Ready to gallop into 2026’s Chinese New Year? 🐎 As the Year of the Horse kicks off, Singapore is once again gearing up for another season of family gatherings, reunions, and “YAAAAM SENG” -s. No matter where you look, there’s excitement, festive fun, and a whole lotta red and gold to be found at every corner.
To help you schedule your festive itinerary (or perhaps plan your upcoming almost-long weekend), I’ve rounded up the best events happening across the island. Grab your loved ones, and get ready to explore the best of this Chinese New Year!
01 • Marvel at the Chinatown Street light-up
You can’t talk about Chinese New Year without bringing up Chinatown’s light-up. This year, the streets will be illuminated with lanterns and horse-themed structures that look to dethrone last year’s towering snake statues in sheer extravagance. It’s the perfect spot for an evening stroll; just be sure to spend some time checking out the goodies in Chinatown when you’re done!
📍 Address: Between New Bridge Road and Eu Tong Sen Street
🌐 Website: chinatownfestivals.sg
02 • Experience the magic of River Hongbao 2026
Held at Gardens by the Bay, River Hongbao is one of Singapore’s largest annual CNY events. Expect giant, glowing lantern displays, cultural exhibitions, and a bustling food street. For the past few years, the festival has been highlighted by some absolutely breathtaking firecracker shows, so this is one event you’ll want to linger at.
📍 Address: 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953
⏰ Opening hours: TBA
🌐 Website: riverhongbao.sg
03 • Catch the dazzling Chingay Parade 2026
The iconic Chingay Parade returns to the F1 Pit Building with a multicultural showcase of massive floats, music, and over 3,000 dancers. This year’s theme, "Wish," celebrates Singapore’s rich heritage with the parade’s first-ever transformable, multi-tier stage, bringing the country’s imagination to life in a more dazzling way than ever before.
💡Pro tip: Don’t wanna part with your ang bao money? There’s no need to fret, as tickets to the Chingay Parade can be purchased using the SG Culture Pass.
📍 Address: F1 Pit Building, 1 Republic Boulevard, Singapore 038975
⏰ Opening hours: 27 and 28 February 2026, 8pm
🌐 Website: chingay.gov.sg
04 • Smell the Spring Blossoms at Gardens by the Bay
Step into Gardens by the Bay’s Flower Dome for a festive floral display titled "Spring Blossoms". This Year of the Horse showcase features majestic ink painting-inspired lantern horses prancing amongst historically significant Chinese plants. Gaze at horticulture inspired by the same Jiangnan gardens that influenced some of China’s greatest poets, and beat the Blooming Drum of Spring on your way out to bring in the changing of seasons.
📍 Address: Gardens by the Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953
📞 Phone: 6295 5855
⏰ Opening hours: 16 January to 1 March, 9am – 9pm daily
🌐 Website: gardensbythebay.com.sg/en/things-to-do/calendar-of-events/spring-blossoms-2026.html
05 • Discover lion dance heritage at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre
If you’ve ever wanted to know the story behind the drums and lion costumes that wow us every year, hop along to the SCCC. Their new exhibition, "Tradition in Motion: Singapore's Lion Dance Heritage," features over 50 artefacts and photographs that dive deep into this iconic art form. In it, you’ll learn just how Singapore’s lion dance troupes pull off the moves that continue to impress, and how the local scene has developed with the times.
While you’re there, double dip and check out Healing Heritage, an exhibition detailing the history and unique role of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Archival materials and digital diagnostic tools will be on display, illustrating how TCM has evolved over the years, and how it could help out the next time you feel your back acting up (can you tell that I’m in my late twenties?)
📍 Address: 1 Straits Boulevard, Singapore 018906
📞 Phone: 6812 7222
⏰ Opening hours: Now till 30 April, 9am – 10pm daily
🌐 Website: singaporeccc.org.sg/events/tradition-in-motion-singapores-lion-dance-heritage
06 • Hunt for unique finds at the Jewel Festive Market
Beyond the opening of Singapore’s first official Gundam store, Lotteria Outlet, and Changi’s currently-ongoing T5 exhibition, 2026 looks to be a busy year for Jewel. But one upcoming event towers over the rest in terms of sheer seasonality: the Chinese New Year Festive Market. This year’s market carries a light nature theming, featuring tons of booths selling plants and gardening-related items. If you’ve made New Year’s resolutions (or maybe Lunar New Year’s resolutions?) that just so happen to be plant-based, this is a great chance to make good on them.
📍 Address: Jewel Changi, 60 Airport Boulevard, Singapore 819643
📞 Phone: 6595 6868
⏰ Opening hours: 5 – 12 February
🌐 Website: jewelchangiairport.com
07 • Get into some heavy metal at the Singapore Mint Lunar Fair
To celebrate the Year of the Horse, the Singapore Mint will be hosting a series of roadshows throughout the CNY season. If you’ve got love for all things shiny and steel, these shows will get you up close with the Mint’s exclusive offerings, such as equine-themed coins in varying denominations, as well as the Hello Kitty 2026 Mahjong Collection. The main Lunar Fair at Chinatown Point is on till 11 Jan, but a series of roadshows will be held at heartland malls like Ang Mo Kio Hub, (26 Jan – 15 Feb), Jurong Point (19 Jan – 15 Feb), and Century Square (2 Feb – 15 Feb).
📍 Address: Various
⏰ Opening hours: Till 15 February
🌐 Website: singaporemint.com/events
08 • Feel the heat at Downtown East
Everyone’s got that one friend who can’t go a week without some mala hot pot (🙈). You’ll want to jio them to Wild Wild Wet, which will be receiving a mala-themed makeover. Larger-than-life ingredients will be sprinkled throughout Wild Wild Wet and within Shiok River, turning the waterpark into a gigantic hot pot that won’t leave you feeling burnt.
Elsewhere in Downtown East, there’ll be plenty more opportunities to spice things up with a bevvy of mala-inspired dishes served at the mall’s various eateries. Offerings include Mala Crawfish at A Kitchen ($38), Mala Seafood Linguine at Swensens ($15.90), and even Mala Royal Alaskan King Crab Meat Fried Rice at Jyu Yae Live Music Bar ($16.90). Be sure to pack breath mints.
📍 Address: 1 Pasir Ris Close, Singapore 519599
📞 Phone: 6589 1688
⏰ Opening hours: 8 Jan – 2 Mar
🌐 Website: downtowneast.com.sg/whats-on/events/details/mala-cny-2026
09 • Score big at the Scanteak CNY Warehouse Sale
Sprucing up your home for the New Year? Or maybe you’re getting the keys to that new BTO soon, and you need some top-quality furniture to fill it with. Either way, Scanteak’s upcoming warehouse sale is where you’ll want to be. You’ll be hard-pressed to find another furniture store that’ll get you up to 62% off sofas, beds, and everything else a good house needs. Even if you can’t serve the most extravagant reunion dinner, you can certainly host the one with the nicest table.
📍 Address: 60 Sungei Kadut Drive, Singapore 729569
📞 Phone: 6365 9121
⏰ Opening hours: 10 – 11 Jan, 10am – 8pm
🌐 Website: scanteak.com.sg/blogs/promotions/cny-warehouse-sale-2026
10 • Shop for handmade decor from Singapore’s craftiest ah mas
If your holiday home makeover is a little less extensive than a full furniture overhaul, I know a group of grandmas (and some grandpas) who have just the thing. The folks at senior care centre Carer have gotten together for the festive season to craft a collection of Jellycat-inspired flowers, oranges, and other CNY cuties.
📍 Address: Pickup available at 326C Sumang Walk, Singapore 823326 and Kiew Sian King, 7 Tampines Avenue, Singapore 529786
📞 Phone: 6365 9121
🌐 Website: handmadegifts.store
(Featured photo adapted from: Time Out, Straits Times, Holidaydates.sg)
