Singapore will shine on the global arts stage this August as Singapore Spotlight makes its debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025. Taking place from 1 to 25 August, this initiative marks the first coordinated effort to present a dedicated lineup of Singaporean performances at the world’s largest performing arts festival.
The showcase features six diverse acts across theatre, comedy, dance, street performance, and experimental art, and arrives at a time of national pride as Singapore celebrates its 60th year of independence.
Singapore Spotlight is an artist-led, ground-up platform created by a group of six independent producers based in Singapore and the United Kingdom: Lim Shien Hian, Caleb Lee, Mohamad Shaifulbahri, Joanne Tay, Brent Tan and Syania Shaharuddin. Their aim is to bring Singaporean creativity to a wider audience and to support local artists who are interested in touring and building global careers.
The idea grew from the success of previous efforts at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where Singaporean acts received strong positive responses from audiences and critics.
Lead producer Lim Shien Hian calls the Fringe a dream come true for many artists. “Many people have heard of the Fringe — it sounds fantastic and wonderful to tour, but it’s also daunting, challenging, and financially risky, where Singaporeans might find it easier and safer to produce work locally. That’s why we are building Singapore Spotlight as a concerted effort to showcase and support Singapore talents on the international stage. For those who dare to dream, the Edinburgh Fringe can be an extremely exciting marketplace of ideas where you can interact with the best artists from all over the world, and hopefully be a launchpad for more overseas opportunities.”
This year’s Singapore line-up at the Fringe brings together experienced performers and new voices, highlighting the rich variety of the country’s performing arts scene. Returning to the festival are circus artist and street performer Jonathan Goh, comedian Sam See, and theatre performer-playwright Jo Tan.
Goh is back with his popular acrobatic and juggling act on Edinburgh’s famous High Street. Sam See, now a familiar name at the Fringe, will be hosting two comedy showcases: The Asian Comedy Showcase and Off With Your Head.
Jo Tan returns to Summerhall, one of the festival’s top venues, with her one-woman show KING after a successful run there in 2024.
Three new acts are joining the lineup for the first time. Sound artist Hee Suhui will present Ill Behaviour overseas for the first time. Contemporary dance group Decadance Co will perform The 11th Hour, described as a dark dance comedy. Comedian Nebulous Niang brings her show SLOMOSEXUAL, known for its mix of humour and emotion.
Singapore Spotlight supports artists in multiple ways — by building a strong community, offering shared marketing resources, and creating networking and engagement opportunities. This strategy helps both new and experienced performers deal with the many challenges of presenting work at such a large international event.
Before the festival, the team organised sessions for artists to learn about the Fringe process and to prepare together. During the festival, the group will run joint promotions and branding campaigns to help raise visibility and boost ticket sales.
The project also addresses the challenge of networking at the Fringe. With thousands of shows and artists competing for attention, connecting with industry figures can be difficult. Singapore Spotlight organises public events and professional gatherings, and helps artists get introductions that could lead to new partnerships and touring opportunities. The initiative is also working under a single banner to secure sponsorship and media attention.
The effort has been made possible with support from organisations like *SCAPE, a national youth development organisation in Singapore. The platform has played a key role in helping the collective and many of the artists gain access to funding, mentorship, and international platforms. “At *SCAPE, we believe in the power of youth to shape the future of the arts—not just at home, but on the world stage. Singapore Spotlight embodies the boldness, creativity, and resilience of our young talents. We’re proud to support these artists as they share their stories with the world, and we hope this inspires even more young people to dream fearlessly and create without limits,” said Ivy Lim, Executive Director of *SCAPE.
Summerhall, one of Edinburgh Fringe’s most prestigious venues, will be hosting Singaporean works for the third year in a row. Tom Forster, programmer at Summerhall, noted the high standards of past Singaporean presentations. “The type of work that has been presented over the past 3 years working with Singaporean artists has been of exceptional professional quality in terms of production, tech, set design, performance, new writing… This partnership is going from strength to strength each year and we really hope it continues developing that way.”
With this new platform, Singapore’s performing arts community is taking a bold step forward. Through Singapore Spotlight, homegrown artists gain not only visibility but also access to global networks that could help them grow long-term careers in the arts. As the initiative opens doors for a new generation of creatives, it also gives the world a chance to experience the diversity, talent, and ambition of Singapore’s vibrant arts scene.
