Cultural shows, craft and sports activities at Istana open house on Apr 19 to mark Hari Raya, Labour Day
The open house will take place from 8.30am to 6pm and feature a range of cultural performances, heritage tours and other activities.
Visitors at the Istana Open House. (File photo: Nadia Jansen Hassan)
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SINGAPORE: The Istana will open its grounds to the public next Sunday (Apr 19) in celebration of Hari Raya and the upcoming Labour Day, the President's Office Istana said in a media release on Monday.
The open house will take from 8.30am to 6pm and feature a range of performances that reflect Singapore's multicultural heritage, such as the dikir barat traditional Malay music form, Malay dance, Bharatanatyam, a type of Indian classical dance, and Indian folk dance.
Performances will be presented by 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.
Visitors can participate in hands-on activities such as lawn bowling, painting a Singa the Kindness Lion bench and craft-making with recycled materials. A scavenger hunt will be held around the Istana grounds, developed in collaboration with students from Singapore Polytechnic.
Visitors are also invited to explore the Istana grounds, including its architecture, as well as its flora and fauna.
Self-guided tours of the Istana Villa, one of the buildings on the Istana grounds, will be available throughout the day, offering visitors a chance to view a collection of state gifts presented to Singapore’s leaders.
Those who have pre-registered for the guided Istana heritage tour can tour the grounds during their selected timeslots between 9am and 4pm.
Food and beverage stalls will be available, with only cashless payments accepted.
The media release noted that the main Istana building is closed for restoration.
Admission to the Istana grounds is free for Singapore citizens, permanent residents and migrant domestic workers accompanying families
Other visitors are required to pay an admission fee of S$20 (US$15.60) per adult and S$10 per child (four to 12 years old). Additional fees apply for selected activities, such as the guided Istana heritage tour and entry to the Istana Villa.
All proceeds from admissions and tours will go towards programmes supported by the President’s Challenge.
Visitors can enter via the main gate at Orchard Road, with Dhoby Ghaut as the nearest MRT station. Entry may be restricted depending on crowd capacity or weather conditions.
