SINGAPORE MUSLIM FESTIVAL 2026 , 13 – 15 FEBRUARY, SINGAPORE EXPO HALL 6

Hajj & Umrah : Prepare Your Heart, Mind & Soul

There is a moment, usually somewhere between the entrance and the first exhibition hall, where the noise of the outside world falls away. You notice it in people’s faces. The pace slows. Conversations drop to something quieter. And whatever you came in carrying, you set it down, if only for a little while.

That was the feeling that greeted the 80,000 visitors who walked through the doors of Singapore Expo Hall 6 over three days in February, for the fifth edition of the Singapore Muslim Festival. Organised by Jamiyah Singapore under the theme Hajj and Umrah: Prepare Your Heart, Mind and Soul, it was by any measure the largest Islamic event of the year in Singapore. But numbers alone do not tell the story of what the festival actually felt like.

ANCIENT HOUSE, NEW EYES

Perhaps the experience that people talked about most was one that had never been attempted before at an Islamic event in Singapore. Step into the Immersive Experience room, and the world transforms around you. Not just on the walls in front of you, but on the floor beneath your feet and the ceiling above your head. Every surface becomes part of the story.

This year’s immersive feature was titled Kaabah: Ancient House, and it did exactly what the name promised. Visitors were taken through the history of the Kaabah from the time of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) right through to the present day. Families stood in the middle of the room as history unfolded around them. Children tilted their heads back to watch the story play out overhead. Some adults stood very still for a long time. It was, by many accounts, the kind of thing that is hard to put into words afterwards.

“My favourites were the newly upgraded immersive experience telling the story of Prophet Ibrahim (s.a.w.), and the beautiful Islamic artefacts connected to Hajj and Umrah. InshaAllah, I pray that one day I will be rewarded for seeking deeper knowledge” - @ angmohmacik

ARTEFACTS THAT STOPPED PEOPLE IN THEIR TRACKS

If the Immersive Experience moved visitors through time, the SEERAH International Exhibition brought sacred history into touching distance. And it showed in the numbers. When attendees were asked which experience they enjoyed most, the SEERAH Exhibition came out on top, chosen by more than half of all respondents.

It is easy to understand why. On display were artefacts connected to Hajj & Umrah, brought from Makkah and Madinah. The keys of the Kaabah from the Ottoman Empire, dating back to 1056H. A stone fragment from the wall of the Kaabah itself. Kiswah cloths that once covered the sacred structure. The Raudah carpet from the Garden of Paradise in Masjid An-Nabawi. Pieces of history so close you could almost feel the weight of centuries behind them.

Volunteers stood nearby to answer questions, but most visitors needed very little prompting. They moved through the space the way people move through a place that matters to them, slowly and with care.

THE VR QUEUE THAT NEVER SEEMED TO SHORTEN

Across the hall, another kind of journey was underway. The VR and Metaverse zone gave visitors the chance to perform the rituals of Hajj and Umrah through headsets, stepping virtually into the Tawaf around the Kaabah, the Sa’i between Safa and Marwah, and the gathering at Arafah. The Metaverse zone extended the experience further, with virtual access to the House of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Masjid Al-Aqsa and Masjid An-Nabawi.

For those who have performed Hajj, it was a homecoming of sorts. For those still waiting for their turn to make the journey, it was more like a rehearsal for a lifelong dream. The queues stretched long across all three days, which in itself said everything.

“The Metaverse virtual visit to Masjid Nabawi felt so immersive, especially with language options (English, Malay & Indonesian). And those self-guided Hajj & Umrah videos? Truly made my heart reminisce about my Umrah journey.” – Fazura.

INTERACTIVE ZONE

New to SMF 2026 was the Interactive Zone, a dedicated space where visitors of all ages could engage with Islamic learning in a hands-on, playful way. At the heart of it was JAM+, or Jamiyah’s Amazing Multimedia+, where gamified activities, quizzes and augmented reality brought the stories of the Prophets and the significance of Hajj and Umrah to life. The kids zone extended this further with a safe, welcoming environment filled with child-friendly activities where little ones could learn, play and explore at their own pace. They also got their own corner of the festival with screenings of Team Noon, the animated series that weaves Quranic scientific miracles into adventures young minds could follow and enjoy.

“As a new muslim, learning about Islam can get overwhelming. Going to events, like Singapore Muslim Festival, that have interactive experiences, helps me to learn and progress in my journey with a lot more ease!” - Jasmine

EVENINGS THAT BELONGED TO THE MUSIC

When the sun went down over Singapore Expo, the main stage became the heart of the festival. On Saturday evening, Gegar Nasyid filled the hall with something that is difficult to manufacture but immediately recognisable when it appears: the feeling of thousands of people sharing the same emotion at the same time.

Snada from Indonesia, and Singapore’s own Al-Jawaher and Al-Mizan took turns on stage, and the crowd sang along, raised their hands and swayed together in the kind of collective feeling that stays with you.

Sunday brought the Mega Selawat and Mahal Qiyam, a spiritual gathering that drew the festival to a close with voices united in praise of the Prophet. Ahbaabul Mukhtar from Indonesia, Ar- Rayyan from Malaysia and Singapore’s Ikhwanul Muntaqa each brought something different to the stage. By the time it ended, the hall was quiet in the way that follows something genuinely moving.

A FESTIVAL FLOOR FULL OF LIFE

Between the exhibitions and the stage, more than 150 vendor booths turned the festival floor into a living, breathing marketplace. Halal food from across the region drew long and cheerful queues. Travel consultants from Usrah Travel and Travel Connect spoke with aspiring pilgrims about Umrah packages. Fashion, books, wellness products and children’s toys filled the aisles.

One of the quieter highlights was the APSN Tanglin Cafe, where students from the Association for Persons with Special Needs ran a café serving visitors refreshments. Every cup of tea or snack purchased was also a small investment in their journey toward independence, and festival-goers seemed to understand that. The café was never short of customers.

“Our APSN Tanglin School students had a meaningful two days at Singapore Muslim Festival 2026, supporting the JAM+ Café alongside Jamiyah Singapore. Through hands-on involvement in a real-world setting, they practised teamwork, communication and work skills, building confidence and work readiness through inclusive community partnership.” – APSN Tanglin School Teacher

Singtel, as the festival’s first-ever Official Telco Partner, brought the Singapore Dreamin’ Pavilion to life, spotlighting four local small businesses. It was a reminder that community is not only built in mosques and lecture halls. It is also built in the small, everyday transactions between people who care about the same things.

SOMETHING WORTH COMING BACK TO

Five editions in, the Singapore Muslim Festival has become something that is hard to replicate and even harder to describe to someone who has not been. It is a festival, yes. But it is also a place where history and technology sit side by side without awkwardness, where faith is explored with curiosity rather than obligation, and where 80,000 people from different backgrounds find common ground simply by showing up.

As families filed out on the final evening, many already talking about next year, the question was not whether SMF would return. It was only what it would surprise us with when it did.