As a country composing of mostly Chinese inhabitants, Singapore has long been a place where much importance is attached to the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is a time for people to greet each other and express their gratitude. As friends, relatives, or business partners, they send moon cakes to each other to express their gracious greetings and good wishes.
The Mid-Autumn Festival falls annually on the fifteenth day of the eighth Chinese lunar month. In 2024, the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on September 17th (Tuesday).
Where to Celebrate Mid Autumn Festival 2024 – Events in Singapore
1. Mid-Autumn Festival 2024 at Gardens by The Bay
People can bring family and friends together to enjoy the beautiful lantern displays that will light up the Gardens in the evenings. On top of fringe activities during the weekends, live outdoor stage performances and a marketplace will also make a return this year, creating a vibrant atmosphere to celebrate the mid-autumn festivities!
Date: undecided
Time: 6pm - 10pm daily
Venue: the Gardens by the Bay
2. Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival 2024 Official Light-up
Chinatown will be unveiling a brand new street light display this year. You can bring your family to be a part of the official light-up and opening ceremony at 7 pm, and catch a front-row view of the beautiful lights on display.
Date: undecided
Time: 7pm – 10pm
Venue: Kreta Ayer Square, 21 Banda Street
3. Chinatown Mid Autumn Festival 2024 Lantern Painting Competition
For kids, the Lantern Painting Competition at Chinatown can be a great option to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. Organised by Kreta Ayer CC and the Chinatown Festival Committee, this lantern painting competition will be a fun-filled Mid-Autumn Festival 2023 event for the whole family.
Date: undecided
Time: 9am – 1pm
Venue: Chinatown Point, 133 New Bridge Road
4. Wan Qing Mid-Autumn Festival 2024
Produced by Taiwan's Kai 3D Art Studio, in collaboration with the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, Celestial Bodies is an outdoor installation comprising spherical lanterns featuring five of the artist's characters: Moon, Earth, Sun, Saturn and Mercury.
Date: undecided
Time: 10am – 9pm daily
Venue: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall
Mid Autumn Festival Traditions in Singapore
As most of the people in Singapore are of Chinese descent, many customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival are similar to those in China. However, there are some celebration activities that are unique to Singapore.
1. Hanging Lanterns
It's a tradition for Singaporean children to hang lanterns during the festival. Colorful lanterns are put up in many places around Singapore one or two weeks before the Mid-Autumn Festival. The most celebrated lantern fair is held by the Singapore River during the festival.
As night falls, with all the colorful lights on, Singapore takes on a new look, which is rare in other parts of the world.
Wish-making lanterns are also launched during the festival, attracting more young couples to participate. Lantern riddle-solving is another highlight of the festival.
2. Sending Colorful Mooncakes
The Mid-Autumn Festival is an ideal opportunity to express gratitude by sending mooncakes, especially for office workers, and a piece of well-decorated mooncakes is often enough to express one's feelings. Those who are fond of baking at home often bake mooncakes themselves and send some to their friends, relatives, and colleagues.
3. Seashore Party
Because of the proximity to the sea, some people will hold a moon-appreciating party on the beach. There are also colorful and dazzling LED lantern displays and mooncakes.
A full moon seemingly pops out from the sea and shines brightly on the water—it's an amazing sight. The bright moon lies behind the people while their families and friends are in front of them.
4. Wandering Bazaars
Every Mid-Autumn Festival's bazaar and carnival are attractive occasions. At night, most of the main streets, especially in Chinatown, will come alive with a plethora of stalls lining the streets and selling a wide variety of items including traditional and modern mooncakes, decorative ornaments, preserved fruits, potted plants, clothing, and more.
After dinner, people will take a leisurely stroll under the dazzling lantern displays or participate in the annual Mass Lantern Walk with various lanterns. Along the way are live performances, such as local dragon dance, and festive songs and dances.
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