Singapore’s well-loved attraction is not just a venue for horticultural recreation, it is also a place where annually or biennially recurring festivals are held. Here are several ticketed and free events that are worth checking out during your next visit to Gardens by the Bay.
1) Tulipmania
There is no need to go Dutch or spend on air tickets to the Netherlands to enjoy tulip blossoms. Sponsored by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, this yearly showcase happens at the Flower Dome, where tens of thosands of tulips are meticulously planted to form a resplendent array of colours in the conservatory. With a variety of cultivars, such as the red and white ‘Singapura’ and magenta-gold ‘World Peace’, one will have a hard time choosing their favourite. There are also windmill installations and other Dutch-related sculptures to admire.
Event date: Mid April to Mid May
2) Christmas Wonderland
The annual year-end event has seen millions of visitors since its commencement in 2014. With glittering Luminarie light sculptures from southern Italy, a vintage Spiegeltent from the Netherlands, a traditional Christmas Market, an Ice Skating Rink and Snow Playground, and game stalls at the Fairground, this night festival offers plenty of fun-filled activities and photographic opportunities for everyone. The iconic light sculptures are similar to the one in Kobe Japan where the display is lit every winter to remember the victims of the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995. The one in Singapore is handmade with white wood and powered by 160,000 bulbs. Event
Date: End November – End December
3) Mid-Autumn Festival
Every September to October, the Gardens take Mid-Autumn Festival to a whole new level, by installing massive lanterns that resemble dragons, pheonixes, rabbits and other mythical Chinese creatures. While the colourful light showcase is the main attraction, visitors can also indulge in other activities, such as feasting on mooncakes and mid-autumn treats at the food street, enjoying cultural performances, painting a personalized lantern, and participating in traditional Lantern Riddles.
Event date: Two weeks in September
4) Singapore Garden Festival
This biennial event is one of the largest in Singapore and extremely popular among all gardeners and plant enthusiasts. Besides a bustling marketplace that retails live plants and gardening supplies, there are also exhibits by local and international floral art designers, displays of award-winning orchids, live horticulture demonstrations and lectures, as well as educational booths.
Event date: End July to early August
5) Bayfront Pop-Up Market
This is a weekend marketplace where local businesses and social enterprises gather at the rejuvenated Bayfront Plaza to retail various wares, handmade products and knick-knacks that are made in Singapore. The event location is situated right under the giant lattice structure that was previously known as the Future of Us exhibition. Visitors who do not wish to shop may simply pop by the adjoining Floral Fantasy exhibit.
Event date: Every weekend from April 2019
6) Children’s Festival
First held in December 2013, the Children’s Festival has been an annual event that draws thousands of children and their families to the Gardens. Usually held during the March or June school holidays, the festival includes nature-inspired performances, craft activities and carnival game booths spread across the Supertree Grove and Children’s Garden. The festival has featured life-sized dinosaur statues in 2017, and will soon organize Disney Pixar themed activities in 2019.
Event Date: Mid June – End June