Things to Do in Singapore 2025: Art, Exhibitions, Pop-Ups

Need something exciting to do in Singapore this month? Singapore might be a small country, but it is brimming with new openings, art exhibitions, pop-up stores, exciting promotions, live music, and performances. Keep up to speed on the latest in Singapore City with our monthly guide on fun things to do in the city. 

Things to Do in Singapore January 2025

Looking for things to do in Singapore in 2025? January has arrived, and so have a host of things to do: Chinese New Year cheer is in the air, a little early this year, and the feasting and celebrations have already begun. Between New Year dinners, yusheng tossings, and snack shopping, take some time out to visit the many Lunar New Year carnivals in Singapore this January: the highly anticipated Gardens by the Bay flower displays, River Hongbao, and festive activities at ION Orchard and more. It’s a busy month for the creative arts too: the Singapore Art Week is back, bringing with it the fan-favourite Light to Night series of digital installations around the Civic District. Drop by, snap some photos, and look towards a glittering year ahead.

P.S. If you’d like to be really prepared, check out our horoscope forecasts for the upcoming Year of the Wood Snake, with leading feng shui expert Adelina Pang.

Gardens by the Bay– “Mosaiculture” Comes To Singapore With A Madam White Snake-Themed Floral Garden

As its first display of 2025, Gardens by the Bay has revealed its ambitious attempt to bring the horticultural art form of “mosaiculture” to Singapore– a garden inspired by the legend of Madam White Snake, complete with a 4.5m tall, 26m-long sculpture of the heroine herself, blooming in time for the Lunar New Year. The display, as a homage to the myth, is a celebration of love, devotion, and hope.

This year’s Lunar New Year display, “Spring Blossoms”, involved collaboration between horticulturists from Gardens by the Bay and experts from Beijing Florascape, a renowned Chinese horticulture firm known for its work at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Mosaiculture, a complex horticultural art form which features the use of living plants in sculpture creation, is the star of the display– flowering sculptures of Madam White Snake’s loyal friend the Green Snake Xiaoqing, and Jixian Pavilion, a landmark of Hangzhou’s West Lake and backdrop of the tale, also appear as mosaiculture creations. Over 1000 dahlias are used in the sculptures and dotting the display, all grown in-house and including several new decorative variants.

The exhibit also features a 7m-tall replica of Leifeng Pagoda, where Madam White Snake was imprisoned for her love for a mortal man, in which two wooden models of Chinese pagodas are displayed: on loan from the Asian Civilisations Museum, they are historically significant as part of 84 pagodas showcased in the ACM’s new exhibition Pagoda Odyssey 1915: From Shanghai to San Francisco. For a limited time, Flower Dome ticket holders will enjoy complimentary admission to this exhibit: visit here for more information.

Gardens by the Bay’s Flower Dome is at 18 Marina Gardens Dr, Singapore 018953. To purchase tickets, visit here.

Culture Cartel - Over 80 Brands + Exclusive ASICS Limited Edition Collab and Gel-Kinetic Fluent Launch

Culture Cartel, Asia's street culture convention, returns for its fifth edition from 17 to 19 January 2025 at Singapore EXPO Hall 5. Spanning over 100,000 square feet, the largest venue to date, this year's event celebrates the theme ICONS Uprising, bringing together legends and rising stars in art, fashion, music, tattoos, and toys. With more than 80 brands, exclusive drops, workshops, panel discussions, and interactive exhibitions, this three-day celebration promises something for every street culture enthusiast.

ASICS takes centre stage with a booth designed to captivate attendees through creative installations, product showcases, and a trendy photo booth offering the chance to win exclusive merchandise. Highlights include a limited-edition collaboration with jewellery brand SYLK and Seoul-based AVEC BAG, blending ASICS’ philosophy of balance with SYLK’s storytelling approach. Only 100 pieces will be available, alongside on-site promotions, raffles, and special giveaways for visitors.

Adding to the excitement, ASICS will debut its GEL-KINETIC FLUENT sneaker, a blend of heritage design and advanced comfort technology, featuring Scutoid GEL and FF BLAST PLUS ECO cushioning. Priced at SGD 259, the sneaker will officially launch in February 2025 but will be previewed exclusively at Culture Cartel. We’ll see you there!

Buy your tickets here. 

River Hongbao 2025 – Singapore’s Highly Anticipated Chinese New Year Carnival Returns

Singapore’s most highly anticipated Lunar New Year event is back– River Hongbao returns with its 39th edition at Gardens by the Bay. With towering lantern sculptures featuring aspects of local and Chinese heritage, live performances, and a Lunar New Year carnival and food street, the annual event continues to wow visitors and bring Lunar New Year cheer to central Singapore.

This year’s River Hongbao is also a tribute to SG60– 60 years since Singapore’s independence. Besides the fan-favourite God of Fortune lantern sculpture, expect to see nostalgic set-pieces celebrating Singapore’s unique cultures and practices: the iconic Singapore breakfast and Lion Head Roller Coaster. Art and history exhibitions, like the “Greetings from Afar: Chinese Remittance Letters” exhibition, focusing on the experiences of early Chinese migrants in Singapore: the ancestors of many modern Singaporean Chinese, will also be there.

The Food Street, featuring local and foreign carnival bites like Muah Chee, Char Kway Sotong, Turkish Kebabs, Japanese Takoyaki and Korean Spicy Noodles, will entice lovers of festive food, while amusement rides like the Double-Storey Horse Carousel add to the atmosphere. If you’re at River Hongbao at midnight on Lunar New Year’s Day (28-29 January), don’t miss out on a countdown event that ends in spectacular firecracker displays.

River Hongbao is held at 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore 018953.

Lunar New Year Celebrations at Everyone’s Favourite Mall, ION Orchard

ION Orchard, the go-to shopping destination, invites visitors to celebrate the Lunar New Year in “花开扇语 A New Beginning Unfolds”, a celebration of prosperity and togetherness happening from 2 January to 12 February 2025. The mall’s Lunar New Year decorations include a backdrop with an opened fan, symbolising new beginnings,and mountain motifs that represent stability and grandeur, all in festive deep red.

For the festive season, scheduled performances have been brought to ION Orchard to heighten the Lunar New Year cheer: expect a roving God of Fortune handing out tokens of blessings to shoppers, vibrant and energetic Twin Lion Dances, and other festivities like the High Pole Lion Dance, Eight Lion Dance Cai Qing, and Dragon Dance. Additionally, from 4 January to 12 February 2025, shoppers can discover their fortunes for 2025 at the “Fortune of the Year” installation at Level 1 Atrium: find out what the year holds for you in luck, wealth, relationships, career and health. Among other exclusive offerings and rewards, shoppers will also receive auspicious greetings with a complimentary calligraphy experience.

ION+ Rewards Members get a little extra: receive a set of 8 red packets with fan motifs in a subtly luxurious gold-foil finish, available in two colours: chic red and bold orange. Members also get to redeem a custom mandarin orange carrier at ION Orchard, for all your Lunar New Year visiting needs.

ION Orchard is located at 2 Orchard Turn, Singapore 238801.

Cosford Container Park CNY WKND Market

The Chinese New Year WKND Market at Cosford Container Park, taking place over one weekend only on January 18-19, brings together local craft, retail, and food and beverage brands against seaside views on the East Coast.

Cosford Container Park, located just down the road from the laid-back Changi Village, opened in May 2024, making this their first Lunar New Year event. It’s been a hub for gastronomic delights and outdoor concerts, serving up treats like barbecued seafood, pizza and rooftop cocktails and hosting live sports viewings and gigs. Cosford Container Park’s monthly WKND Market event gets a festive twist this January with lion dance performances on January 18 and a snake charmer on January 19.

Bring your friends and family and pose for a portrait at Mel Portraits, pick up some Lunar New Year cookies at Phiang Delights, or pick up a pair of intricately designed clay flower earrings at Haeng Bok Clay. Why not refresh your wardrobe sustainably with curated vintage clothing from Unalome– specialising in quirky vintage T-shirts?

Cosford Container Park is located at 30 Cosford Road, Singapore 499550. 

Singapore Art Week 2025

It’s a busy month for the arts– Singapore’s biggest celebration of visual arts returns in Singapore Art Week 2025, held from 17 to 26 January. Each year brings local and international artists together in a display of light installations, performance art, visual art exhibitions, and creativity.

The Light to Night Singapore event brings outdoor art installations and light-ups to Singapore’s Civic District, including the famous light projection installation on the façade of the National Museum of Singapore. This year’s theme is “Do You See Me?”, which explores the ways in which we see ourselves and others.

Over at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, current home of the Singapore Art Museum, Sonic Sessions, a series of live performances by both local and international music artists spanning various genres, takes place over both weekends of the Singapore Art Week. Catch local indie-rock band Subsonic Eye (17 January, 8:30pm), experimental digital sounds and visuals by Bangkok-based artist duo SPIRIT ATS (17 January, 9:30pm), evocative “Geylang Crunk” DJs O$P$ (24 January, 5:30pm-10pm), and many more.

Aliwal Urban Arts Festival 2025

The Aliwal Arts Centre, located within the historic Kampong Glam district, is managed by non-profit organisation Arts House Limited. The centre hosts studios, workshops, and continues to promote the development of multi-disciplinary art in the region through the annual Urban Arts Festival, a gathering of traditional and urban art talents.

This year, the Urban Arts Festival returns with all the highlights, including the much-anticipated Live Graffiti Painting on the back wall of the centre, as well as a new, dedicated Aliwal Feature Wall. Participating artists include Thailand-based street artist Waris and award-winning local urban artist SPAZ– get to observe their creative processes, soak in the atmosphere, and be a little inspired yourself. There’ll be graffiti tryout workshops led by the Aliwal Arts Centre’s youth resident artists, where you’ll put your skills to use.

Other events at the festival include a Creators’ Market, skateboarding workshops, activities and a competition, and live music performances by experimental artists.

Aliwal Arts Centre is located at 28 Aliwal Street, Singapore 199918.

The Art Of Banksy: Without Limits

The world-famous street artist and film director Banksy’s exhibition remains open at 25 Scotts Road, and will be until the end of this month on 26 January 2025. The work of the anonymous artist has captivated audiences from around the world with its blend of street art and social commentary: prominent ones include the Flower Thrower installation, which appeared on a mural in the West Bank in 2003; the temporary art project Dismaland, a parodic theme park “unsuitable for children”, and “Girl With Balloon”, a series of poignant illustrations on walls around London.

Though the exhibition is unauthorised by Banksy himself, who remains dedicated to free and unofficial means of creating and sharing artwork, it remains an interesting look into Banksy’s life and work– much of it satirical, striking in imagery, and fun. The “Death of a Phonebooth” features a crumpled sculpture of a classic London telephone booth, and installations and prints of the now-defunct “Dismaland” bring it back to life. The show has toured in various cities across continents, and each iteration includes a unique, localised installation: if you’ve not seen Singapore’s, why not find out for yourself?

The Art Of Banksy: Without Limits is housed at Fever Exhibition Hall, 25 Scotts Road, Singapore 228220.