Zapin and Singapore’s joint UNESCO nomination: The dance and the timeline

Zapin brings rhythmic footwork together with music in a Malay performing tradition practised across Southeast Asia. Singapore’s participation in a planned four-country UNESCO bid reflects the form’s place in living dance communities, not just its historical significance.1410

How is zapin performed?

Zapin is commonly performed by dancers in pairs or groups, using coordinated steps that follow the rhythm of the accompanying music. Performances may also include song. Accounts of the form describe expressive movement and traditional musical accompaniment; some dance movements draw inspiration from animals and nature.1610

There is no need to think of zapin as a single fixed routine. The proposed nomination brings together communities in four countries where the tradition is practised, while recognising that its expression can vary.310

Zapin’s place in Singapore’s Malay dance community

Zapin remains part of Singapore’s Malay performing-arts practice. Local practitioners continue to perform and pass on the form, making their participation relevant to a nomination centred on intangible heritage—traditions sustained by the people who practise them.41023

What is the UNESCO plan and timeline?

Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia intend to jointly nominate zapin for UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Singapore’s National Heritage Board announced the plan on 24 September 2026. Malaysia’s account says the nomination file is scheduled for submission by 31 March 2027, for consideration in the 2028/2029 evaluation cycle.34

Submission is not inscription. The four countries have announced their intention to put forward a file; UNESCO has not decided whether to add zapin to the list.34

How does it compare with Singapore’s earlier nominations?

Zapin would be Singapore’s fourth nomination to the Representative List and its first for a performing art.7 Its previous three nominations show why the distinction between a bid and an inscription matters:

• Hawker culture was inscribed in 2020.19
• Kebaya, nominated with Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, was inscribed in 2024.1821
• Chingay was jointly submitted by Singapore and Malaysia in March 2025. It was a nomination, not one of Singapore’s two recorded inscriptions.1521

How many elements were on the list in December 2025?

The provided sources do not establish a reliable December 2025 total for the Representative List alone. UNESCO’s browse page displays 849 elements across its intangible-heritage lists, a broader figure that should not be used as the Representative List’s December 2025 count.17