie screenings and performances have worked towards raising awareness and appreciation for Singapore's heritage. 89% of our survey respondents reported having an enjoyable time at the festival last year, and 72% said they would return for 2008.
And the feather in our cap? The festival picked up its first award, winning the Uniquely Singapore Award for the 2006 festival at the 21st Singapore Tourism Awards!
The Singapore HeritageFest is an annual signature event organised by the National Heritage Board's Outreach & Education Division.
Festival Theme 2008
With "celebrating Singapore's heroes" as the theme for this year, the festival invites everyone to talk about Who's Your Hero?
What makes a hero? Is it someone who embodies universally held qualities such as courage, integrity, selflessness? Or is it someone who has risen above tremendous odds and adversity to make a mark? Is it an inventor whose invention was a milestone in the history of mankind? Or is it a philanthropist or volunteer whose great concern for humanity that made him or her a hero to millions?
Does Singapore have a hero? Who are they? Is he Tan Tock Seng, Singapore pioneer and philanthropist or are they members of independent Singapore's first Cabinet? Are they members of the medical team that battled SARs a few years back? Perhaps he is the lifeguard who saved you from drowning or the volunteer who helped you through a family crisis?