Practical box
- Transport
- Singapore MRT runs extended hours on CNY Eve. The Chinatown MRT station drops you at the festival. Grab with 1.5x surge on the holidays themselves.
- Costs
- Hotels in central Singapore SGD 380-950 per night during CNY, around 2x off-peak. Street food at Chinatown SGD 5-15 per dish. Chingay tickets SGD 30-95.
- Safety on the night
- Singapore is genuinely safe. The festival crowds are well-managed. The only risk is the dense MRT and Chinatown crowds, where movement gets difficult after 19:00.
- Dress
- Tropical (24 to 28°C overnight). Red is the traditional CNY color. Smart casual at the Marina Bay Sands events.
- Ticketing
- Chingay tickets via SISTIC. Chinatown free entry. River Hongbao free entry. MBS fireworks free viewing.
Where to go on the night
The named venues and zones that anchor the event. Prices are peak-night, paid at the door or for an advance ticket. Outside the event week these same venues run at a fraction of the cost.
Chinatown Street Festival
Singapore's main CNY event. The Chinatown grid (Pagoda Street, Trengganu Street, Smith Street) closes for the 3-week pre-CNY street market with food stalls, traditional Chinese crafts, lion dances, and the central Eu Tong Sen Street stage.
Where
Chinatown, around Pagoda Street and Eu Tong Sen Street
From
Free
Chingay Parade
Asia's largest annual street parade. The Chingay Parade on February 13-14 (the weekend before CNY) draws around 200,000 attendees to Marina Bay with floats, performers from across Asia, and the F1 Pit Building staging.
Where
F1 Pit Building, Marina Bay
From
SGD 30-95 per ticket
River Hongbao Festival
The 17-day light-and-music festival at The Float at Marina Bay with giant illuminated zodiac lanterns, nightly performances, food stalls, and fireworks. The cinematic Singapore CNY photo.
Where
The Float at Marina Bay (or Gardens by the Bay)
From
Free entry
Marina Bay Sands fireworks
Marina Bay Sands runs the official Singapore CNY fireworks display from the SkyPark on the eve of February 16. Free public viewing from the Marina Bay promenade.
Where
Marina Bay Sands SkyPark
From
Free
Singapore's Polished CNY
Singapore runs the most polished Chinese New Year programming of any Southeast Asian destination. The infrastructure: Chinatown's pedestrian-only street festival, the Chingay Parade (Asia's largest annual parade), the River Hongbao Festival at Marina Bay, and the Marina Bay Sands fireworks. The Singapore government and the Chinese-Singaporean community (74 percent of the country's population is ethnic Chinese) coordinate the official 17-day festival.
Chinese New Year falls on Tuesday February 17, 2026. Singapore observes February 17 and February 18 as public holidays. The Chinatown grid (Pagoda Street, Trengganu Street, Smith Street, Eu Tong Sen Street) closes to traffic for the 3-week pre-CNY street market with food stalls, traditional Chinese crafts (lanterns, calligraphy, dried foods, red envelopes), lion dances every 30 minutes, and the central stage on Eu Tong Sen Street.
The Chingay Parade
The Chingay Parade is Asia's largest annual street parade. The 2026 parade runs February 13-14 (the weekend before CNY) at the F1 Pit Building near Marina Bay. Around 200,000 attendees, multi-cultural-Singaporean theme (Chinese, Malay, Indian, Eurasian), floats and performers from across Asia. Tickets SGD 30-95 per person via SISTIC. The cheaper grandstand seats sell out by mid-November.
River Hongbao at Marina Bay
The 17-day light-and-music festival at The Float at Marina Bay (or Gardens by the Bay, alternating years). Giant illuminated zodiac lanterns (the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, scaled to 6-12 meters tall), nightly performances on the floating stage, food stalls, fireworks. Free entry. The cinematic Singapore CNY photo with Marina Bay Sands and the lit lanterns in the foreground. Runs from CNY Eve through the Lantern Festival.
Marina Bay Sands Fireworks
Marina Bay Sands runs the official Singapore CNY fireworks display from the SkyPark on the eve of February 16. Free public viewing from the Marina Bay promenade. The display lasts around 15 minutes and is broadcast on Channel 5. Best viewing positions: the Promontory at Marina Bay, the Helix Bridge, the Marina Bay Sands waterfront promenade.
Practical Singapore CNY Numbers
Hotels in Marina Bay SGD 450 to SGD 1,200 per night during CNY, around 2x off-peak. Chinatown SGD 280-580. Orchard SGD 380-950. The premium properties (Marina Bay Sands, Raffles Hotel, the St. Regis Singapore) at SGD 850 to SGD 2,200. Book by mid-December. Singapore MRT runs extended hours on CNY Eve with normal fares. Grab with 1.5x surge on the holidays themselves. February overnight temperatures at 24 to 28°C; light tropical clothing.
Where to stay in Singapore during Chinese New Year
Rooms in the core event neighborhoods sell out months ahead and run double the off-peak rate. The map below shows what's still available within walking distance of the action.
Year-round context for Singapore
This page covers the event week specifically. For the broader picture, legal framework, nightlife districts, and year-round venues, see the main TDG Singapore city page and Singapore country guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
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