Fancy a visit to our famed Istana? On 28 July 2024, members of the public will be able to visit the grounds during its National Day open house.
From 8.30am to 6pm, visitors will be allowed entry into the Istana, and will be able to enjoy live performances, activities and tours of the ground.
Activities to enjoy
This year, it has been reported that National Day-themed activities such as Singapore flag, and Merlion magnets creation will be available. Games such as bean bag tossing are also slated to be organised.
As with all Singaporean events, in line with one of our national activities, there will be food stalls around the grounds, to cater to our ever-demanding appetite.
Several schools will also see their students performing for visitors. They will also be accompanied by performances from local artists and performers from the People’s Association Talents and the Eurasian Association of Singapore.
Guided tours of the main building will be available from 9.30am to 5pm, where visitors will be able to view some of the rooms in the Istana building, and the various gifts that world leaders have gifted to our leaders
Tours for the rest of the Istana compound will be held from 10am to 4pm, allowing visitors to explore the beautiful Istana garden. There will also be an option for visitors to enjoy self-guided tours of the compound.
Previous renditions of Istana open house days have seen merchandise booths with limited-edition Istana souvenirs.
While there has been no official statement on the Istana website yet, visitors can take reference from the guidelines set out for the previous Istana open house that was held in April this year, in celebration of Hari Raya Puasa.
Admission into the Istana would only be via the Main Gate along Orchard Road. There will be security checks, so do refrain from bringing in any pointed or sharp objects. Tripods and canned items are also not allowed.
In the event of inclement weather, the open house may be suspended or cancelled.
As for rules within the Main Building, the consumption of food and drinks is prohibited. Additionally, there are also no restroom facilities open to the public within the Main Building.
Anyway there should be no reason you would have to pee once inside the building since you should not be drinking anything inside!
Visitors have also not been allowed to take any photos within the building. The tour has also generally been restricted to the first floor, although no updates have been given for the upcoming open house.
For the National Day open house, there will be no entry fee for Singaporean citizens, permanent residents and their caregivers.
Visitors to our island nation would have to pay $20 per adults, and $10 for children between 4 and 12. Children under the age of four would enjoy free admission.
Additional fees apply for entry to the main building and guided tours. Citizens and permanent residents will be charged between $2 and $4, while other visitors will be charged between $2 and $20.
All proceeds from the open house will go to charities supported by the President’s Challenge.
Do note that no cash payments will be accepted.
