Istana to hold open house on Deepavali

SINGAPORE: The Istana will hold an open house on Nov 4 in celebration of Deepavali, the President's Office said on Friday (Oct 22).

Visitors will only be able to access the Istana's outdoor spaces and gardens.

Those who wish to visit the Istana on Nov 4 will have to apply for tickets in advance, the President's Office said in a media release. 

Those applying for tickets will have to choose a two-hour timeslot starting from 9am, 11am, 1pm or 3pm. Each application is limited to a maximum of two tickets.

There are no charges for the tickets, which will be allocated by an electronic balloting system. Results from the balloting are final, the President's Office said. 

The Istana grounds were last open to the public on Aug 28 to mark National Day.

ONLY OUTDOOR GARDENS ARE ACCESSIBLE

There will be no performances, tours, booths, food trucks, or souvenirs on sale during the Deepavali open house, the President's Office said. There will also be no conducted tours of the main building.

"Visitors must keep their masks on at all times. Mask-off activities, including the consumption of food and beverages, are not allowed," it said. "Safe distancing ambassadors will be deployed to ensure visitors observe safe distancing measures."

Each ticket admits one visitor to the Deepavali open house event at the allocated time slot. Children, including infants, must also hold a valid ticket to be admitted.

The Istana is typically open to the public on five days each year. 

The Istana was originally scheduled to open in May this year to celebrate Hari Raya Puasa and Labour Day, but the event was cancelled after measures were tightened amid a spike in COVID-19 cases.

Those interested can apply for tickets from Oct 25, 10am to Oct 26, 10am here.