Istana Open House for National Day 2022: Live Performances & Food Trucks

Exciting news peeps! The National Day Istana Open House 2022 will be held on Sunday, 17 July 2022, 9am to 6pm and this year there will be live performances, food trucks and fun activity booths! Unlike last year, in 2022 the National Day Istana Open House is open to all visitors and Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents enter for free.

National Day Istana Open House 2022 Activities:

For the first time since the pandemic, live performances and activity booths will resume at the National Day Istana Open House 2022.

• 9am – 6pm look out for activities at the Health and Wellness Playground at the Main Tent, as well as activities at the Arts and Crafts Adventures at the Tent near the Inclusive Garden.
• 10 am – 11 am: Concert Band Performance by Chung Cheng High School (Main Tent)
• 11 am – 12 pm: Band Performance by Seng Kang Secondary (Main Tent)
• 2 pm – 3 pm: Indian Dance Performance by Raffles Girls’ School Secondary (Ceremonial Plaza)
• 3 pm – 4 pm: Modern Dance Performance by Ang Mo Kio Secondary School (Ceremonial Plaza)

• There will be an Istana Main Building Guided Tour every 45 minutes from 9.30am to 4.15pm
• The Nature Guided Tour will be held every hour from 10am to 4pm.

Food Trucks at National Day Istana Open House 2022

• There will also be food trucks (Goodburger Food Truck as well as Udders Ice-cream) and merchandise booths with limited-edition Istana souvenirs and President’s Challenge souvenirs. All fees collected and proceeds from the merchandise booths will go towards charities supported by President’s Challenge.

Admission to National Day Istana Open House 2022

Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents enter for free as will children below 12 years old. Other visitors will pay a fee of $2 for admission.  There are also fees applicable for entry to the Istana Main Building Guided Tour and Nature Guided Tour.

General Istana Open House Info

The Istana is typically open to the public on five days during the year. Visitors can look forward to special performances, tour selected rooms in the Main Building or go on guided nature walks on the grounds. The Istana is the official residence and office of the President of Singapore Halima Yacob. Istana means “palace” in Malay, it is where the President receives and entertains state guests. The Istana is one impressive residence – it occupies over 40 hectares in Orchard Road. The Istana building was built by the British Colonial government in 1869 to house its governors.

Every year the Istana opens to the public during Chinese New Year, Labour Day, Hari Raya Puasa, National Day and Deepavali and if you get a chance to visit – it is worth a look around! The Istana stands on what used to be Charles Robert Prinsep’s nutmeg plantation, so it is a wonderfully landscaped green garden with a variety of flora and fauna. The Istana residence as well as the green garden and grounds is partially open to the public on Istana Open Days and we recommend keeping note of when you can visit to get a chance to peek into this beautiful slice of Singapore heritage.