Deepavali Istana Open House on 1 Nov 2026 with free entry for Singaporeans and PRs

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🏛️ The Istana Open House returns on Sunday, 1 November 2026, from 10am to 8pm, with free admission to the grounds for Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents (PRs) and migrant domestic workers accompanying families.

Held ahead of Deepavali, the event features the first narrated Changing of Guards ceremony at an Istana Open House, an evening outdoor concert, cultural performances, family-friendly activities, a community marketplace and opportunities to explore the Istana grounds.

Visitors can enter through the Main Gate along Orchard Road, with last admission at 6.30pm. Additional charges apply for the Istana Villa and guided heritage tours. No pre-registration is required for general admission to the Istana grounds, but all visitors must present valid identification and undergo security screening. Cash is not accepted; payment must be made using supported credit/debit cards or QR code methods. Tripods, sharp objects, lighters, aerosol sprays and canned food or drinks are prohibited.

🎶 Performances and Changing of Guards ceremony

Live music, dance and cultural performances will take place at several locations throughout the grounds. Key programme highlights include:

• 11am to 1pm – Main Tent: Dance and music by Micron, a band performance by Quantedge, music by Extraordinary People, and Dikir Barat and Malay dance by Singapore Polytechnic students.
• 1pm to 4pm – Centre Gate: Street performances by Project #JalanJalan, featuring HCI String Orchestra, Three Thirds, Sam & Aleesha, Northbound, Strawberry with Chocolate, The Chefs and Nanyang Girls’ High School String Ensemble.
• 2.30pm – Main Tent: My Little Chingay Float storytelling by the People’s Association.
• 3.30pm to 5.45pm – Outdoor Concert Stage near Japanese Garden: Performances by Raffles Voices, Raffles String Ensemble, Weyoung, Cadence and Chaos, Ang Mo Kio Secondary School’s Concert Band, Parampara, jazzE and Fourteen Aces.
• 6.30pm to 7pm – Main Gate: Narrated Changing of Guards ceremony, including performances by the SAF Ceremonial Band and precision rifle drills by the Silent Precision Drill Squad.
• 6.30pm to 8pm – Outdoor Concert Stage: Evening concert featuring Ahmadul Amin, Project #JalanJalan’s Daydreamer and Heema Izzati.

The Changing of Guards ceremony marks the formal handover of sentry duties between outgoing and incoming guards from the Singapore Armed Forces Military Police Command. Live narration will explain the ceremony and its traditions.

Note: The Changing of Guards ceremony and evening concert overlap from 6.30pm and take place at different locations.

🎨 Family activities, stamp rally and reading programmes

Activity booths at the Main Tent and Activity Tent will operate from 10am to 7pm. Activities include:

• Scent pouch workshop by NParks.
• Storytelling by Krayonkecil.
• Basketball games, DIY Drip Bear workshop and bouncy castles by Families for Life.
• Face painting and henna painting.
• Sugar Smart card games and quizzes by Diabetes Singapore.
• Interactive activities and booths by community and social service organisations.
• Merchandise, crafts and baked goods from organisations including APSN, Children’s Cancer Foundation and Friends of the Disabled Society.

🎟️ Workshop and storytelling availability: Online tickets for the NParks Scent Pouch Workshop are marked sold out. Fees apply, and pre-registration is recommended; walk-in places are not guaranteed. Online registration for Krayonkecil storytelling has also closed, although walk-ins may be accepted subject to capacity. The optional craft-making activity costs $3, payable onsite. Visitors should check availability before planning around these activities.

Istana Stamp Rally

The Singapore Polytechnic-led Istana Stamp Rally runs from 10am to 6pm, with registration closing at 4.30pm. Visitors can explore designated pitstops, participate in activities, collect newly designed stamps and redeem exclusive Istana merchandise upon completing the rally. The meeting point is located after the security screening tentage.

📚 NLB reading space and mobile library

The National Library Board (NLB) will set up a ReadSG reading space featuring books recommended by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Ms Jane Ittogi. Visitors can browse the selection, join reading activities and the ReadSG Challenge, and redeem limited-edition ‘I Read at the Istana’ collectibles.

NLB’s MOLLY mobile library will also be available for book borrowing, while independent bookstore The Book Bar will offer books for sale.

🤝 Community Marketplace and inclusive employment

The Singapore Business Federation Foundation (SBFF) will organise a Community Marketplace near the Activity Tent, featuring organisations involved in inclusive employment, social support and community services.

The Community Marketplace is scheduled from 10am to 7pm. The morning inclusive-hiring segment includes organisations such as Inclus, New Hope Community Services, Daughters of Tomorrow, Yellow Ribbon Singapore and Tsao Foundation/GoodJobs. The afternoon Community Bazaar features organisations including Guide Dogs Singapore, Singapore Red Cross, Montfort Care, It’s Raining Raincoats and Herbyvore. Booth activities and organisations vary between the two segments.

SBFF will also organise Walk for Work, a fundraising walk supporting its EmployWell programme. Participation in the charity walk is restricted to pre-registered corporate participants.

🌳 Explore the Istana grounds and Villa

Visitors can walk around the Istana grounds to appreciate the gardens, architecture, flora and fauna. Two additional experiences are available at separate admission fees:

• Istana Villa State Gifts Display: Self-guided visits from 10am to 5.30pm, with last entry at 5pm. The display features State Gifts presented to Singapore’s leaders.
• Istana Heritage Tour: Approximately one-hour guided outdoor walking tour covering 1km, conducted by NParks volunteers. English tours are scheduled at 10.30am, 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm; Mandarin tours at 10.30am and 1pm. Pre-registration is required according to the event programme, with several online ticket categories already showing as sold out. Booked participants should bring their confirmation and arrive at least 15 minutes before departure at the meeting point after security screening. Bookings are non-transferable and non-refundable, including for weather-related cancellations. Tour fees do not include separate Villa admission.

Important: The Istana Main Building remains closed for restoration and will not be accessible to visitors.

🎟️ Istana Open House admission fees

Admission to the Istana grounds is free for Singapore Citizens, PRs and migrant domestic workers accompanying families. Standard admission charges apply to other visitors. Additional fees are payable for the Villa and Heritage Tour.

Children below 4 years old enter free for all three admission categories. The free grounds admission concession also covers migrant domestic workers accompanying families; the separate Villa and Heritage Tour rates are listed for Singapore Citizens and PRs.

Heritage Tour fees exclude Eventbrite service and processing fees. All admission and tour fees collected are non-refundable and will support programmes under the President’s Challenge. Proceeds from social service agencies’ booths will benefit their respective agencies.

Details on tour availability and advance registration can be found on the official Istana visitor information page.

🍔 Food and drinks

🍔 Food stalls and drinks booths are scheduled from 10am to 7pm. Food options include Old Chang Kee, Makan Mobile, Potato Corner, Bettr Coffee, Soup Spoon, Playmade, The French American Bakery, Lee Wee Brothers and Mr Bean.

Note the shorter food-truck hours: The Milo Van is scheduled from 9am to 12pm or while stocks last. As public entry starts at 10am, visitors entering at the usual opening time have up to two hours to purchase from the van, subject to availability. Old Chang Kee and Makan Mobile food trucks are scheduled from 10am to 7pm or while stocks last.

💳 Cashless payments only: Credit cards, debit cards and QR code payments will be accepted. Supported payment merchants and networks include Visa, Mastercard, American Express, UnionPay, JCB, PayNow and several major banks.

📍 Getting there and important visitor information

• Date: Sunday, 1 November 2026
• Opening hours: 10am to 8pm
• Last admission: 6.30pm
• Entrance: Istana Main Gate, Orchard Road (pedestrian entry only)
• Nearest MRT: Dhoby Ghaut
• Admission: Free for Singapore Citizens, PRs and migrant domestic workers accompanying families; standard fees apply to other visitors
• Payment: Cashless only

⚠️ Entry may be restricted due to crowd capacity or adverse weather. The event will not proceed if the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) exceeds 200, which falls within the Very Unhealthy range. Visitors should check the latest National Environment Agency haze advisories and official event updates before travelling.

With free grounds admission for Singaporeans and PRs, the Deepavali-themed Istana Open House offers an opportunity to explore the presidential grounds while enjoying live performances, community activities and the narrated Changing of Guards ceremony. Visitors interested in the guided Heritage Tour should secure their pre-registration, while those attending the evening programme should note the 6.30pm last admission.

For updates and visitor information, refer to the official Istana Open House website, the visitor FAQs and the full event programme and map (PDF).

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