In depth · Christmas & New Year
Christmas in Singapore: Orchard Road’s lights, festive hotels and the bay at New Year
Singapore celebrates Christmas in the tropics. Orchard Road lights up for the season, the grand hotels dress their lobbies and lay their Christmas tables, and Christmas Day is a public holiday.
Updated October 2026
Christmas on A Great Street
Each year the Orchard Road Business Association lights up Orchard Road for Christmas on A Great Street. The 2025 edition ran from 8 November 2025 to 1 January 2026, from Tanglin to Dhoby Ghaut (christmas.orchardroad.org). The malls along the way, from ION Orchard and Paragon to Ngee Ann City, dress their atriums for the season.
Our advice: check christmas.orchardroad.org for the 2026 dates before you plan an evening walk, and go after dark, when the lights are on.
Festive hotels
Raffles, The Fullerton, the Mandarin Oriental and the hotels of Orchard and Tanglin lay festive tables over Christmas and New Year. Book early: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are the busiest nights of the year.
Our advice: book directly with the hotel, and ask about the festive menus when you book your room.
Christmas Day
Christmas Day, Friday 25 December 2026, is one of Singapore’s gazetted public holidays (mom.gov.sg). Shops and restaurants open, but book ahead for anything special.
Questions and answers
Is Christmas a public holiday in Singapore?
Yes. Christmas Day, Friday 25 December 2026, is a public holiday (Ministry of Manpower).
When does the Orchard Road Christmas light-up start?
The organisers publish the dates on christmas.orchardroad.org; the 2025 edition ran from 8 November 2025 to 1 January 2026.
Join the conversation
Spending Christmas in Singapore? Share your favourite festive places and tips.
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Festive dates change each year. Check christmas.orchardroad.org and the hotels directly.