Muara Festival Main Showcase

The Muara Festival Main Showcase offers a three-night celebration of dance, storytelling and cultural exchange.

With Denyutan Sepunya (The Shared Pulse) as this year’s tagline and Martabatkan Warisan, Kembangkan Wawasan (Honour Heritage, Expand Horizons) as its artistic theme, the showcase brings together renowned dance groups from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, as well as emerging local groups, to illuminate the region's rich artistic traditions and evolving creative expressions.

Each night presents a unique thematic programme, with two sets of performances each evening:

Muara Bergema (Muara Echoes), Friday: Two sets showcase invited groups from Indonesia and Malaysia, alongside Singapore's Era Dance Theatre and emerging local groups. The evening resonates with the vibrant sounds and movements of Nusantara.

Zapin D'Muara , Saturday: This all- zapin programme celebrates the heritage and diversity of this iconic Malay dance form and supports Singapore's application for UNESCO recognition of zapin as intangible cultural heritage.

Martabat Budaya (Honour Heritage), Sunday: Two sets of performances feature invited groups, collaborative pieces and emerging local groups, celebrating the depth and legacy of Malay dance.

This year, live music will accompany the dancers at the main showcase, adding a new dimension to the stage performance—a feature last seen in 2022.

The Muara Festival Main Showcase invites audiences to experience the living stories of the Nusantara through the artistry, rhythm and spirit of Malay dance across generations and borders.

Muara Festival is presented by Era Dance Theatre in collaboration with Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay as part of Esplanade’s Pentas series.