Istana open to public on Oct 24 for Deepavali celebrations

The Istana Open House (IOH) will return on Monday (Oct 24) in celebration of Deepavali.

Open to the public from 8.30am to 6pm, it will feature activity booths, guided tours and live performances.  

Activities such as balloon sculpting and candle-making will be held at the Centre Gate Tent and Main Tent respectively. Both activities will be open throughout the day. 

There will also be numerous student performances throughout the day.

At the Ceremonial Plaza, dance performances by students from Bowen, Punggol and Clementi Town Secondary Schools and NAFA School of Young Talents will be held from 10am to 4.30pm. 

Band performances by students from Xinmin Secondary School students and CHIJ Katong Convent will be held at the Main Tent from 10am to 10.45am and 11.45am to 12.30pm respectively. Visitors can also catch the musical performance by students from the NAFA School of Young Talents at the Main Building Reception Hall from 3.30pm to 4pm. 

Those interested in taking a closer look at a collection of State Gifts presented to Singapore’s President and Prime Minister can go on guided tours of the Istana Main Building. The tours will be conducted every 30 minutes from 9am to 2.30pm and 4.30pm to 5pm. 

Self-guided tours are also available for visitors who would prefer those instead. 

The self-guided tour for Singapore citizens and permanent residents (PR) will cost $2 per pax, and is free for children below four. Meanwhile, the guided tour will be $4 per pax for adults and $2 for children aged 4 to 12. 

For visitors interested in learning about the Istana’s flora and fauna, there is also a Nature Guided Tour of the enhanced Japanese Garden and the Inclusive Garden happening every hour from 10am to 4pm. The nature guided tour costs $4 for Singapore citizens and PRs, and $2 for kids 4 to 12.

The open house will feature food trucks from Goodburger and Halal food, drinks booths and an ice-cream booth from Udders. 

Limited-edition Istana souvenirs and President’s Challenge souvenirs will be available for sale at merchandise booths. All proceeds from the merchandise will go towards charities supported by the President’s Challenge. 

Entry to the Istana grounds is free for all Singapore Citizens and PRs. Other visitors will be required to pay an entrance fee of $2 per adult.

Visitors can enter the Istana grounds via the Main Gate at Orchard Road, located close to Dhoby Ghaut MRT station.