As the Singapore HeritageFest (SHF) approaches its 19th birthday this year, the festival has been mostly a digital affair, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This year, we are excited to bring back more physical programmes which tie in well with our festival themes of nature and travel, which are, without a doubt, best experienced in-person.

SHF 2022’s celebration of Singapore’s travel history and natural heritage is fitting as this year marks a number of national milestones: the 75th anniversary of Singapore Airlines, 50th anniversary of Sentosa Development Corporation, 50th birthday of the Merlion statue and 10th anniversary of Gardens by the Bay. As with previous editions, the 19th edition of the festival delves into the stories of everyday Singaporeans, and spotlights lesser-known aspects of heritage such as institutional history, social memories built up over the decades, and our intangible cultural heritage.

From the thriving mangrove ecosystems to the serene nature reserves and parks, Singapore is home to abundant greenery and a wealth of nature experiences even within our urban cityscape. Travel & tourism has always been a part of the Singaporean DNA – at home and on our many journeys abroad, we thrive on global connections and build bridges across seas. The last two years of the pandemic saw travel and tourism grind to a halt, while many then flocked to our many nature spots around the island to keep their sanity. This year’s festival thus pays tribute to the resilience and local heroes of our tourism industry, as well as acknowledging the long history of our natural heritage that has resulted in the green Singapore we know today.

Through creative interpretations of our festival themes, many of which were conceptualised together with the community, we hope to bring heritage alive, allowing festival-goers - like you - to uncover our nation’s history in refreshing ways. It is also my hope that our programmes can help to seed conversation starters to set people thinking about issues beyond Singapore’s history and heritage, on the ways looking back on our past, can inform how we can live better in the future.

We warmly welcome you to join us on a journey of rediscovery: from sites and landmarks, to our diverse flora and fauna, and we hope that you will be inspired by the rich, diverse heritage that our island has to offer.

David Chew
Festival Director
Singapore HeritageFest