Enabling Lives Festival 2026 Guide: All around Enabling Village

Enabling Lives Festival 2026 extends beyond Enabling Village into the surrounding Redhill neighbourhood this year, with more than 70 programmes across Redhill MRT, Delta Sport Centre and the Village. Check out some of the highlights ahead of the festival weekend on 28 and 29 Nov.

Enabling Lives Festival 2026: What’s New

Now in its 6th edition, the Enabling Lives Festival is organised by SG Enable to celebrate inclusion and abilities, in conjunction with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Last year, I spent the festival exploring the new Vista block at Enabling Village.

This year, the festival spans three zones across Redhill, linked by a self-guided passport trail which rewards guests with a freebie at the end.

Redhill MRT is one of the festival’s starting points, though it wasn’t part of the media preview I attended. Ours began at Delta Sport Centre with the sports demonstrations and ended at Enabling Village.

Start at Redhill MRT

Portrait Café

For the preview, Portrait Café was set up at Enabling Village, but during the festival you’ll find it near Redhill MRT, so your festival day can start the moment you step off the train.

At Portrait Café, differently abled artists sketch your portrait while you chat. Each participant receives a small card called the menu of connection. It suggests gentle ways to interact with the artists: saying hi, speaking a little slower, or typing a message on your phone if that feels more comfortable. The idea is to give the connection time to happen.

My portrait was drawn by Irfan, one of three artists at the preview alongside He Si Xing and Tang Wen Xi. Irfan worked quickly, and I noticed he was fascinated by a small detail on my T-shirt, which made it into the finished sketch. You get to keep your portrait for free.

Each artist brings a distinctive style to their drawings.

Guiding Steps: Human Guide x Guide Dog

Also starting from Redhill MRT is Guiding Steps: Human Guide x Guide Dog by Guide Dogs Singapore. After a briefing, you’re paired with a trained volunteer or another participant to learn about the white cane, practise offering assistance, and take on challenges using eyewear that simulates different types of vision loss. The route ends at Enabling Village, where you put your new skills to work by guiding your guides with visual impairment to the Cabana. It’s free, with registration required, and runs on 28 and 29 Nov between 11am and 3pm.

The Arena at Delta Sport Centre

At Delta Sport Centre, we watched demonstrations of three sports that anyone can try during the festival.

Inclusive Pickleball

Presented by Thirtytwocm x PickleGO, this session adapts pickleball so players of different abilities can share a court. At the preview, the changes included a smaller court, two bounces allowed, and the kitchen zone opened up for play.

The players were a mix of coaches and Play Buddies. One of the Play Buddies told me she felt confident on court after just two lessons.

Sessions run on 28 and 29 Nov at 2pm, 3pm and 4pm. Registration is required, with a $10 refundable deposit. The session is open to beginners with and without disabilities who can move around the court on foot. Wheelchair users can try the inclusive para-fencing sessions instead.

Blind Football

Blind football is a Paralympic sport played by athletes with visual impairment, and all outfield players wear eyeshades. The ball has small bearings inside that rattle as it rolls, so players follow it by sound. At the preview, those of us from the media put on blindfolds and tried dribbling and shooting under guidance from the ActiveSG Para Sport Academy. Listening for the ball takes some getting used to.

During the festival, Listen, Dribble, Score! runs at Delta Sport Centre on 28 Nov from 10am to 1pm and on 29 Nov from 1pm to 5pm. It’s free, walk-ins are welcome, and no football experience is needed.

Wheelchair Para-Fencing

Most people picture fencing as two fencers moving back and forth. In wheelchair fencing, both chairs are locked into a frame, so every exchange comes down to upper-body speed, reach and timing.

The demonstration was led by Alvin Teo, a former SEA Games medallist, with para-fencers from the Singapore Community Para-Fencing Programme. Watching them up close, I was struck by how fast it all happens.

Fencing sessions are free with pre-registration, using competition-grade equipment including training wheelchairs and Italian-made Paralympic fencing frames. For registration and more details, visit the Wheelchair Para-Fencing Taster Sessions page.

The Gathering at Enabling Village

Back at Enabling Village, the preview stations were set up in the café at the i’mable Collective Space. During the festival weekend, these programmes move to different spots around the Village.

Tactile Chess with Edwin Tan

Mind Over Sight: Simultaneous Tactile Chess sees Edwin Tan take on several opponents at once using tactile chessboards. When I got there, a long queue had already formed to play him, so I stayed back and watched. It’s part of Tapestry of Voices: Under the Banyan Tree by Collective Perspectives, and runs on both festival days from 2pm to 3pm at The Terrace, Playground Block. It’s free, and walk-ins are welcome.

One-Handed Close-Up Magic and Cardistry with Jackie Chionh

Cardistry is the art of card flourishes, and Jackie Chionh does it with one hand. He fanned the deck, ran through a series of flourishes, and did a riffle shuffle one-handed. Some of these moves would be hard enough with two hands.

He followed this with close-up illusions. In one, he named the exact card another guest had picked, without ever seeing it. In the other, a chosen card was lost in the deck, and the deck was shuffled until the cards faced every which way. With one final fan across the mat, every card turned face down except the chosen card, face up in the middle. It was a fitting finale to his set.

Catch One-Handed Close-Up Magic and Cardistry at the Grandstand at Enabling Village’s Nest, from 11am to 11:30am on both days. It’s free, and walk-ins are welcome. For the full Grandstand line-up, visit the programme page.

Hu木an: A Sensory Forest Adventure

Hu木an by The Artground is an inclusive, multi-sensory theatre experience that invites children of all abilities to explore a forest through touch, sound, smell and taste. When I popped into the set, the team explained how the space has been designed to feel calm and comfortable, with careful sound design and sensory plush toys to help children settle.

It’s recommended for children aged 3 to 5, and persons with disabilities of any age whose developmental age is around 3 to 5. Entry is free with a $10 refundable deposit per child-caregiver pair, and registration is required.

i’mable Collective Market 2026

Shoppers browsing stalls at the 2025 i'mable Collective Market

The i’mable Collective Market at Enabling Lives Festival 2025

The i’mable Collective Market returns for its largest edition yet, with 55 makers at UOB Ability Hub. They include independent creatives with disabilities, caregiver-supported microbusinesses, social enterprises and social service agencies. Expect illustrations, ceramics, bakes, accessories and lifestyle products.

The Inclusion Passport Trail

Pick up an Inclusion Passport and collect stamps at four stops: the Enabling Garden and Enabling Café pop-up beside Redhill MRT, Delta Sport Centre, and Enabling Village. Complete the trail to redeem a collectible plush keychain, available in two designs, while stocks last.

Plan Your Visit