We report on multiwavelength observations of nova SMCN 2016-10a. The present observational set is one of the most comprehensive for any nova in the Small Magellanic Cloud, including: low, medium, and high resolution optical spectroscopy and spectropolarimetry from SALT, FLOYDS, and SOAR; long-term OGLE V- and I- bands photometry dating back to six years before eruption; SMARTS optical and near-IR photometry from ∼ 11 days until over 280 days post-eruption; Swift satellite X-ray and ultraviolet observations from ∼ 6 days until 319 days post-eruption. The progenitor system contains a bright disk and a main sequence or a sub-giant secondary. The nova is very fast with t2 ≃ 4.0 ± 1.0 d and t3 ≃ 7.8 ± 2.0 d in the V-band. If the nova is in the SMC, at a distance of ∼ 61 ± 10 kpc, we derive MV, max ≃ −10.5 ± 0.5, making it the brightest nova ever discovered in the SMC and one of the brightest on record. At day 5 post-eruption the spectral lines show a He/N spectroscopic class and a FWHM of ∼ 3500 km s−1 indicating moderately high ejection velocities. The nova entered the nebular phase ∼ 20 days post-eruption, predicting the imminent super-soft source turn-on in the X-rays, which started ∼ 28 days post-eruption. The super-soft source properties indicate a white dwarf mass between 1.2 M⊙ and 1.3 M⊙ in good agreement with the optical conclusions
