Credit: Gardens by the Bay
Singapore doesn’t do real snow, but it does Christmas properly. These are the 12 best Christmas activities for couples in Singapore this year, from a hilltop Christmas market and free light-ups to candlelit carols and a wreath workshop for two.
The season starts earlier than you think. The first Christmas markets open in the third week of November, and the big light-ups run all the way to 3 January 2027, so there’s time for more than one festive date. We’ve picked the Christmas events in Singapore for 2026 that work best for two adults rather than a family day out, and sorted them into markets, lights, shows and hands-on workshops, with dates, prices and a date tip for each. Half of them are free.
Christmas Day is a Friday this year. For Christmas Eve, the World Christmas Market stays open until 1am, Orchard Road shuts to traffic for a street party, and there’s a candlelit pop concert at The Arts House. Want dinners, staycations and nights in as well? Our full guide to Christmas date ideas in Singapore has those covered.
Explore This Page
- At a glance
- Christmas markets
- Lights and light-ups
- Shows and concerts
- Hands-on workshops
- Frequently Asked Questions
At a glance
| Activity | When | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Christmas Story by World Christmas Market | 10 Dec 2026 to 3 Jan 2027 | Free entry | Christmas Eve until 1am |
| Christmas Together | 27 to 29 Nov 2026 | Free with registration | Early gift shopping, rain or shine |
| Almost December | 20 to 22 Nov 2026 | Free entry | Flowers, real trees and local makers |
| Christmas on A Great Street | 17 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027 | Free | An evening stroll and the Christmas Eve street party |
| Christmas Wonderland | 27 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027 | Ticketed (2026 prices TBA) | The full festive night out, with snow |
| Garden Rhapsody: The Christmas Special | 27 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027 | Free | A free add-on to dinner at the Bay |
| Gardens-A-Glow | 5 Dec 2026 to 3 Jan 2027 | Free | A quiet walk away from the crowds |
| Big Bus Christmas Light-Up Tour | 2026 dates TBA | 2025: from US$26.10 | Seeing the lights without the crowds |
| SSO Christmas Concert | 11 and 12 Dec 2026 | $48 to $228 | A dressed-up date with carols |
| Candlelight Christmas concerts | 18, 19 and 24 Dec 2026 | From $43 | An intimate night out |
| Christmas Train Show | 20 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027 | From $12 (residents) | A cool, unhurried afternoon |
| Eden’s Ground wreath workshop | Weekends, 15 Nov to 20 Dec 2026 | From $65 | Making something together |
Christmas markets
Three very different Christmas markets in Singapore this year: one big and romantic, one huge and indoors, and one small and flowery.
1. Wander A Christmas Story by World Christmas Market at Fort Canning
The World Christmas Market has left Bayfront and moved up the hill. This year’s edition, A Christmas Story, takes over Fort Canning Park and METT Hotel Singapore, and the heritage setting suits a date far better than an event lawn. Entry is free.
The grounds are split into three spaces, The Story Terrace, The Piazza and The Merry Grounds, with retail stalls, food and drink, and workshops. According to the organisers, the centrepiece is a 38-foot real Christmas tree, joined by giant nutcrackers and illuminated reindeer, and a 42-piece orchestra plays on the opening weekend.
Date tip: Save it for Christmas Eve. The market stays open until 1am on 24 Dec, so you can have dinner first and still catch it lit up and lively at midnight.
- When: 10 Dec 2026 to 3 Jan 2027
- Hours: Mon to Thu 5pm to 11pm; Fri to Sun 4pm to 11pm; 24 and 31 Dec 4pm to 1am
- Where: Fort Canning Park and METT Hotel Singapore
- Getting there: Fort Canning or Dhoby Ghaut MRT
- Price: Free entry. Food, drinks and workshops are paid
2. Shop your gift list at Christmas Together, Sands Expo
New this year, Christmas Together bills itself as Singapore’s largest indoor Christmas festival, and the numbers back it up: more than 150 brands, 40 workshops and 50 live performances in Hall F at Sands Expo. Half the space is market, and the rest is given over to things like Santa’s Post Office, The Village Carnival and The Christmas Cookie Kombi.
It’s organised by the team behind Sustainable Markets SG, and the festival raises funds for Singapore Red Cross Young Hearts. Being indoors, it’s also a safe bet in monsoon season, and it’s on so early that you can get your gift shopping done before December. Entry is free, but you’ll need to register online first.
Date tip: Go on the Friday, 27 Nov, if you can, as weekdays tend to be calmer than weekends. Write each other a Christmas card at Santa’s Post Office and don’t open it until the 25th.
- When: 27 to 29 Nov 2026, 10am to 9pm
- Where: Hall F, Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands
- Getting there: Bayfront MRT
- Price: Free with online registration
3. Pick a real tree at Almost December, Far East Flora
For something smaller and calmer, Almost December is Far East Flora Market’s three-day Christmas marketplace. Local brands sell gifts, food, home décor and handmade crafts, and the florists bring seasonal blooms, wreaths and mini Christmas trees, so you can pick up your tree on the same trip.
Far East Flora also runs Christmas workshops, from wreath-making and mini tree-making to pressed flower art and floral suncatchers, booked separately on its site. Its wreath-making class runs on 13 and 19 Dec at $88 before GST.
Date tip: Bring the car or book a ride home if you’re buying a tree. Then decorate it together that evening with a bottle of wine.
- When: 20 to 22 Nov 2026. Fri 1pm to 7pm; Sat and Sun 11am to 7pm
- Where: Far East Flora Centre, Level 2, 435 Clementi Road, Singapore 599873
- Price: Free entry. Workshops are paid
Lights and light-ups
The Christmas light-up in Singapore is the classic free date: walk, look up, take too many photos. Here’s where to go, and one way to see it all sitting down.
4. Stroll the Orchard Road light-up and its Christmas Eve street party
Christmas on A Great Street is back with a “Season of Golden Joy” theme, and the lights stretch about 3km from Tanglin to Dhoby Ghaut. Along the way you’ll find a projection show on Hilton Singapore Orchard, music playing along the boulevard, and the Great Christmas Village at two spots, Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza and Shaw House Urban Plaza, with carnival games and rides.
The big night is Christmas Eve. On 24 Dec, Orchard Road closes to traffic for the Great Christmas Eve Street Party, with live performances, food trucks and a countdown to Christmas Day. It’s the best free Christmas Eve plan in town. For cafés and dinner spots nearby, see our Orchard Road dating guide.
Date tip: Start at the Tanglin end at about 7pm and walk towards Dhoby Ghaut. It’s quieter at the start, and you’ll end up near plenty of places for dinner.
- When: 17 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027. Christmas Eve Street Party on 24 Dec
- Where: Orchard Road, from Tanglin to Dhoby Ghaut
- Getting there: Orchard, Somerset or Dhoby Ghaut MRT
- Price: Free. Some village games and rides are paid
5. Get snowed on at Christmas Wonderland, Gardens by the Bay
Christmas Wonderland is back for its 13th edition, and it’s still Singapore’s biggest Christmas fair. The Supertree Grove and The Meadow fill with towering light displays, carnival games and rides, festive shopping and Christmas entertainment, and a Flying Santa soars over The Meadow.
The part couples love most is Blizzard Time at the Spalliera, when foam snow falls over the crowd. It’s the closest you’ll get to snow in Singapore now that Snow City has closed. Ticket prices for 2026 hadn’t been released when we wrote this. As a guide, 2025 tickets started from $9 per adult, and peak nights sell out, so book as soon as sales open.
Date tip: Pick a weeknight in late November or early December, and arrive for the 6.30pm opening so you get the lights before the queues.
- When: 27 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027, 6.30pm to 11pm (last admission 10.15pm)
- Where: Supertree Grove and The Meadow, Gardens by the Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953
- Getting there: Gardens by the Bay or Bayfront MRT
- Price: Ticketed. 2026 prices TBA (2025: from $9 per adult)
6. Catch Garden Rhapsody: The Christmas Special for free
Can’t get Wonderland tickets? The Supertrees still put on a free Christmas show every night. Garden Rhapsody: The Christmas Special sets the lights to Christmas classics, with songs sung by local artists.
There are extra shows over the festive season, including four a night from 23 to 27 Dec. One thing to know: while Christmas Wonderland is on, the Supertree Grove itself is for ticket holders, so without a ticket you’ll watch from the vantage points at World of Plants.
Date tip: Have an early dinner at Satay by the Bay or Marina Bay Sands, then walk over for the 7.45pm show. It’s an easy free add-on to any night out in the area.
- When: 27 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027. Daily at 7.45pm and 8.45pm, plus 9.35pm from 27 Nov to 11 Dec and 31 Dec to 3 Jan, and 7.10pm and 9.35pm from 23 to 27 Dec
- Where: Supertree Grove, Gardens by the Bay (World of Plants vantage points for non-Wonderland visitors)
- Price: Free
7. Walk through Gardens-A-Glow at the Botanic Gardens
If Orchard Road is too much of a crush, head ten minutes up the road to Gardens-A-Glow. It builds on the old Trees of the World tradition, with some 250 trees decorated by families, schools and community groups, plus light installations, exhibitions and a festive display at Bukit Timah Gate inspired by Oceania.
It’s the slowest, quietest Christmas date on this list. You can stroll, find a bench and actually talk, and it’s free.
Date tip: Arrive just before sunset for a walk through the Gardens, then stay as the trees light up. Pack a mat and snacks and turn it into a picnic date.
- When: 5 Dec 2026 to 3 Jan 2027, best after dusk
- Where: Singapore Botanic Gardens, 1 Cluny Road, Singapore 259569
- Getting there: Botanic Gardens or Napier MRT
- Price: Free
8. See the Christmas lights from an open-top Big Bus
Not a fan of crowds? The Big Bus Christmas Light-Up Tour takes you along the lights from the top deck of an open-top bus. The loop runs from Suntec City past the Singapore Flyer, Esplanade, City Hall and Fort Canning, down the Orchard Road light-up, and back via the Fountain of Wealth in about 50 minutes.
2026 dates hadn’t been announced when we wrote this. As a guide, last year it ran on 29 nights from 21 Nov to 23 Dec 2025, with departures at 7.30pm and 8.30pm.
Date tip: Sit upstairs at the front for the best view, and bring a light jacket, because it gets breezy up top once the bus picks up speed.
- When: 2026 dates TBA (2025: 21 Nov to 23 Dec, 7.30pm and 8.30pm)
- Where: Departs from the Big Bus and Duck tourist hub, Suntec City Tower 2
- Getting there: Esplanade or Promenade MRT
- Price: 2026 prices TBA (2025: from US$26.10 per adult)
Shows and concerts
For when you’d rather sit down, dress up a little and let someone else do the singing.
9. Sing carols at the SSO Christmas Concert
The SSO Christmas Concert is the Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s annual festive show at the Esplanade Concert Hall. This year pairs Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker with John Rutter’s Gloria, joined by the Singapore Symphony Choruses and conducted by Nathanaël Iselin, and it ends with the traditional Christmas medley singalong.
It’s a proper occasion without being stuffy, and it runs about 1 hour 45 minutes with an interval. Singaporeans can pay with SG Culture Pass credits.
Date tip: Book a pre-concert dinner at Esplanade Mall or along the waterfront, then take a walk along Marina Bay afterwards to see the lights.
- When: 11 and 12 Dec 2026, 7.30pm
- Where: Esplanade Concert Hall, 1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore 038981
- Getting there: Esplanade or City Hall MRT
- Price: $48 to $228 (plus booking fees). SG Culture Pass eligible
10. Book a Candlelight Christmas concert at The Arts House
Picture a string quartet in a room lit by thousands of candles. Candlelight Christmas concerts return to The Arts House this December, with Christmas Classics on 18 and 19 Dec and Christmas Pop Classics on Christmas Eve.
The shows are short, at about an hour, so they slot in nicely before or after dinner. The 24 Dec date is a lovely way to start Christmas Eve before you head out to the street party on Orchard Road or the market at Fort Canning.
Date tip: Book early if you want seats near the musicians, and arrive about 30 minutes before, when the doors open, so you can settle in before the candles take over.
- When: Christmas Classics, 18 and 19 Dec 2026; Christmas Pop Classics, 24 Dec 2026
- Where: The Arts House, 1 Old Parliament Lane, Singapore 179429
- Getting there: City Hall or Raffles Place MRT
- Price: From $43 (Christmas Classics); from $54 (Christmas Pop Classics)
11. Watch the Christmas Train Show in the Flower Dome
The Christmas Train Show at Flower Dome is back for its third edition. Model trains loop past miniature railway stations from across the United States, then past two SMRT trains and MRT stations reimagined by NUS architecture students, before ending in a snowy Rovaniemi, complete with Santa’s toy factory, post office and a sauna.
It’s surrounded by Christmas trees, conifers and poinsettias, and the dome is kept cool, so it’s the closest Singapore gets to sweater weather.
Date tip: Go at about 4pm, spend an hour or two in the cool, then walk out to the Supertrees as the lights come on for Garden Rhapsody or Christmas Wonderland.
- When: 20 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027, 9am to 9pm
- Where: Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953
- Getting there: Gardens by the Bay or Bayfront MRT
- Price: Flower Dome admission, from $12 per adult for Singapore residents
Hands-on workshops
Christmas workshops make a good date because you come home with something you made together. Christmas Together and Far East Flora (above) both run festive workshops too.
12. Make a Christmas wreath together at Eden’s Ground
Eden’s Ground is a floral design studio in Tai Seng, and its guided Christmas wreath workshop has you building a wreath from scratch with fresh pine, flowers and foliage, then finishing it with pinecones, ribbons and cinnamon sticks.
You can pick a half or full wreath in two sizes, and it’s priced per wreath, so book one each and compare your work at the end. Sessions run on weekends from mid-November to 20 Dec, and the 6pm slot works nicely as an evening date.
Date tip: Book the 6pm session, then head out for dinner with your wreaths in tow. Hang them on your doors the same night.
- When: 15, 21, 22, 28 and 29 Nov, and 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20 Dec 2026. Sessions at 11am, 1.30pm, 3.30pm and 6pm (90 minutes)
- Where: Eden’s Ground Studio, Tai Seng (by appointment)
- Price: From $65 per wreath (up to $125 for a large full wreath)
Final thoughts
You don’t need to do all 12. Pick a market, one free light-up and one show, and you’ll have a December to remember. Booking a meal around it? Our Christmas dining promos for couples and Christmas staycation deals will help, and if you still need a present, see our guide to Christmas gifts for your partner.
Already thinking about the week after? Here are our New Year’s Eve date ideas and NYE dining promos.
with Love,
The Dateideas Team
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Christmas markets in Singapore in 2026?
The World Christmas Market moves to Fort Canning Park and METT Hotel Singapore as A Christmas Story, from 10 Dec 2026 to 3 Jan 2027. Christmas Together runs at Sands Expo Hall F from 27 to 29 Nov, Far East Flora’s Almost December market is on from 20 to 22 Nov, and Orchard Road’s Great Christmas Village sets up at Ngee Ann City and Shaw House.
What are some free Christmas activities in Singapore?
Entry is free to the World Christmas Market, the Orchard Road light-up and its Christmas Eve street party, Gardens-A-Glow at the Botanic Gardens and Garden Rhapsody: The Christmas Special at Gardens by the Bay. Christmas Together and Far East Flora’s Almost December market are also free, though Christmas Together asks you to register online.
What can couples do on Christmas Eve in Singapore?
Orchard Road closes to traffic for its Christmas Eve Street Party on 24 Dec, and the World Christmas Market at Fort Canning stays open until 1am that night. Candlelight also has a Christmas Pop Classics concert at The Arts House on 24 Dec, and Gardens by the Bay adds extra Garden Rhapsody shows from 23 to 27 Dec.
When is the Christmas light-up in Singapore in 2026?
Orchard Road’s Christmas on A Great Street runs from 17 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027. Christmas Wonderland and Garden Rhapsody: The Christmas Special at Gardens by the Bay run from 27 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027, and Gardens-A-Glow at the Botanic Gardens runs from 5 Dec 2026 to 3 Jan 2027.
Where can we see snow in Singapore at Christmas?
Snow City closed permanently on 30 Sep 2026, so your best bet is Blizzard Time at Christmas Wonderland, Gardens by the Bay, where foam snow falls over the Spalliera. Christmas Wonderland runs from 27 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027, and tickets are needed.
Are there Christmas workshops for couples in Singapore?
Yes. Eden’s Ground in Tai Seng runs Christmas wreath workshops on weekends from 15 Nov to 20 Dec 2026, from $65 per wreath, including a 6pm slot. Far East Flora runs wreath and mini Christmas tree workshops, and Christmas Together at Sands Expo has around 40 workshops over its three days.
