Want to pay a visit to where the President lives? This year, the Istana Chinese New Year Open House 2026 will be held on Sunday, 22 February 2026. From 8.30 am to 6 pm, members of the public will be able to pay a visit to the verdant grounds of the Istana.
Members of the public can enjoy a festive day filled with live performances, participate in activity booths – including interacting with horses from EQUAL – and explore the heritage of the Istana.
About the Istana Chinese New Year Open House 2026
The Istana Chinese New Year Open House 2026 is open to all visitors.
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The Istana Chinese New Year Open House, also referred to as the Lunar New Year Istana Open House is one of up to five times a year when the public can pay a visit to the grounds of the official residence of the President of Singapore.
During the Open House, visitors can look forward to live performances and family-friendly activities throughout the day.
Take note that the Istana Main Building is currently closed for restoration until further notice.
Istana Open House Activities for Chinese New Year
At the Chinese New Year Istana Open House on 22 February 2026, visitors can enjoy a meet-and-greet with horses from the EQUAL herd, gain insights into equine communication, and learn more about equine-assisted learning.
Visitors can also participate in hands-on creative activities such as water marbling, craft workshops, and reed diffuser making.
The programme will also feature live musical, choral, and cultural performances, with renditions of well-loved Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil classics. Highlights include lion dance, wushu, angklung and kulintang performances.
Traditional instruments such as the zhongruan, dizi, guzheng, erhu, tabla, and Indian classical violin will also be showcased, alongside a philharmonic orchestra presentation.
|
Time |
Activity |
Venue |
|
Performances |
||
|
9.50am to 10.30am |
Multicultural music performance by MacPherson Philharmonic Orchestra |
Main Tent |
|
10.30am to 11.00am |
Lion dance by Yuan Ching Secondary School |
Main Tent |
|
11.05am to 11.50pm |
Multilingual choral performance by Voices of Singapore Children’s Choir |
Main Tent |
|
12.00pm to 12.20pm |
Wushu performance by De La Salle School |
Main Tent |
|
12.30pm to 1.20pm |
Chinese classical music performance by scholars of Mapletree – The TENG Company |
Main Tent |
|
1.35pm to 2.10pm |
Live vocal band performance by LASALLE College of the Arts, University of the Arts Singapore |
Main Tent |
|
2.20pm to 3.00pm |
Angklung and kulintang performance by Jurongville Secondary School |
Main Tent |
|
3.10pm to 4.00pm |
Indian-Chinese musical performance by Four Dimensions |
Main Tent |
|
4.00pm to 4.30pm |
‘Cai Qing’ lion dance by National University of Singapore |
Main Tent |
Activity Booths
Visitors can look forward to activity booths for face painting, Chinese calligraphy, water marbling, balloon sculpting and reed diffuser making.
Visit activity and merchandise booths by social services agencies like SUN-DAC, Rainbow Centre, Playeum, and Allkin Singapore to learn more about their support and upliftment for beneficiaries.
All proceeds from the entry to the Istana grounds, Istana Heritage Tour and the State Gifts Display will go to benefitting organisations supported by the President’s Challenge. Proceeds from the social service agencies’ booths will go to the agencies themselves.
Heritage Tour
One of the highlights of the Istana Chinese New Year Open House 2026 is the Istana Heritage Tour.
Go on a guided tour of the Istana grounds to explore its rich history, architectural heritage, and unique landscape of flora and fauna. The one-hour walking tour begins at the Main Gate and features highlights such as the Villa, Japanese Garden and Ceremonial Plaza.
Tours are conducted in English and Mandarin every hour from 9 am to 4 pm.
Fees apply, and all proceeds go to the benefitting organisations supported by the President’s Challenge.
Istana Heritage Tour Fees for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents
Adult: $8.00 per pax
Children (age 4 to 12 years): $4.00 per pax
Children (below 4 years): Free
Family Package (2 adults and 2 children, 4 to 12 years): $22.00
Istana Heritage Tour Standard Fees
Adult: $30.00
Children: $12.00
You can sign up for the upcoming Istana Heritage Tour here.
Istana Villa
While the Main Building is closed, you can pay a visit to the Istana Villa. There is an admission fee required for entry into the Istana Villa.
Entry into the Istana Villa for Singaporeans and Singapore Permanent Residents is priced at $2 per adult and $2 per child (4 to 12 years old).
Other visitors are required to pay an admission fee* of $10 per adult and $5 per child (4 to 12 years old).
Children below 4 years old can enter the Istana Villa for free.
How to Attend, Entry Info and Admission Fees for the Istana Chinese New Year Open House
Entry to the Istana Grounds for the Chinese New Year Open House are free for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents. This includes Singaporean adults, Singaporean children and migrant domestic workers accompanying families.
For all others, the Standard Admission fees to enter the Istana Grounds on the open house day are:
Adults: $20
Children (4 to 12 years old): $10
Children (Below 4 years old): Free
Visitor Tip & Things to Note about the Istana Open House
Take note that admission into the Istana Open House is via the Main Gate at Orchard Road only. The nearest MRT station is Dhoby Ghaut.
There are security checks at the entrance. Objects that are prohibited from being brought into the Istana Grounds include pointed and sharp objects (e.g., knives of any size, forks, scissors), flammable items (e.g. lighters, aerosol sprays), tripods, and canned items (e.g. canned food and drinks, as well as aerosol cans).
No pets are allowed except certified guide dogs.
Visiting the Istana Chinese New Year Open House on Sunday, 22 February 2026
A visit to the Istana Chinese New Year Open House is an opportunity to enjoy the open grounds of the Istana and also take in a bit of history.
Find out more about the Istana Chinese New Year Open House.
If you enjoyed this story, you may also enjoy reading about the Istana Heritage Gallery or things to do for Chinese New Year in Singapore.
