Hari Raya Puasa & Labour Day Istana Open House on 1 May 2023: Free Entry!

The next Istana Open House will be on May 1 in celebration of Hari Raya Puasa and Labour Day. Visitors can look forward to live performances, guided tours, activity booths and an enhanced Swan Pond. Read more about what to expect at the Istana Open House here.

Programme for the Hari Raya Puasa & Labour Day Istana Open House

According to Straits Times, the Labour Day Istana Open House/ Hari Raya Aidilfitri Istana Open House will be held from 8.30am to 6pm, and will feature a band, dance and dikir barat performances by Evergreen Secondary School, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts School of Young Talents, Marymount Convent Percussion Ensemble, Pasir Ris Secondary School, Tanjong Katong Girls’ School, Temasek Polytechnic Dikir Barat and Wellington Primary School. Dikir barat is a style of Malay choral singing popular in Singapore and Malaysia.

Balloon sculpting, Istana tours, henna painting and performances

As well as the performances and tours of the grounds, families can look forward to balloon sculpting and henna painting. Visitors can check out the enhanced Swan Pond, which President Halimah Yacob launched in early April. It features a new viewing deck and garden stream, with a selection of flowering and fragrant shrubs.

At the open house, visitors can go on the National Heritage Board’s guided tours of the Istana’s main building to view selected function rooms and have a closer look at state gifts presented to Singapore’s leaders.

The National Parks Board will also hold nature guided tours to showcase the flora and fauna on the Istana grounds. Food and drinks stalls and food trucks, as well as merchandise booths selling limited-edition Istana souvenirs and President’s Challenge souvenirs, will be at the Istana open house too.
How much: Free for Singaporeans and permanent residents. $2 for other visitors. Admission is free for children below four years old. Each guided tour costs between $2 and $4 for Singaporeans and permanent residents, and between $2 and $10 for all other visitors, but is free for children below four years old.