This Festival Is Basically A Sneak Peek At Singapore’s Future Art Stars

January is a busy month in the local arts calendar - there’s of course the tentpole Singapore Art Week (SAW) which is jam packed with over 100 events, taking place Jan 22 - 31. But there are other gems beyond SAW, such as non-profit organisation *SCAPE’s annual youth arts festival COMMA, now into its fourth edition.

Despite being a relative newcomer on the art scene, anyone who’s attended COMMA will tell you it positively thrums with energy, showcasing young artists across music, visual arts, community arts, dance, and interdisciplinary arts.

This year, COMMA runs from January 16 - 31 at *SCAPE’s usual Orchard Road digs, offering up a plethora of events ranging from Labour Block (one of the most well-curated marketplaces that’s chock full of Singapore creatives) to TasteTest, an interactive exhibition that uses food to explores how technology shapes what we crave for.

A common thread among all of them is a desire to prove that even in a world governed by algorithms, art should be driven by empathy and human connection, alongside the tech we employ.

Here, some of our picks from COMMA 2026:

LABOUR BLOCK

WHAT: This is the one to hit if you want a cosy snapshot of Singapore’s indie creative scene today. Both a marketplace and an open studio event, this second edition boasts a staggering 151 artists from Singapore and beyond, many of whom have been featured in this magazine, including botanical studio Fawn World, natural dye artist Project Coal, quirky furniture maker Studio Kallang, and streetwear label See You At One. There’ll be live DJ sets, cute trinkets, plants, apparel, illustrations, and so much more.

WHEN: Jan 24 - 25, 1pm - 8pm

WHERE: *SCAPE Ground Theatre, L2

TASTETEST

WHAT: It’s an intimate session where you drink, touch, and work with clay as part of a shared, almost ritual-like experience. You’ll taste and handle edible earth, shape clay with your hands, and sip specially created drinks that help you slow down and really focus on what you’re feeling. Led by artist Hilary Yeo and illustrator Esther Lim the session encourages you to pay attention to textures, flavours, and your own body, and think about how materials, food, and touch shape our experiences.

WHEN: Jan 24, 8pm - 10pm

WHERE: *SCAPE Commune

Get your tickets here

PRETTY UGLY

WHAT: This is an up-close and honest solo cabaret show by emerging theatre star Theo Chen, and it’s on for three nights only. Pretty Ugly is part concert, part heart-to-heart—mixing live singing with personal stories about self-doubt, insecurity, and that annoying inner voice that tells you you’re never quite enough. It’s intimate, relatable, and very much a “you’re not alone in this” kind of evening; think of it as a Gen Z version of Xtina’s Beautiful maybe?

WHEN: Jan 16, 7.30pm - 8.30pm, Jan 17, 9.30pm - 10.30pm, and Jan 18, 7.30pm - 8.30pm

WHERE: *SCAPE Gallery, L5

Get your tickets here

GET INTO BALLROOM CULTURE

WHAT: Ballroom culture has been growing steadily in Singapore over the past couple of years and COMMA is helping to give it a further boost. The week of January 12 for example, has not one but two balls happening: the first is The Lunar Ball 2, as well as workshops taking place before it to learn from pros the ropes of ballroom, including commentating, explore Old Way, New Way, and Vogue Femme, and build battle readiness and confidence. Then there’s also the first ever Sun Kiki Ball, organised by homegrown collective The Kiki House of Sun Singapore Chapter, making for a full complete weekend of ballroom culture.

WHEN: Jan 15 and 16 (for the workshops, various time slots), Jan 17, from 4pm onwards (for the Lunar Ball 2), and Jan 18, 4pm - 10pm (for the Sun Kiki Ball).

WHERE: *SCAPE Dance Studio 1, L4 (for the workshops), Ground Theatre, L2 (for the Lunar Ball 2), and The TreeTop, L5 (for the Sun Kiki Ball)

GROUND LOOPS

WHAT: Ground Loops is basically a playground for ideas, tech, and culture colliding. Inspired by the weird “interference” that happens in electronics when circuits don’t quite line up, the show treats noise and glitches as a good thing—proof that different perspectives and practices are meeting in unexpected ways.

You’ll find Singapore and New York-based artists playing with language, archives, AI, movement, ritual, and even a bit of humour, showing how tech and history can be twisted, remixed, and imagined in new ways. It’s hands-on, playful, and a little mind-bending. And it’s not just for looking—you can join three different workshops to try things out yourself, from mark-making to movement exercises to playing with AI and archives.

WHEN: Jan 24, 2.30pm - 5.30pm, and Jan 25, 2.30pm - 5.30pm

WHERE: *SCAPE, Lvl 5 The TreeTop

More details here.

TUNE YOUR DRUMS

WHAT: Electronic sound artist Syafiq Halid brings his debut album to life with TUNE YOUR DRUMS, a live performance that blends Malay percussion with electronic sounds, synthesizers, field recordings, and movement. Think rebana, kompang, and hadrah drums meeting heavy synths and polyrhythms — a unique mash-up of tradition and contemporary sound. It’s a rare chance to see Malay instruments in a whole new light, performed alongside visuals and movement that make the music feel immersive. Whether you’re a music lover or just curious, it’s a fresh way to experience sound and performance.

WHEN: Jan 18, 5pm - 6pm, and 8pm - 9pm

WHERE: *SCAPE Ground Theatre, L2

EXPERIMENTATION GROUND: MORNINGSTAR

WHAT: Queer Southeast Asian butoh performer Elden Zachery is presenting EXPERIMENTATION GROUND: MORNINGSTAR, a live show that mixes dance, sound, and space. Think glowing lights, humming machines, and movements that feel part ritual, part performance, exploring spirituality, queerness, and our connection to the world around us. It’s haunting, intimate, and unlike anything else; a space to feel, reflect, and get lost in a mix of the avant-garde and the sacred.

WHEN: Jan 30, 7.30pm - 8.30pm, and Jan 31, 2pm - 3pm, and 7.30pm - 8.30pm

WHERE: *SCAPE Ground Theatre, L2

SHADOW EMPIRE FASHION SHOW

WHAT: Shadow Empire, created and curated by Glenn Mizrahi and King Mizrahi, brings together the worlds of fashion and ballroom. From New York’s 1960s ballroom scene to today’s global stage, this show explores the glamour, style, and dance of voguing, highlighting how two creative worlds can merge into something completely new.

WHEN: Jan 31, 7.30pm - 9pm

WHERE: *SCAPE Plaza, L1

MAKE SURE YOU’RE ALONE WHEN YOU WISH AT THE WELL

WHAT: Think of this multimedia work by Singapore-based experimental art collective Hothouse as a space you step into rather than a show you sit down and watch. As you arrive, things slowly start happening around you: screens flicker, machines move, and sculptural elements form and shift in real time. It draws from everyday high-rise living, our obsession with screens, and the slightly uncanny life of automated systems.

There’s no big moment or clear storyline. The work unfolds quietly, with machines doing most of the “performing” and people simply becoming part of the atmosphere. Think of it as a digital-age wishing well, where screens, objects, and live installation all come together for a curious, interactive experience.

WHEN: Jan 23, 7.30pm - 8.30pm, and Jan 24, 2pm - 3pm, and 7.30pm - 8.30pm

WHERE: *SCAPE Whitespace, L3

Register here