A fire broke out at the National Gallery Singapore this morning (September 9, 2025). This forced a swift evacuation of staff and visitors and prompted an immediate closure of the museum’s premises. Although, the incident was quickly contained thanks to the company’s emergency response team. Meanwhile, there were no reported injuries and no damage to any artworks—a crucial reassurance for the public and the region’s largest collection of Southeast Asian modern art.
At the time of writing, the City Hall Wing and Padang Atrium have fully reopened to the public, while the former Supreme Court Wing remains temporarily closed to facilitate ongoing investigations. Here’s what happened with the National Gallery Singapore fire today.
What caused the National Gallery fire?
According to official statements, the fire started around 9.05am in a small, staff-only access area on Level 1. Specifically, it involved an electrical control panel.
Thankfully, the blaze was extinguished by the museum’s emergency response team before firefighters from the Singapore Civil Defence Forced arrived at National Gallery Singapore. Investigations into the cause of the fire are still underway—with the museum stating its highest priority is visitor and staff safety.
Additionally, the National Gallery acted promptly to evacuate everyone inside. Plus, its various festival and exhibition activities were immediately affected by the disruptions. For instance, major exhibitions and scheduled screenings for the Painting With Light film festival were cancelled. Be sure to check social media for updates on the resuming of these programmes.
While the Gallery is partially operational once more, authorities remind visitors to check official channels for reopening updates or call the public hotline for the latest status. The former Supreme Court Wing is set to reopen to the public on Wednesday (September 10).
This is a developing story.
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