Marina Bay Sands raises record S$7 million from Sands for Singapore Charity Festival 2026

[SINGAPORE] Integrated resort operator Marina Bay Sands (MBS) has raised a record S$7 million from the 12th edition of its signature charity event, Sands for Singapore Charity Festival. The funds raised will support local charities. 

Since its inception in 2013, the annual festival has cumulatively contributed more than S$52 million to charity.

The 2026 event took place from Friday (Aug 28) to Sunday, with visitors enjoying performances by local acts; games, food and drinks from MBS’ restaurants; and handcrafted products at the Giving Marketplace. 

Along with Singaporean singer Rriley as the headlining act and local bands 53A, The Vibes and SuperSonic, there were performances by inclusive arts group Thye Hua Kwan Moral Charities Brave Hearts Ensemble and Wheelsmith, a Singaporean rapper with muscular dystrophy. 

At the festival, patrons played Impact Match, a game where players matched identical school supplies in rows or columns. About 1,088 digital school packs were assembled, and MBS will match this by providing school packs to NorthLight School students.

Besides school supplies and financial assistance, MBS also offers learning journeys, workplace attachments and employment opportunities to NorthLight students. The school caters to those who struggle with mainstream academic curricula and prefer vocational training.

Paul Town, chief operating officer of MBS, said that the company is always looking at new ways to expand its giving, and finding ways to make giving more accessible.

This year’s Giving Marketplace featured a new, boutique-inspired concept for 12 local non-profits, social enterprises and small businesses to showcase their products. All proceeds raised were retained by them.

One small business at the Giving Marketplace was Carer, an eldercare company that provides home care, medical escort services and an activity club for seniors. It sold keychains replicating local delicacies made from pipe cleaners, which were crafted by seniors. 

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Sherlyn Chen, founder of Carer, said that as a professional caregiver, she noticed that many seniors sit at home idle, with not much to look forward to.

“We try to inject a bit of excitement into the things they do at the club. Crafts is one of them, and we constantly try to get them to challenge themselves,” she added. The seniors also go for outings, or have baking and cooking sessions.

Supporting independent living

At the festival, MBS’ F&B establishments Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer, Bread Street Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay and Rise, as well as tenants Cafe Nesuto and Roberta’s Pizza, served a variety of cuisines.

All proceeds from their sales will go towards Awwa’s Enabled Living @ Bedok programme, a co-living pilot launched in December 2025 to help persons with disabilities live more independently in public rental housing. It is one of five pilot sites in Singapore.

See Toh Huixia, director of family services at Awwa, said: “Sited within public rental flats, Enabled Living @ Bedok provides an ecosystem of care and social support, including coaching in daily living and social skills, as well as opportunities for community participation.”

Town added: “This kind of giving is... important to us, because it can snowball into something greater.”

MBS has been a corporate partner of Awwa since 2015. Besides donating, MBS employees volunteer in Awwa’s transitional shelters by repainting residential units and organising outings for beneficiaries.

“Over the years, the relationship has grown from fundraising support into a deeper partnership that combines giving, volunteering and meaningful engagement with the people we serve,” said See Toh.

Complementing the festival weekend was Dine for Good, a month-long fundraising campaign. Twelve signature restaurants at MBS selected one dish each, with proceeds from sales of the dish going to Awwa. 

During the festival season, MBS employees contributed more than 145,000 volunteer hours since the integrated resort opened in 2010. It works with community partners to build hygiene kits, do crafts with seniors and befriend adults with intellectual disabilities, among other activities.

Town said: “Volunteerism is something that we’re... focusing on, and we still see most of our volunteer programmes like food kit builds being oversubscribed.”