Istana holds open house on Apr. 19 for Hari Raya & Labour Day, visitors enjoy performances & activities

The Istana is holding an open house on Sunday (Apr. 19), with visitors able to enjoy cultural performances, community activities and tours of the grounds until 6pm in celebration of the Hari Raya season and upcoming Labour Day.

The programme includes a line-up of musical, choral and cultural performances reflecting Singapore’s multicultural heritage, including dikir barat, Malay dance, bharatanatyam and Indian folk dance.

Performances are being presented by groups such as the MacPherson Philharmonic Orchestra, Punggol View Primary School Children’s Choir, Singapore Polytechnic Indian Cultural Society, Singapore Polytechnic Malay Language Society and Voices of Singapore Children’s Choir.

Activities and tours throughout the day

Visitors can also take part in hands-on activities such as lawn bowling, painting a Singa the Kindness Lion bench, craft-making using recycled materials and a scavenger hunt around the Istana grounds developed in collaboration with students from Singapore Polytechnic.

Self-guided tours of the Istana Villa remain available until 6pm, where visitors can view a collection of State Gifts presented to Singapore’s leaders.

Those who pre-registered for the guided Istana Heritage Tour can also explore the grounds during selected hourly slots between 9am and 4pm.

The Istana Main Building remains closed for restoration until further notice.

More information on the full programme is available at go.gov.sg/iohprogramme.

Entry is free for Singaporeans and PRs

Entry to the Istana grounds is free for Singapore citizens, permanent residents and migrant domestic workers accompanying families.

Other visitors are required to pay S$20 per adult and S$10 per child aged four to 12, while separate fees apply for entry to the Istana Villa and guided heritage tours.

Food and beverage stalls are available on-site, with only cashless payments accepted.

Entry is via the Main Gate along Orchard Road, with Dhoby Ghaut MRT station being the nearest train stop. Entry may be restricted depending on crowd capacity or weather conditions.

All proceeds from admission and tours will go towards programmes supported by the President’s Challenge.

The last Istana open house took place on Feb. 22 in celebration of Chinese New Year.

Top image via istana.gov.sg