Lunar New Year in Singapore

Singapore celebrates Lunar New Year with more sustained intensity than most other cities in the region. The preparations start weeks early, the celebrations run for 15 days, and the infrastructure of the city genuinely shifts around the festival. Chinese New Year 2026 (Year of the Horse) falls on February 17-18, but Chinatown’s celebrations run from January 18 to March 18 – a much wider window than people expect. The street light-up and opening ceremony happens January 30. The countdown party at Kreta Ayer Square is the night before New Year’s Eve (February 16, from 10pm).

Chinatown

Chinatown is the obvious centre of things. The streets from Pagoda Street through New Bridge Road are strung with lanterns and decorated stalls selling seasonal food, plum blossom branches, and auspicious items themed for the Year of the Horse. The night market runs from two weeks before the new year; it’s crowded on weekends, very crowded. Go on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening if you want to actually browse the stalls rather than shuffle past them.

The Chinatown Heritage Centre on Pagoda Street is worth 90 minutes during this period for context on the history and social character of the neighbourhood. Temple Street and Ann Siang Hill are quieter alternatives to the main pedestrian strip.

The Food

Reunion dinner on New Year’s Eve is the most important meal of the Chinese calendar. Most restaurants are booked out by families. Hotels including Raffles and Marina Bay Sands offer special communal dinners with seats for non-guests; book well ahead.

Yu Sheng (Lo Hei) is the essential New Year dish – a raw fish salad with shredded vegetables, jellyfish, and condiments, tossed at the table with everyone using chopsticks to throw the ingredients as high as possible while calling out auspicious phrases. The higher the toss, the better the luck. It is chaotic, messy, and absolutely worth ordering.

Bak Kwa – dried barbecued pork, smoky and sweet – is sold at street stalls throughout Chinatown and the queues for the best producers (Lim Chee Guan, Bee Cheng Hiang) build by morning. Get there early.

Practical Notes

Singapore’s MRT runs extended hours during the main festivities; on New Year’s Eve the trains run all night. Traffic near Chinatown is heavily restricted. Use the MRT and walk – attempting to drive in this area during the festival period is a significant frustration.

Red envelopes (ang pow) containing small amounts of cash are given between relatives and to children by married adults. Visitors don’t need to participate, but receiving one from a host or colleague is a kind gesture; thank them and tuck it away rather than opening it immediately.

Staying

Raffles Hotel is the historic choice and runs special Lunar New Year programming. Marina Bay Sands has the most dramatic location relative to the fireworks and light shows visible from the waterfront. For better value, boutique hotels in the Tanjong Pagar and Keong Saik Road area put you within easy walking distance of Chinatown and offer substantially lower prices than the marina-facing properties.