Huat’s up? It's time to celebrate Chinese New Year 2024 in Singapore with festive events!
In case you haven’t noticed all the decorations popping up around town, CNY is just around the corner. Bring out the pineapple tarts and bak kwa, get dressed in your finest cheongsam or festive street style, and dive into the spirit of Chinese New Year at these fun events.
Best Chinese New Year 2024 events in Singapore
1. Chingay Parade
23 & 24 February 2024
Everyone’s favourite Chinese New Year event returns with the theme of ‘Blossom’ this year. Expect flowers to be a central motif on the whimsical journey narrated by the Gardener and the Flower Fairy. Highlights include a 230m interactive floor projection, a street filled with vibrant art installations and more. Snap up those tickets to join in the fun!
Chingay Parade 2024, 8pm, tickets from $20; F1 Pit Building, 1 Republic Boulevard, Singapore 038975
2. Dahlia Dreams at Gardens by the Bay
19 January – 17 March 2024
Gardens By the Bay pulls out all the stops every year with its CNY showcase in the Flower Dome. This time, look out for the majestic dragon centrepiece that towers over more than 1,000 dahlias of 40 varieties at almost 7m in height and more than 15m in length. Fun fact: part of the grand creature’s scales are arranged by hand and embellished with cut and preserved flowers in yellow and red hues.
This year also marks the first time the floral display features the work of over 30 beneficiaries from Dementia Singapore. As a final touch, look forward to seeing eight dragons in the Flower Dome, including four dragon lantern sets symbolising the elements of water, fire, earth and metal, alongside a dragon sculpture made of hardwood and recycled steel.
P.S. sign up for fun workshops like Chinese calligraphy (20 and 21 January) and shop the CNY collection on Gardens by the Bay’s e-shop at 20% off (26 January to 8 February).
Dahlia Dreams, 9am – 9pm, Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953
3. River Hongbao 2024
8 – 17 February 2024
One of the biggest Chinese New Year events in Singapore is back for 2024! It’s all about festive merrymaking here. Look forward to giant lantern installations, stage performances featuring xinyao and getai, a cultural exhibition about CNY markets through the times, a food street and more. The best part? It’s totally free.
Let the lights guide you to Gardens By the Bay, where you’ll find the majestic Prosperous Year of the Dragon centrepiece. It features a 140m-long dragon and an 18m-tall God of Fortune, magnified by a firecracker show from 8 to 10 February. When you’re done snapping photos, hop on carnival rides for a thrilling time with the fam.
River Hongbao 2024, various locations within Gardens By the Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953
4. Wan Qing Festival of Spring
16 January – 25 February 2024
If you want to get into the festive spirit, Wan Qing Festival of Spring has just the thing for you. Can’t wait to usher in the Year of the Dragon with family-friendly fun? Head over for the annual Open House (17 and 18 February) at the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall. Activities for the weekend include temple tours, dragon lantern making, dragon’s beard candy sessions, lion dance and festive drumming workshops, storytelling, mini games, heritage trails and more.
P.S. you can’t miss the pair of 4m-tall dragons dressed in red and orange on the lawn. They’re a reimagination of local artist Ziqi’s popular character, Dino, done in collaboration with Japanese artist Yasu. Double dragons = double fortune in 2024, so go ahead and take your snapshots!
Wan Qing Festival of Spring 2024, Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, 12 Tai Gin Road, Singapore 327874
5. CNY Family Fun at Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre
26 – 28 January 2024
Set to the theme of ‘Engaging Traditions’, this family-friendly event offers all sorts of interactive activities including games, performances, workshops, and crafts. Highlights include the Spring Bazaar with 40 local brands hawking crafts and collectables, BeLong’s Art Playground inspired by local HDB playgrounds, SCO’s Rhapsodies of Spring 2024 concert, and a portrait area for you to snap pics while dressed in traditional hanfu. Plus, look out for giveaways such as free ice cream and curry puffs throughout the weekend!
CNY Family Fun, Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, 1 Straits Boulevard, Singapore 018906; and Singapore Conference Hall, 7 Shenton Way, Singapore 068810
6. Chinatown’s Chinese New Year Celebration
11 January – 11 March 2024
Chinatown comes to life every year with lights and beautiful sculptures. For 2024, the celebrations return to the streets with gleaming displays and family-friendly workshops. Set to the theme of Soaring into the Auspicious Dragon Year, the light-up along New Bridge Road, Eu Tong Sen Street, South Bridge Road, and Upper Cross Street features majestic dragon dioramas. Other activities include the Festive Fair at People’s Park Complex (from 11 January to 9 February), weekend stage shows (3 to 4 February) at Kreta Ayer Square, and more.
P.S. look out for the annual Countdown Party taking place from 10pm onwards at Kreta Ayer Square on 9 February, the eve of Chinese New Year. At midnight, there’ll be a showcase of firecrackers to usher in the new year.
Chinatown’s Chinese New Year Celebration, various locations
7. Spring in Full Bloom at Capitol Singapore
26 January – 24 February 2024
There’s plenty in store this Lunar New Year at Capitol Singapore. You can’t miss the garden with its grand floral centrepiece, as well as the Zodiac Zone, where you’ll find your fortune forecast for the year. Pop by to check out the Planters Market (until 9 February), 12pm to 8pm, at the Outdoor Plaza. You’ll spot lush greens, fresh shoots, and beautiful blossoms to adorn your home. Oh, and don’t miss out on the guzheng and wushu performances on weekends.
Spring in Full Bloom at Capitol Singapore, 13 Stamford Road, Singapore 178905
8. Lunar New Year at Universal Studios Singapore
27 January – 25 February 2024
Celebrate the Lunar New Year at Universal Studios Singapore with your favourite characters. Dive into the world of Kung Fu Panda with a new show called Po’s Dojo: The Dragon of Dreams, admire the lantern display inspired by films like Madagascar and How to Train Your Dragon, and enjoy the Dragon of Destiny show at night with movie characters and a vibrant dragon dance. Don’t forget the meet and greets with characters from Minions, Shrek, and Madagascar! Tickets go for $98 per adult and $78 per child.
Lunar New Year at Universal Studios Singapore, 8 Sentosa Gateway, Singapore 098269
9. Chinese New Year celebrations at Marina Square
6 January – 24 February 2024
Soar into the Year of the Dragon at the mall’s Central Atrium Spring Garden (12 January to 24 February), where you’ll find the 12 zodiac characters amidst cherry blossom trees and floral-shaped arches. Discover your fortune forecasts for the year right here!
More family-friendly fun awaits at the dragon’s beard candy-making workshops (27 January and 3 February, $38 per adult), where you’ll learn from the masters about the history of this delicacy and make your own candies with coconut and peanut fillings. Plus, keep an eye out for lion dance performances and appearances by the God of Fortune on 21 and 28 January and 4 February.
Chinese New Year celebrations at Marina Square, 6 Raffles Boulevard, Singapore 039594
10. Lunar New Year at Marina Bay Sands
6 February 2024 onwards
Ready for a spectacular sight? Rock up to Marina Bay Sands for The Dragon Awakens: 2024 Light Up on 6 February. You’ll be treated to dragon and lion dance performances, koi dancers, a modern Chinese art display, a performance by Nathan Hartono, and the largest drone show in Singapore with 1,500 synchronised drones along the Marina Bay waterfront promenade. The 7pm drone showcase will be presented on 6, 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18 February, followed by Spectra – A Light & Water Show at 8.30pm and 9.30pm on selected dates. You can also stop by on 10, 11, 16 or 17 February at 8pm to watch the Dragon in the Sky show at SkyPark Observation Deck.
After you’ve admired the performances, spot the two 40m-long dragons in front of the magnificent 15m-tall Dragon’s Gate at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands’ Grand Colonnade, embellished with 88 koi fish decorations, a dragon’s pearl, and 28 lotus lanterns. Keep walking to Grand Colonnade South, and you’ll find a 22m-long dragon alongside kumquat trees, blossoming blooms, and Zodiac feng shui predictions for the year.
Finally, keep a lookout for Digital Light Canvas by TeamLab from 6 to 24 February within the mall. The crystal light installation overhead will come alive with a digital fireworks display – and it’s interactive, too!
Lunar New Year at Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956
11. Ramengvrl at Zouk
9 February 2024
Okay, so this one’s not exactly a Chinese New Year event in Singapore. But hey, it falls on CNY weekend, so if you’ve got no plans, why not party it up? Grab your friends after the reunion dinners end and make your way to Clarke Quay for a dizzying party with Ramengvrl. The Indonesian rapper debuts at Zouk with hot hits and unreleased tracks, so get ready for an electrifying night.
Ramengvrl at Zouk, 10pm – 4am, #01-05 to #02-06, 3C River Valley Road, Singapore 179022
Usher in a fiery Year of the Dragon filled with good fortune at these Chinese New Year events in Singapore!
