Over $1.8 million SG Culture Pass credits used in first 2 weeks as shows and workshops sell out

SINGAPORE – More than $1.8 million worth of SG Culture Pass credits were used in the first fortnight of the scheme’s launch, with theatre companies selling out shows and workshop organisers scrambling to add sessions to reap the government-given dollar.

The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) told The Straits Times that more than 320,000 Singaporeans aged 18 and above also registered on its SG Culture Pass website (

sgculturepass.gov.sg

) during the same period.

This translates to 0.6 per cent of the total $300 million set aside for the programme having been redeemed in the first two weeks.

Those who have registered constitute about 10 per cent of the three million Singaporeans who are eligible for the first-of-its-kind scheme.

Announced during the Budget in February, the incentive, launched on Sept 1, gives each person $100 to spend on theatre performances, art workshops and heritage activities, with the aim of cultivating a paying local audience over time.

The proportionately small number of credits redeemed in the first two weeks have already benefited arts and heritage groups immensely.

Multilingual theatre company The Theatre Practice sold 1,300 tickets paid for with the Culture Pass for its Mandopop musical Partial Eclipse Of The Heart.

Malay theatre company Teater Ekamatra also sold out its October portrait of Singapore’s first president Yusof Ishak, titled Yusof and commissioned by The Esplanade. Popular demand led the company to add a show on Oct 23, with tickets still available after going on sale on Sept 15.

More non-mainstream experiences have also received unexpected support from Singaporeans trawling the Culture Pass website listing.

Visual arts centre Objectifs – Centre for Photography & Film had all available slots for its cyanotype lantern-making and bookbinding workshops snapped up.

National Gallery Singapore also cited a tripling of ticket sales across all its programmes since the Culture Pass was launched, describing it as a clear improvement.

Its Framed: A Murder Mystery At National Gallery Singapore – a self-guided, interactive mystery on its premises best enjoyed in groups of four to five – went from a niche experience to one of its most in-demand offerings.

A spokesman said: “Overall, the SG Culture Pass has been effective in raising awareness of our programmes, making them more accessible and appealing to a wider audience.”

Smaller arts and heritage groups said the SG Culture Pass has also been a shot in the arm.

Improv school Larks Improv Theatre sold out all four of its taster sessions for September and October, with 63 of the 70 tickets sold in the first two weeks of September redeemed with Culture Pass credits.

According to co-founders Raemiguel Lee and Nicole Ng, participants have said they were likely to continue engaging with arts and heritage events after their experience, even after exhausting their credits.

Larks Improv Theatre’s participation in the scheme has also resulted in more inquiries from schools and corporations interested in its programmes. “We’re thrilled to see the initial impact,” said the co-founders.

Pottery studio Common Touch said sign-up rates for its classes have gone up by 10 to 20 per cent, with 500 tickets sold for September. The form has been experiencing a global resurgence.

MCCY said it has added another 70 programmes to the SG Culture Pass website since its launch on Sept 1, including dance performance Bindu: A Rite Of Passage at the Stamford Arts Centre, the Esplanade’s music concert Echoes Of SBC: A Night Of Timeless OSTs, and programmes from the Singapore Writers Festival.

Bookshops, though, are still keenly awaiting the

addition of SingLit books to the scheme

, which looks likely only in 2026.

Book Bar co-founder Alex Chua said: “People have been asking if they can use their Culture Pass with us, but we have to tell them that it’s not ready yet.”