Kick off 2026 with a vibrant January in Singapore! As the new year begins, the city comes alive with an exciting line-up of events and activities perfect for individuals and families alike. This month is packed with opportunities to celebrate through art, culture, and community, from major festivals that light up the city to family-friendly festivities welcoming the Chinese New Year.

Discover unique exhibitions, cultural celebrations, and immersive experiences designed to inspire, connect, and entertain. Whether you’re an art enthusiast, a history buff, or simply looking for fun ways to enjoy the start of the year, our guide highlights the very best of what’s happening in Singapore this January.

1. Nest Preschool Open House

Nest Preschool Open House Jalan Pemipin

Step into the world of Nest Preschool and see learning through your child’s eyes. At Nest, education begins with wonder, guidance, and hands-on discovery. Join us for a morning of gentle exploration and meaningful connection as you experience authentic Montessori in action.

📅 31 Jan 2026 (Saturday)
🕙 9am – 11am (Ubi) | 10am – 11.30am (Bishan, Bidadari, Hillview)
👶 15 months to 5 years old
📍 Bidadari | Bishan | Hillview | Ubi
📩 Register now here! Spaces are limited to ensure a personal experience:

Register Now

For more information, visit Nest Preschool Open House.

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2. Light to Night Festival 2026

Light to Night Singapore 2026

Light to Night Singapore 2026 marks the Gallery’s 10th edition of the festival and will be extended across 4 vibrant weekends for the first time from 9 to 31 Jan 2026. With the theme “The Power in Us”, it explores the profound connections forged when people and communities unite through art to reflect, converse, and create.

📅 9 to 31 Jan 2026
📍 Civic District

For more information visit Light to Night Festival 2026.

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3. T5 In the Making exhibition

T5 in the Making exhibition Zone 2

T5 In the Making showcases Changi Airport’s bold journey and future vision through five zones: from the airport’s strategic shift from Paya Lebar to Changi, to an experiential look at T5’s design, scale, and innovations.

Visitors will witness the technologies being explored to address manpower, ageing population, and climate change challenges, and conclude their visit by imagining the future with interactive Artificial Intelligence (AI) experiences and viewing detailed scale models of T5 and the larger Changi East development.

📅 6 Jan to Mar 2026
🕙 10am to 8pm daily (last entry at 7.15pm)
📍 Changi Airport Terminal 3, Level 1 Arrival Hall
🏷 Free (Registration required)
⏳ 60 minutes (recommended)

For more information, visit T5 In the Making exhibition.

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4. Museum Roundtable Lunar New Year Hongbao Campaign

The 2026 Museum Roundtable (MR) Lunar New Year Hongbao Campaign is ready to gallop into the Year of the Horse with brand new red packet designs!

Visitors can saddle up for a cultural adventure and collect a set of unique red packet designs at 49 participating museums, heritage institutions and galleries, while stocks last. Each set will contain six (6) pieces of red packets, themed respectively to the 49 participating museums.

📅 23 Jan to 15 Feb 2026
📍 49 participating museums

For more information visit Museum Roundtable Lunar New Year Hongbao Campaign.

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5. Singapore Motorshow 2026

Singapore Motorshow

Singapore Motorshow 2026 returns with more than 95% of the participating exhibitors at the Singapore Motorshow 2026 will be showcasing electric and hybrid vehicles, reflecting the industry’s accelerating shift toward sustainable mobility and aligning with Singapore’s vision of 100% cleaner energy vehicles by 2040.

📅 8 to 11 Feb 2026
📍 Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre

For more information visit Singapore Motorshow 2026fdowntow.

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6. Year of Horse Zodiac 2026

Year of the Horse Zodiac Forecast 2026

To usher in the year of the Horse, we asked Feng Shui Master, Master Jo Ching, to share his insights on the Chinese zodiac forecast for 2026. Read on to find out what the year holds for you!

For more information, visit Chinese Zodiac Forecast 2026.

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7. One Punggol Ushers in Chinese New Year 2026

One Punggol CNY Lion DanceImage: One Punggol

One Punggol will usher in the Lunar New Year with a community-centric Chinese New Year Light-Up Celebration on Sat, 17 Jan 2026. From 6pm onwards, One Punggol, Level 1 will transform into a warm, welcoming gathering point for residents, families and visitors. Designed as a shared festive experience rather than a standalone spectacle, the celebration reflects One Punggol’s role as a neighbourhood anchor where culture, community and everyday life come together.

For more information, visit One Punggol Chinese New Year 2026.

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8. New Moon Abalone Sampling Event

New Moon Abalone Sampling Event

Get exclusive gifts at the New Moon roadshow! With a minimum spend on New Moon products, redeem a free tea box ($68) or a Fortune Cat & poker chip set ($138). Also, buy 6 cans of Flying Wheel Abalone for a free Bird’s Nest Collagen box. Visit the Roadshow at FairPrice stores including Vivo City, AMK Hub, and Tampines Mall on selected dates from 2 Jan to 1 Feb 2026. Offers are limited to one per customer, while stocks last. Don’t miss out!

For more information, visit here.

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9. Pongal Open House at IHC

IHC Pongal Open House 2025Image credit: Indian Heritage Centre

This year’s Open House invites you to experience the charm of a folk village with cultural activities, craft workshops, and performances celebrating the spirit of Pongal. Don’t miss this vibrant festive celebration!

📅 10 to 11 & 17 to 18 Jan 2026
🕙 10am – 5pm
📍 Indian Heritage Centre

For more information, visit Pongal Open House 2026.

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10. Spring Blossoms: Gallop into Prosperity

Gardens by the Bay Spring Blossoms

Canter into the Year of the Horse with this festive showcase of Chinese culture featuring iconic blooms, lantern horses and classical Chinese architecture. (Floral display details are subject to change.)

📅 16 Jan to 1 Mar 2026
🕙 9am to 9pm
📍 Flower Dome (Admission charge applies)

You can get tickets via Klook, Fever and Pelago.

For more information, visit Gardens by the Bay Chinese New Year.

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11. Marina Bay Sands presents Where Art Takes Shape

Marina Bay Sands Art Trail Rain OculusCredit to Marina Bay Sands

From Southeast Asia’s premier art fair, ART SG, to bold exhibitions at ArtScience Museum and art-inspired culinary creations across Marina Bay Sands’ signature restaurants, Where Art Takes Shape will weave together art, food and culture into a seamless journey designed to connect, inspire and transform. The festival will resonate with both art aficionados and the wider public, reaffirming Marina Bay Sands’ commitment to nurturing Singapore’s arts and culture ecosystem, and reinforcing its role as a leading platform for artistic exchange and cultural dialogue.

📅 22 to 31 Jan 2026

For more information, visit Where Art Takes Shape.

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12. Singapore Art Week (SAW) 2026

SAW 2026 Isang Dipang LangitImage courtesy of Oca Villamiel

SAW 2026 brings together artists, curators, thought leaders, professionals and art lovers in the region and the world for network building, artistic engagement and discourse. Through this platform, the visual arts community will reach new audiences, highlighting Singapore’s role as the gateway for artistic exchange in Southeast Asia.

📅 22 to 31 Jan 2026

For more information, visit Singapore Art Week (SAW) 2026.

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13. Marina Square Lunar New Year

Marina Square Lunar New Year 2026

Stack up the fun this Lunar New Year as Marina Square ushers in the prosperous Year of the Horse with an exciting line-up of first-in-Singapore Budao Weng (不倒翁)performances, auspicious lion dances, rewarding gifts, and immersive activities organised in collaboration with Kiztopia for visitors of all ages. From gravity-defying spectacles to hands-on creative workshops, Marina Square promises a festive season filled with luck, laughter and meaningful moments.

📅 12 Jan to 24 Feb 2026

For more information, visit Marina Square Lunar New Year.

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14. SCCC & SCO Showcase Singapore’s Diverse Lion Dance and more at CNY Family FUN

SCCC CNY Children’s Lion and Dragon Dance Workshops

CNYFF 2026 will feature a total of 25 cultural programmes taking place at SCCC and Singapore Conference Hall (SCH), including children theatre performances, storytelling sessions, carousel rides, interactive photobooths and family-friendly workshops – all designed to make traditions enjoyable and engaging for today’s Singaporeans, young and old.

📅 31 Jan & 1 Feb 2026

For more information, visit SCCC & SCO CNY Family FUN.

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15. Suntec City’s Huat A Pot-sperity Festival

Suntec City Lunar New Year

Suntec City ushers in the Year of the Horse with a playful mix of interactive experiences, exclusive collectibles and seasonal promotions for the young and young at heart. At the heart of the family-friendly festivities, an immersive plush-themed festive bazaar at the mall’s Atrium (Tower 1 & 2) awaits, featuring a dynamic collaboration with Mr Merlion & Friends and a larger-than-life hotpot-themed inflatable bouncy ball pit.

📅 15 Jan to 1 Mar 2026

For more information, visit Suntec City Lunar New Year.

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16. Lunar New Year Mala Celebration at Downtown East

Downtown East CNY Mala Meets PlaytimeCredit: Downtown East

Gallop into the Year of the Horse with a flavour-packed Lunar New Year (LNY) Mala Celebration, across Wild Wild Wet and Downtown East (DE). Visitors can look forward to a playful blend of Mala-inspired waterpark fun and installations, photo moments, and exclusive festive promotions inspired by Singapore’s iconic love for all things Mala.

📅 8 Jan to 3 Mar 2026

For more information, visit Downtown East Lunar New Year.

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17. Aliwal Urban Arts Festival 2026

Aliwal Urban Arts Festival Graffiti Try-outsCredit: Arts House Group

Aliwal Arts Centre (AAC) will come alive as the Aliwal Urban Arts Festival (AUAF) returns for a high-energy celebration of urban culture in conjunction with Singapore Art Week. Organised by Arts House Group (AHG), the festival transforms Kampong Gelam into a vibrant ecosystem of art, movement and community, where street culture, creative experimentation and collective expression converge.

📅 31 Jan 2026

For more information, visit Aliwal Urban Arts Festival.

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18. VERSE 2026

VERSE by The Arts House

This year’s edition features more than 15 programmes – including two exciting commissions – and brings together over 18 partners across fully accessible venues, ensuring VERSE remains open to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Continuing to reimagine how literature is experienced, VERSE blends text, sound, movement and visual art in unexpected ways. VERSE amplifies its reach and impact across the Civic District, opening the year’s literary arts calendar with a bold multi-sensory celebration of Singapore literature.

📅 9 to 31 Jan 2026

For more information, visit VERSE 2026.

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Note: All details are correct as of the time of publishing. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information, no guarantee is given nor responsibility is taken for errors or omissions in the compilation. Readers are advised to check with the respective event organisers for the most updated schedules, venues and details.


Looking for CNY goodies for your home? Here’s where to buy pineapple tarts and bak kwa in Singapore.

Pineapple Tarts Singapore

Planning a feast for the festivities? Check out these Chinese New Year Buffet Catering Services for a hassle-free celebration.

FoodLine.sg Best Chinese New Year Buffet Catering

Want to shower your family and friends with blessings and bountiful gifts this CNY? Here is a list of unique CNY gifts and hampers to consider gifting!

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