Is SG60 Heart&Soul worth the hype? Here are 8 things to know + my honest take

The SG60 Heart&Soul exhibition promises a visually stunning, tech-powered experience that blends storytelling with generative AI to celebrate Singapore’s journey.

The SG60 Heart&Soul Experience exhibition launched recently (not a typo—it’s written as one word not 'Heart & Soul'). It’ll be running till the end of the year, and I’ve been hyped for it ever since catching glimpses in promo videos and influencer previews. The installations looked super promising—lots of vibrant visuals, interactive zones—so expectations were high.

Well, I finally got to check it out with my family right before the September school holidays kicked off. And I'm pleased to say that it really was visually stunning, definitely one of those exhibitions that feels worth the trip, and great for the whole family to visit together. And it's free! But I did have some mixed feelings at the end of the experience which I'll share at the end of the post.

If you're planning to swing by, here are 8 things to know, plus a few tips to help you make the most of your visit.

1) What do you see at SG60 Heart&Soul?

The SG60 Heart&Soul website lists seven main highlights: Boarding, Wheels of Time, Windows in the Sky, Library Superstore, Curiocity, World 60, and Home is a Feeling. Personally, I found the first four to be the most memorable, also mostly because they are larger-scale. The last three felt more like smaller add-ons tucked into the Library Superstore area. So I'll focus more on the first four but here's a breakdown of what to expect:

i) Boarding

After you had your e-tickets scanned (more on booking later!), you’ll be handed a phone that you’ll carry throughout the exhibition. It’s meant to give you a more customised experience as you’ll use it to tap in at various stations. You start off at one of these futuristic phone booths where you’ll chat with a digital librarian who helps create your avatar.

Wondering why you need an avatar? It’ll pop up in later exhibits. The avatar is generated using photos you take at the booth, and you can customise it to look more like you. Here’s mine with no customisation.

The face was pretty accurate because I took a bunch of shots until I was happy. However, I didn’t realise you could tweak it further using the buttons at the top right, so my outfit and hairstyle ended up looking like everyone else’s who didn’t bother customising. My husband’s was worse—he didn’t take clear photos, so his avatar looked like one of the default ones floating around.

Tip: Don't rush here. Snap a good photo and customise your avatar properly. It makes the later exhibits more fun and helps you spot “yourself” on the screens.

Once you’re done with your avatar, you’re ready to move on to the next exhibit, which is the Wheels of Time, but you’ll need to wait for those in the slot before yours to finish before entering. We spent about half an hour here between setting up our avatar and waiting. Do note that the first few exhibits are guided, so you won’t be roaming freely just yet.

ii) Wheels of Time

Before entering, you’ll get a headset to plug into the phone. You’ll need it for all the exhibits up to Library Superstore as the headset plays audio for each station.

Tip: Make sure your headset is working before the start of the exhibition. You're suppose to hear lounge music in it while you wait to enter Wheels of Time, if not, let the staff know.

The installation itself is a walk-through journey of Singapore’s past and present through immersive storytelling with cinematic flair. There are different zones, each with layered screens, narration and soundscapes that highlight how technology and human connection have shaped Singapore’s evolution.

This is beautiful, engaging, and surprisingly moving. Definitely a highlight of the experience.

iii) Windows in the Sky

This one’s all about imagining Singapore’s future. When you enter the room, you're greeted by a wide expanse of surreal-looking pink clouds projected on a massive screen. Before the show starts, you’ll tap in again with the phone at designated spots so the system knows where to project your avatar (the one you created earlier).

The visuals are impressive with the panoramic screen, beautiful animation, and lighting that shifts with the mood of each scene. You'll see your avatar appearing at different scenes and it's pretty cool to watch your digital self walk around and interact with this imagined future world.

Tip: Have your personal phone ready if you want to snap a pic of your avatar on the screen—they don’t stay up for long!

iv) Library Superstore (+ World 60 & Curiocity)

This area is described as a “playful retail emporium” where future ideas come alive. It’s mostly filled with Singlit (Singapore literature) though I did spot a few non-local titles too. The Epic Tale of Mikaela Kong by yours truly is there and I had a fun time spotting books by my fellow author friends.

The colours and layout here are lovely, and it’s heartwarming to see so many local books on display. I think this space will be part of the revamped Orchard Library, and it definitely feels welcoming here. Props to the National Library Board for this one!

There are also phone booths here where you can “Call Me in the Future.” You take a photo, and it ages you so you can see your older self. Then you get to “chat” with your future self (aka an AI).

Tip: You’re free to wander and browse here, but once you exit, you can’t go back in—so take your time!

Also in this area:

• World 60: A display of major newspaper and their headlines.

• Curiocity: A room with a Singapore map where you can scan different areas and hear what the future might hold.

  

v) Home is a Feeling

After exiting Library Superstore, you’ll return your headset and assigned phone. With that, you'll see a book cover displayed on the screen with your name on it, and receive a bookmark with your name and a QR code on it. The latter lets you watch a customised trailer about your future self.

Tip: If you want to take a photo of your book cover on the display, be quick to do so as it only appears on the screen for a short while!

vi) Time Traveller

This one’s not part of the ticketed experience on Level 4 at Orchard Gateway, but is located on the ground floor of Orchard Central and worth popping by.

These are AI photo booths that transforms you into someone from olden-day Singapore in an olden-day location in Singapore. My fam and I had a good laugh seeing ourselves in retro hairstyles and outfits. The AI-generated images had some funny glitches (there's a disclaimer at the start of the activity that states this might happen). Like, I got turned into a man, and my younger daughter became the mum in one of the group shots. So yeah, GenAI still has some kinks to work out.

Tip: There's the option of having the generated images sent to you via email if you like.

2) How do you book tickets?

The exhibition is free, but you’ll need to book a date and time slot in advance via the SG60 Heart&Soul website: https://www.heartandsoul.gov.sg/ Booking is pretty straightforward, and as of now, tickets are still fairly easy to snag. That said, it’s best to book at least a few days to a week ahead, especially if you’re aiming for a weekend slot, which tends to fill up faster than weekdays.

You’re officially required to arrive 10 minutes before your scheduled time, but we showed up right on the dot and it didn’t seem to affect entry. Same for a couple ahead of us who were booked for a slot 10 minutes later—we all went in at the same time.

If you need to change or cancel your booking, you can also do so easily on the same website by retrieving your booking details.

3) What age is it recommended for?

The exhibition is recommended for ages 7 and up, and definitely one great for the whole family to visit together. The installations are visually engaging and interactive enough to hold the attention of kids. But do note that the experience includes strobe lighting and atmospheric effects like smoke and fog in selected areas. The website states: visitors who are sensitive to sensory stimuli or prone to motion sickness should exercise caution.

4) How much time should you budget?

You’ll want to set aside about 60 to 90 minutes for the full ticketed experience (this doesn’t include the other non-ticketed exhibits at Orchard Central and Orchard Gateway). We spent closer to 90 minutes, mostly because we lingered in the Library Superstore area to browse the books and exhibits.

5) Was it crowded?

Not at all. Since entry is by booking only, the crowd is well-managed. Each time slot seems to accommodate around 30 people, so the space never felt too packed or overwhelming.

6) Are there toilets?

Toilets aren’t available inside the exhibition itself, so make sure to use the restrooms at Orchard Gateway or Orchard Central before you start. Once the experience begins, you won’t be able to rejoin your group if you exit.

7) Where is it located?

The ticketed experience takes place at Orchard Library, located on the 4th floor of Orchard Gateway. The non-ticketed installations are spread across the ground floor atria of Orchard Central and Orchard Gateway.

8) When is SG60 Heart&Soul available?

The exhibition runs till 31 December 2025.

Ticketed Experience at Orchard Library (Level 4, Orchard Gateway):

• Mondays: 9am – 6pm

• Tuesdays to Sundays: 9am – 9pm

Non-ticketed Installations at Orchard Central & Orchard Gateway (Level 1 atria):

• Daily: 9am – 10pm

Thoughts

The above are just some practical tips and what to expect if you're planning to visit SG60 Heart&Soul. Now, here's my takeaway.

So, SG60 Heart&Soul is officially described as an “immersive, tech-powered showcase” that “uses generative AI to craft uniquely personal adventures that touch hearts and inspire minds.” It’s suppose to be about celebrating Singapore’s achievements while imagining what’s next.

I get that the whole thing is meant to feel futuristic, like a glimpse into our high tech future and what GenAI might offer in the years ahead. In fact, at the end of the Time Traveller exhibit, there was even a quick survey asking if the experience helped you understand GenAI better and whether you’d be more open to using it. Safe to say, there’s a clear push to get visitors comfortable with the idea of generative AI.

I also understand that AI isn't going anywhere and that it's here to stay. But being an author and former journalist who started writing way before the AI age, I've always believed that it is important to create and write with our own voices. In a commentary I wrote for CNA on Singlit, I said, "In a time when artificial intelligence is creeping into creative spaces, the human voice has become even more precious. There’s a soul behind stories that only people can bring – our humour, heartbreaks, quirks and lived truths."

So, for me, the exhibition’s heavy use of AI-generated images and videos did feel a bit off-putting. Sure, it was fun seeing how you might look decades from now or in olden-day Singapore. But there’s also that “ick” factor, especially for creatives who know their work has been scraped to train AI models, often without consent. It’s hard to celebrate tech that’s quietly replacing the very people who gave it its source material.

I can't help but feel there’s a bit of irony in calling the exhibition "Heart" and "Soul" when some of the tech used feels, well… kind of soulless. It made me wonder if we are able to imagine our future and honour our journey without leaning so hard on AI.

One exhibition I'd seen that nails this balance is Singapo人 at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre. It’s visually rich, deeply meaningful, and doesn’t overly rely on tech and AI gimmicks. Proof that you can create something immersive and heartfelt without going full digital.

Yes, the visuals at Wheels of Time and Windows in the Sky are undeniably stunning. But my personal favourite was Library Superstore. It had such a cheerful vibe with bright displays of Singapore literature, and one can just enjoy the simple joy of flipping through actual books. There’s something grounding about that, especially when we're already surrounded by screens and the digital world day in, day out.

As a parent, I loved seeing my girls gravitate towards the World 60 newspaper display, the books, and the hands-on exhibits rather than the "futuristic phone booths" at Library Superstore. It was refreshing to see them engaged with something that didn’t involve yet another screen. They already spend so much time on devices at home and in school, so to see them appreciate the non-AI and less digital aspect of the exhibition felt like a small but meaningful win.

That said, I do appreciate the effort that went into making the exhibition immersive and interactive. It’s also a cool sneak peek at what Orchard Library might look like once it officially opens. So yes, it’s still worth checking out. Just a heads-up: if you’re like me and not super into AI-generated content, your enthusiasm might dip a little by the end. But there’s still much to enjoy, especially if you focus on the parts that feel more human.

©Vivian Teo. All content and photos are copyrighted to Vivian Teo unless otherwise specified.