Record crowds expected at River Hongbao event, with crowd control measures in place

SINGAPORE: Record numbers of visitors are expected at the River Hongbao 2023 event at the Gardens by the Bay park, with free admission and COVID-19 curbs easing.

The annual Chinese New Year celebration will run for nine days from Jan 20 to Jan 28, said the event's organising committee on Friday (Jan 6).

Doors will open at 6.30pm on Jan 20 and Jan 21, and at 2.30pm on the other days.

Asked about crowd control measures, River Hongbao programme chairman Perng Peck Seng said Gardens by the Bay was a very large space, and the event would be open for a long duration each day.

"There's no need to be too worried, there's no possibility of the area reaching overcapacity ... (and) the area surrounding River Hongbao is all open space," he added in Mandarin.

"But we also have enough staff in charge of maintaining order ... We have a few hundred volunteers each night, so on this front, we have made enough preparations."

The police will also be in the area monitoring the situation and with the help of aerial drones, said managing director of GP99 Associates Andrew Yap, whose company has been contracted to help with the manufacturing and set-up of the space.

"When the event is full, the police will let us know," he added.

On Saturday, River Hongbao organisers clarified that it will be auxiliary police officers overseeing crowd control at the event.

The main part of River Hongbao will be held at Gardens by the Bay's Meadow event space, which can accommodate up to about 20,000 people, said Gardens' CEO Felix Loh.

The whole of Gardens can accommodate up to 30,000 to 50,000 people, he added.

"This number is quite big, so I think our safety measures should be sufficient," said Mr Loh.

The Meadow at Gardens by the Bay has a car park with about 300 lots which is within walking distance to the event, and visitors are advised to park there if coming with senior citizens, said the organising committee.

For those taking public transport, the nearest MRT station is Bayfront.

Visitors can queue up to watch performances, with about 1,200 seats available and standing space nearby, said the organising committee. 

Some seats will be reserved for seniors aged 60 and above. Seniors with tickets will not need to queue to enter.

Seniors who want tickets will need to call the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA) office to reserve and collect them there, before attending.

In a press release on Friday, the River Hongbao organising committee also announced that the event's Food Street segment - offering famous Singaporean and Taiwanese roadside cuisine - will return for the first time since the pandemic.

River Hongbao will continue to be held at Gardens by the Bay from 2024 to 2026, said SFCCA president Thomas Chua.