Istana’s Labour Day and Hari Raya open house on May 1 to feature live performances, tours

As part of this year’s Hari Raya and Labour Day celebrations, the Istana will be open to the public on May 1, from 8.30am to 6pm.

Visitors can look forward to a series of live performances and participate in various activity booths at the Istana Open House (IOH).

From 10.15am to 4pm, visitors can catch band, dance and dikir barat performances by student groups from various educational institutions. The live performances will be spread between the Ceremonial Plaza, Main Tent and Reception Room. 

The Main Tent will also have activity booths featuring balloon sculpting, Chinese calligraphy, and henna painting.

There will also be F&B stalls, food trucks, as well as merchandise booths with limited-edition Istana souvenirs and President’s Challenge souvenirs, all of which will be located at the Main Tent and Rain Tent.

Guided tours of the Istana Main Building will be conducted from 9.30am to 5.00pm. During the tours, visitors can take a closer look at a collection of state gifts presented to Singapore’s leaders and view selected function rooms.

A Nature Guided Tour will also be conducted from 10.00am to 4.00pm for those interested in the Istana’s flora and fauna. 

All tours are limited to 15 people per group and will depart every 30 minutes. Tickets for the tours can be purchased at the Ceremonial Plaza at $4 per adult for Singapore citizens and PRs, $10 for foreigners, $2 for children between 4 to 12 years old and free for those below 4 years old. 

Self-guided tours are also available, costing $2 for both adults and children, while foreigners need to pay $10 per adult. 

Entrance to the Istana grounds will be free for Singapore citizens and PRs, while foreigners are required to pay $2 per adult and $2 for children between 4 to 12 years old, while children below 4 years old can enter for free.

Only cashless payments via the SGQR (a single QR code that combines multiple e-payment solutions into one) will be accepted at the IOH. 

All proceeds during the IOH will be donated towards charities supported by the President’s Challenge.