Things to do in Singapore at Night

By Dom Bewley
Published: July 18, 2024
Things to do in Singapore at Night

The night. The mysterious time of the day when the light fades away, and things tend to go bump on a regular basis. To some, the absence of life brings the horror of our mortality to life. They go inside, turn on the lights, and pray for daybreak. Some of them sleep too. That's pretty useful. But to the rest of us, the night is just the beginning. It's our time to shine. To those of you out there who call the darkness home, we salute you. And we're here for you.

Even on vacation, our penchant for the shadows cannot be sated. We flourish when others flounder. We head out into the night to find fun, where many dare not. We sleep during the day...because we have to sleep sometime. So, what can you do if you're a night owl in Singapore? Well, read on and discover our picks of the best things to do in Singapore at night! Cue thunder, lightning, and cackling.

Including:

  • Gardens by the Bay
  • CÉ LA VI SkyBar at Marina Bay Sands
  • Raffles Courtyard and Long Bar
  • Wings of Time
  • Marina Bay Night Bicycle Tour
  • and more!
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See night wonders at Gardens by the Bay

Let's kick things off with some greenery. Gardens of the Bay is not only Singapore's most famous green space; it's also one of the most recognizable on the planet. Featuring millions of plants across multiple climates, it's the perfect place to reconnect with nature.

But when the sun goes down, you'll discover something even more amazing there - the Garden Rhapsody. And what is that? Well, it's the best light and music show you'll ever see in a park! Thanks to the park's Supertrees, you'll be treated to a light show that seems to move the trees along to the music. It's all smoke and mirrors, of course, merely a trick of the light. But it's one of the most impressive tricks of light you're ever likely to witness.

So if you're looking for things to do in Singapore at night, the Garden Rhapsody is arguably the most awe-inspiring. And, with two shows every night, you'll always find time to check it out.

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Get rooftop vibes at CÉ LA VI SkyBar at Marina Bay Sands

On Singapore's warm evenings, one of the best things to do in the city is have a refreshing drink. Want to appreciate some of the best views in the city while you sip? Do it all at a rooftop bar!

Enter CÉ LA VI, Singapore's premier rooftop bar at Marina Bay Sands. Step off the elevator on the 57th floor, and you'll get VIP views along with VIP treatment. And yes, that means you'll be skipping the queue straight into the VIP bar! But we're not done yet, because you'll also get a free drink on us! Sublime.

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Or vibe on ground level at Raffles Courtyard and Long Bar

However, if heights leave you squirming, or the heavens have opened up, why not try the drier, terra firma delights at Long Bar at Raffles?

You'll still be treated to stunning surroundings, thanks to the swaying palms and majestic white arches that adorn the hotel's courtyard. You'll still get excellent service from Raffles' award-winning staff. And you'll still get a complimentary drink - of course, none other than the country's favorite 'Singapore Sling'.

And hey, if you want to stay for longer, you'll get to pick from dozens of refreshing offerings on their eye-opening menu.

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Be dazzled at the Wings of Time

For more song and light shenanigans, head to Singapore's premier hotspot, Sentusa's, for pyrotechnics with a plot!

At the Wings of Time, through light, sound, song, and fireworks, you'll follow the story of Shahbaz, a bird from long ago, as he tries to find his way home. He and his friends explore human progress through the millennia, from the Pyramids to the Industrial Revolution. And all of this translates to one of the most dazzling spectacles you'll find in Singapore, one that lights up the night sky with a rainbow of colors.

An unmissable experience, Wings of Time is one of the best things to do in Singapore when the sun goes down.

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Explore Singapore by night on a Marina Bay Night Bicycle Tour

If you want to see some of Singapore's most prominent landmarks, then you needn't do it during the day. Thanks to this nighttime bike tour of Marina Bay, you can still tick plenty off your itinerary.

With an experienced tour guide in tow, you'll pass plenty of Singapore's blissful landmarks, from the Gardens of the Bay to the SuperTrees, and along the Kallang River. And if you want to know more about each place, your guide will be more than happy to drop some knowledge bombs on your trip.

Traveling around Singapore at night almost feels like another world, so if you're a night owl, get on your bike and get peddling!

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See sleepy - and not so sleepy - animals on a Night Safari

If you wonder what other creatures share your night owl status, then where better to meet them than on an evening safari? With a rare chance to see what happens in the animal kingdom when the sun goes down, this night safari is one of the best things to do in Singapore at night!

The park features four zones; Leopard Trail, Wallaby Trail, Fishing Cat Trail, and East Lodge Trail. And each zone houses a myriad of different species that can happily co-exist. So don't worry, it's nothing like Jurassic Park.

And within each zone, you'll find plenty of animal favorites like lions, leopards, Malaysian tapirs, hippos, tigers, hyenas, otters, and bears. Even the adorable - and sadly incredibly endangered - pangolins are lurking about somewhere, waiting for their moment in the camera. See if you can find them.

And those are our picks of the best things to do in Singapore at night! Looking for some more fun activities and attractions to grace your vacation's sunny days? Go City's got you covered. With our Explorer Pass and All-Inclusive Pass, you can pick and choose the best of Singapore for one low price.

Dom Bewley
Go City Travel Expert

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Unmissable Singapore summer events

Don’t let the occasional midday thunderstorm put you offer exploring Singapore over the summer. The months of June, July and August are some of the least popular of the year. Yet, they are arguably the best when it comes to soaking up the city state’s culture thanks to a wide array of Singapore summer events. So why not take advantage of the great low season accommodation and flight deals on offer by travel companies and experience Singapore at its most alive? It would be foolish not to! Early summer events in Singapore Starting in May and continuing on into June, Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) is the first annual Singapore summer event of the season. A mixture of local and international acts, it’s an event no culture lover will want to miss. Theater shows, gallery exhibitions, music and dance are all part of the show, which features around 60 individual performances. Usually taking over the reins as SIFA comes to an end is the four-week Great Singapore Sale. An unabashed celebration of all things retail, head to participating stores for bargains galore. The obvious place to head is probably Orchard Road because of its huge number of malls. But even smaller stores in and around Chinatown and Little India get in on the action. There’s simply no excuse for failing to update your wardrobe after a Little India Puzzle Hunt. Alternatively, you can de-stress after the event with an authentic tea appreciation experience in Chinatown. Also developing out of Singapore’s Chinese heritage is June’s Dragon Boat Festival. Known for the ferocity and speed of these rowing races, they are entered by teams who train throughout the year. They battle it out on the Kallang River, whose banks are almost always packed with crowds. Look out for spectators throwing rice dumplings in silk or banana leaves into the water to appease the river gods. This links back to the race’s origins – an attempt to rescue a minister in ancient China who dived into a river to highlight corruption. August Singapore events Marina Bay has a whole host of year-round attractions, from the Gardens by the Bay Flower Dome and Cloud Forest to night bicycle tours. In August, it becomes the center of attention for the celebrate of National Day on the ninth. It marks Singapore’s independence – not from the UK but from its short-lived federation with Malaysia. Beyond an address by the prime minister, big events include the National Day Parade. The parade sees the great and the good descend on The Float@Marina Bay. Before it even begins spectators can expect a variety of performances, ranging from songs by local school choirs to parachute jumps. Meanwhile, the parade itself sees military units and community groups like the scouts proudly marching to the sound of band music. This is followed by a 45-minute live show which culminates in a spectacular firework display over the bay. Elsewhere, National Day provides a rare chance (there’s only five each year) for a guided tour of the Istana – the official residence of the president of Singapore. A couple of weeks later it’s the turn of Singapore Food Festival. Over its three decades, this festival has brought the country’s diverse cuisine front and center. Whether its traditional nyonya cookery (to name just one), contemporary creations or culinary innovation you’re after, your tastebuds are going to have one hell of a party. There are normally 70 experiences to pick between, from Singapore’s famed chili crab and kopi coffee, to special dishes created just for the event. Food also plays are part in August’s Hungry Ghost Festival. Originating with the country’s Buddhist and Taoist populations, the festival honors the dead. Families leave food and gifts at the graves of their ancestors, whilst communities hold concerts to appease the other worldly. If you attend one, be sure not to sit in the front row, which is left empty for the ghosts to get a prime viewing position. Nighttime summer events in Singapore You’ll have to wait until the start of autumn for Formula One’s night race in Singapore. However, night owls still have more than enough to entertain them after dark in Singapore in summer. For one thing, there’s Singapore Night Festival. Singapore’s version of the ‘white night’ festivities which take place across the globe, the festival’s focal point is downtown’s Bras Basah Bugis district. Incorporating a mix of free summer events and paid performances, highlights include the area’s iconic buildings being lit up by light shows aiming to dazzle both young and old. Join the crowds on Armenian Street, Fort Canning Park or Capitol to be at the heart of the action. If you miss it, don’t forget that many of Singapore’s big attractions welcome evening visits, including Night Safari. The first after dark zoo in the world, it’s home to almost one thousand animals from over 100 species. Tigers, Asian elephants, Indian rhinos and a magnitude of other animals can all be admired in open-air enclosures. They are lit with lights mimicking moonlight, so visitors are able to see just how these animals behave after hours. Nightfall is also integral to our last highlighted Singapore summer event – i Light Singapore. Taking place back in Marina Bay, this sustainable light festival showcases the work of light artists from right around the world. And whilst it aims to promote sustainable energy habits, no one can deny that it’s a phenomenal spectacle. Save on your trip to Singapore this summer Singapore is known for its exquisite hotels (hello Raffles!), billionaire worthy penthouse apartments and top-notch cuisine. But there are also plenty of ways to save. Travel with Go City and you can save big on admission to many of the country’s top attractions. Our All-Inclusive and Explorer passes make it astonishingly easy to visit everything from museums and galleries to tea houses and zoos without worrying about how much you’re spending. And that means more cash to devote to the myriad of Singapore summer events which take place each year!
Alex Birungi
The iconic Raffles Hotel in Singapore.
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The Best Singapore Landmarks and Must Dos

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Singapore Botanic Gardens To describe this sprawling 200-acre oasis of vibrant tropical flora as ‘mature gardens’ would be something of an understatement. Here since 1859, it's the only tropical garden on the planet to have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To understand why, simply breathe in the heady scents of the Ginger Garden, enjoy a moment of quiet reflection on the shores of Swan Lake or take a stroll to the picture-postcard bandstand. Don’t miss the park’s star attraction: the National Orchid Garden with its thousands of powerfully scented and eye-poppingly gorgeous blooms. Spectra at Marina Bay Sands Marina Bay Sands Resort, one of Singapore’s most recognizable landmarks, is pretty spectacular in its own right, with its trio of soaring skyscrapers topped with a space-age observation deck and vast infinity pool. The Spectra light and water show really puts on the ritz though, with visual projections, mist effects, lasers and a rousing orchestral symphony that dazzle audiences nightly. Experience it from the plaza, or get a stunning bird’s eye view from the resort’s SkyPark observation platform, a knee-knocking 57 floors up. Lau Pa Sat No visit to Singapore would be complete without hitting up a hawker center to sample some of the finest street food in Asia. And Lau Pa Sat in the Central Business District is among the very best. One of the finest historical landmarks in Singapore, this beautifully restored octagonal Victorian market building oozes old-world Singapore charm, with a decorative internal cast-iron frame that’s filled with the heady scents of zingy chili crab, fragrant Hainanese chicken and, of course, the mother of all Singapore street-food snacks: delectable skewers of chargrilled pork smothered in sticky peanut satay sauce. Unmissable. Singapore Zoo Frequently cited as one of the best things to do in Singapore (and certainly one of the most popular), Singapore Zoo is well worth the day trip. Zones here include a rainforest inside a massive biodome, home to thousands of critters including cute golden lion tamarin monkeys, two-toed sloths and all manner of colorful amphibians and birdlife. Head to the plains of Wild Africa where you might spot a shy white rhino or inquisitive giraffe, and meet regal horned lizards, king cobras, panther chameleons and electric blue geckos in the epic RepTopia reptile house. Sentosa Cable Car There are a few ways to reach Sentosa, the tiny tropical island just off Singapore’s south coast, but none quite as fun as the cable car. Soaring 200 feet above sea level, this 15-minute journey is a Singapore must-do, with views of Sentosa’s beaches and lush foliage as you cross. This is a thrill ride with a gentle pace that limbers you up for the somewhat more high octane entertainments – rollercoasters, bungee ropes, sky-high swings – that you’ll encounter on arrival. You can even have dinner and drinks on board a private cable car as you and your partner take in the sunset views over three courses. Fear not: two round-trip rotations of the circuit ensure there’s no need to rush dessert. Raffles Hotel They don’t come much more iconic than this 19th-century grande dame hotel, one of the most historical landmarks in Singapore. Stop by the Raffles Hotel to admire its pristine colonial-style architecture and, perhaps more importantly, to sample a Singapore Sling, the fruity tropical cocktail that was invented right here more than a century ago. You’ll be in good company, too: Raffles has hosted a who’s who of ultra-glam stars down the years: Elizabeth Taylor, Christian Louboutin, Rudyard Kipling and Queen Elizabeth II, to name-drop just a few. Chin chin! Punggol Waterway Park Punggol Waterway Park in the northeast of the island is an Instagram addict’s dream come true, all weird, wonderful and outright wacky bridges, spanning wetlands that teem with native wildlife. Seek out the Sunrise Bridge for its photogenic pillarbox-red railings and long, snaking walkway and grab your perfect sunset selfie on the Jewel Bridge with its distinctive dome. Add to this some incredible waterfront views, a sand-and-water play zone for the kids and a peaceful therapeutic garden and you’ve got everything you need for a divine day out. Buddha Tooth Relic Temple Discover the tooth, the whole tooth and nothing but the tooth at the pagoda-style Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in downtown Singapore. Whether the main event here – a 7.5cm-long tooth displayed in a huge golden stupa – actually originated from the mouth of the Buddha is a matter we'll leave to your discretion, but there’s plenty to enjoy in the intricate and colorful architecture here, even for non-believers. Henderson Waves Bridge Not to be outdone by the funky bridges in Punggol Park Waterway, the Southern Ridges trail on the island’s south coast features the highest – and quite possibly most extraordinary – pedestrianized bridge in Singapore. We’re talking of course about Henderson Waves, a striking landmark with undulating steel ribs that snake over and under the walkway, creating a quite stunning work of art to connect Mount Faber Park to Telok Blangah Hill Park over the busy Henderson Road 36 meters below. Look out for colorful tropical critters including red-whiskered bulbuls, banded bay cuckoos and orange-bellied flowerpeckers along the way. Kampong Glam Kampong Glam is one of Singapore’s hippest ‘hoods, where the glorious golden dome of the Sultan Mosque rises like a shining beacon over the surrounding labyrinth of streets and alleyways. Arab Street is a must-visit for its seemingly timeless antique stores. These great cavernous treasure troves heave with Turkish handicrafts and goods including intricate textiles, ceramics and mosaic lanterns. Head to Sifr Aromatics’ fabulous Arab Street perfume emporium to design your own unique scents and take them home in delicate colored-glass bottles. Gardens by the Bay Last but certainly not least, Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay are recognized the world over for their magnificent glass hothouses (designed to look but thankfully not smell like overgrown durian fruits), and the futuristic Supertree Grove with its towering structures that are festooned with plantlife. Get up close to these supersized trees on a stroll around the elevated walkway that connects them, and come back after dark to see them lit up in all their glory at the hugely entertaining light and music show. Save on attractions and activities in Singapore Save on admission to Singapore attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak

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