Taking your kid to Singapore Writers Festival for the first time? Here are 6 tips for you

The Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) returns from 7–16 November 2025, and if you’re planning to attend with your child, here are some practical tips to help you both navigate it with ease.

The Arts House during SWF 2022

I look forward to the Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) every year. It’s always a great chance to hear from authors, connect with fellow creatives, and meet like-minded readers. This year’s edition runs from 7–16 November 2025, and with the impressive mix of local and international names on the line-up, I think it's shaping up to be one of the strongest yet.

So, I was chatting with a friend over DM recently - she’s planning to bring her child to the SWF for the first time - and it hit me: after attending the festival for several years now, I’ve picked up quite a few tips. With over 200 programmes and multiple festival tracks, it can feel a little overwhelming, especially if you’re new to it. So if you’re going solo or bringing your kid along, here are 6 tips that might help.

1) Use the filters on the SWF website to find kid-friendly programmes

First things first, check from the programmes page on SWF's website if the sessions are suitable for your child. SWF has different festival tracks, and this year’s include “SG60 Homage” and “Sci-fi Spotlight.” For younger audiences, I recommend filtering by “SWF Playground” and/or “Youth Fringe”. You can also try “General” as I spotted a few family-friendly events there that weren’t listed under the usual youth tracks.

• SWF Playground is geared towards kids aged 12 and under. Each programme page usually states the recommended age. For example, the workshop I'm conducting at SWF "What if an Asteroid hit the Earth?" says that it's recommended for ages 10-12. BTW no need to register for it as it's already sold out 😅 But no worries, there are still plenty of interesting programmes available!

  
  

  

• Youth Fringe is more suitable for teens, but anyone can attend as long as you’ve got a ticket or Festival Pass.

  
  

  

2) Check if the programme is covered by the Festival Pass or ticketed separately

Once you’ve shortlisted your sessions, check whether they’re included in the Festival Pass or require separate tickets.

• Festival Pass holders can attend most sessions. A regular pass costs S$30, while students can get the Youth Pass for $15. The Youth Pass allows access to all Festival Pass events throughout the festival. But please remember to bring a valid student card for verification during entry.

• Separately ticketed events aren’t covered by the pass. You’ll need to buy individual tickets. Also, if you already have a Festival Pass or Youth Pass, you’ll get 20% off these.

  
  

  

Do note that you can also use your SG Culture Pass to pay for your Festival Pass and selected ticketed events.

4) Favourite your sessions for easier planning

The SWF website lets you “favourite” sessions you’re interested in. This is very handy as it gives you a quick overview of the sessions you're attending and helps avoid scheduling clashes.

Just a heads-up: the calendar doesn’t auto-update if there are changes to programme details. So closer to the date (and on the day itself), double-check the listings in case of last-minute tweaks.

4) Queue early for popular sessions

If you’re using the Festival Pass or Youth Pass, entry is first-come, first-served and subject to venue capacity. Bigger spaces like The Chamber can hold more people, but smaller venues like the Screening Room or Play Den fill up fast.

With my fellow panelists in SWF 2024 at The Arts House's Screening Room

If there’s a session you really want to attend, I’d suggest arriving at least 30 minutes early. I once queued 45 minutes ahead for a talk by Ann Liang and still wasn’t the first in line, but I did snag a great seat near the front. It’s a sucky feeling when you show up for a session, all set to see a particular author, only to be turned away because it’s full 😅

For separately ticketed events, your seat is guaranteed, so there's no need to queue early unless you’re particular about sitting up front.

5) Look out for free events

Yes, there are free events too! These include panel discussions, installations, book launches and interactive experiences. Some require registration, so do check the details.

There’s no “free” filter on the website, but I found quite a few under “General,” “SWF Playground,” and “Youth Fringe.” You can also filter by “Book Launches” to spot more.

6) Don’t miss the Festival Bookstore

While you’re at The Arts House, swing by the Festival Bookstore. It features titles by SWF presenters, so you’ll find a great mix of children and adult books there!

My books at the Festival Bookstore at SWF 2024

Hope you find the tips useful! If you or your child is an aspiring writer, I highly recommend attending SWF - it’s a great opportunity to listen, learn and be inspired by authors and creatives. The SWF is also not only for writers and creatives, it's a festival that has lots to offer for readers, and those who love books and the arts. I hope to see you all at the Singapore Writers Festival 2025! 😊

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