Flower Market S'pore visitor arrives at 8:30am to queue for walk-in, told last minute that walk-ins closed over weekend

A keen walk-in visitor to the Flower Market by CJ Hendry was left disappointed and upset after showing up bright and early before the event's opening on Jun. 13 morning, only to be informed that walk-ins were no longer permitted over the weekend.

The visitor expressed frustration, saying that the change in walk-in admission policy was made by organisers at the eleventh hour after many had already made their way to the event.

She also said her comment asking about the last-minute policy change on an Instagram post by the organiser, IMBA, was deleted.

The Flower Market by Australian artist Cj Hendry made its Southeast Asian debut at Gardens by the Bay, showcasing plush flowers.

Originally scheduled for Jun. 10 to 14, it has since been extended to Jun. 15.

Admission is free, and visitors can pick the first plush flower for free.

Additional flower stems can be purchased by visitors at S$7 each.

Turned up, but turned away

Speaking to Mothership, the visitor, Dee, shared that she had made her way to the Flower Market at around 8:30am on Jun. 13, ahead of the event's opening at 9am.

She had relied on information published on the organiser's Instagram page, which stated that walk-ins were "welcome", and would be made available "subject to venue capacity".

However, upon arrival, Dee and other visitors were informed that walk-ins were closed.

Dee said she showed the staff on the ground the organiser's social media posts which stated that walk-ins were permitted.

However, she added that these posts were deleted shortly after, and the organisers published a notice on Instagram at around 9:20am announcing that walk-ins were closed over the weekend "due to overwhelming response".

Dee took issue with the post, stating: "Many of us arrived before opening time, so this was not a case of arriving late after walk-in capacity had already been exhausted during operating hours."

The post also stated that entry over the weekend on Jun. 13 and 14 "will be limited to guests with confirmed registrations only".

Dee shared that she commented under the organiser's Instagram post questioning why the new policy was not communicated earlier.

However, she said her comment was later deleted and commenting on the post was disabled.

As the comments on that post were disabled, similarly disgruntled visitors shared their unhappiness on another of the organiser's posts.

Exceptionally strong demand: IMBA CEO

Checks by Mothership showed that there were no more registration slots left for the rest of the Jun. 13 and 14 weekend.

Responding to Mothership's queries, Michael Lee, CEO of IMBA, said, "Flower Market has seen exceptionally strong demand through its run, with visitor numbers exceeding expectations."

Lee shared that additional registration slots have progressively been released over the past few days.

Capacity management measures have also been implemented to accommodate as many visitors as possible while maintaining a "safe and manageable experience" for all guests, Lee explained.

Similar measures have been implemented periodically throughout the event whenever visitor numbers reach operational limits.

Lee also said:

"As demand continued to grow, we made the decision to reserve weekend entry for registered guests. To accommodate additional demand, Flower Market has also been extended by one day and will now run until Monday, Jun. 15, with additional registration slots released.

We understand that some visitors may have been disappointed they were unable to visit over the weekend, and we appreciate their patience and understanding."