Where to watch Getai in Singapore? Getai Schedule 2023

Getai (歌台) literally means “song stage” in Chinese. It is a word synonymous with the Hungry Ghost Festival in Singapore.

The Hungry Ghost Festival (中元节) is held every year during the seventh month of the lunar calendar. It is a Chinese belief that during this period, the dead will return to the mortal world to cause mischief and the living needs to make offerings to pacify these spirits. Offerings include food, joss sticks, joss paper, hell money, and entertainment.

Getai is an alternative entertainment being offered to spirits, other than the traditional Chinese opera. Getai performances usually take the form of songs and dances but occasionally include talk shows and skits. While its original intention was to entertain the spirits, humans have also been drawn to these performances as they are usually held in the neighbourhoods after dusk. 

Foreigners or new residents visiting these local performances may be bewildered by its content as the hosts speak in Mandarin, English, Malay, and Singlish (a mixture of Chinese dialects Hokkien, Teochew and Cantonese) while the songs performed are predominantly in southern Chinese dialects. This is a good opportunity to experience authentically Singaporean culture.