Lunar New Year in Singapore

The Year of the Horse arrived in Singapore on 17 February 2026 with an 8.8-metre golden horse at Kreta Ayer Square and lion dance teams from seven countries

Singapore’s Lunar New Year celebrations operate at an institutional scale that visitors from other parts of the world consistently underestimate. The Chinese-Singaporean community is about 75% of the national population, which means the festival is not a neighbourhood event or a cultural quarter spectacle – it is woven through the entire city for fifteen days. The Chinatown light-up alone runs from late January to mid-March, with an official Opening Ceremony (this year themed “Galloping into the Prosperous Year”) at Kreta Ayer Square. The 2026 centrepiece was an 8.8-metre golden horse inspired by traditional paper-cutting, which is a more interesting object than the description makes it sound.

Chinatown: The Heart of It

The Chinatown Light-Up transforms New Bridge Road and South Bridge Road into a lantern corridor. The displays improve dramatically after 7pm when the overhead light dies; before that, in the afternoon sun, they look like what they are. The Chinatown bazaar runs along Sago Street, Smith Street, Temple Street, Trengganu Street, and Pagoda Street from late January until the eve of the new year, with food stalls, decorative goods, and imported snacks operating until midnight. Arriving after 8pm avoids the worst of the crowds and the heat.

The International Lion Dance Competition at the Kreta Ayer People’s Theatre – this year February 7-8 – brings teams from Singapore, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Australia. This is more impressive than a local performance and is free to watch. The technique differences between regional styles are visible even to a first-time observer.

The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Chinatown and the Sri Mariamman Temple nearby are both active through the festival period and worth entering for the atmosphere of live observance rather than tourism theatre.

River Hongbao at Marina Bay

The River Hongbao festival runs for about ten days around the new year at Marina Bay. Giant lanterns, cultural performances, food stalls. The grounds are free to enter; some performances are ticketed. The fireworks on the eve of the new year and the first night are the main spectacle. Arrive thirty minutes before to secure a spot on the promenade – the view of the fireworks reflecting off Marina Bay is the one that ends up on every visitor’s camera.

Food

Yusheng is the custom specific to Singapore and Malaysia that the rest of the Chinese diaspora largely doesn’t share. It’s a raw fish and vegetable salad that everyone at the table tosses together simultaneously, with loud enthusiasm, as high as possible – the reasoning being that the height of the toss correlates with the fortune of the year. It gets messy and is excellent. Every Chinese restaurant in Singapore serves it through the festival period. Crystal Jade and Paradise Dynasty are reliable chain options; expect SGD $25-60 per plate depending on the grade of fish. The participation is the point, not the dish itself.

Pineapple tarts are in every family home and every supermarket display from late January. Buttery pastry with a sweet-sharp pineapple jam filling. Bengawan Solo bakery in Katong produces what most Singaporeans will tell you is the definitive version; the queue outside their branches runs 30-45 minutes in the final week before the new year. The queue is not optional – baking slows down after the first day and the tarts from earlier in the week are always better than the last-minute rush.

Practical Notes

MRT runs extended hours around the major celebration nights; check the SMRT website for specific dates. Hotel rates in the CBD and Marina Bay increase during the period – booking two months out is sensible. Some smaller restaurants close for two or three days over the new year itself; hawker centres and larger restaurants stay open.

The 15th day, Chap Goh Mei (the Lantern Festival), is the quieter bookend to the opening celebrations. The Esplanade and Marina Bay area fills with lanterns in the evening, couples walk the waterfront, and the energy is contemplative rather than festive. It is the best night of the season for a slow walk.

Gifts of oranges – symbolising gold and good fortune – are exchanged between friends and in business visits. Accepting one with both hands and offering one in return is the correct form. The gesture matters more than most visitors expect.