Singapore in January 2024 – Things To Do, Festivals, Events & Weather
In 2024, January is the month where the Chinese community in Singapore is ramping up the preparation for the Chinese New Year.
Even though the Chinese New Year holiday is on 10 and 11 February 2024 (Saturday & Sunday), street decorations and festive fair starts as early as the day after Christmas.
Read my article on Chinese New Year Events in Singapore.
If you’re visiting in January 2024, you will be able to soak in the Chinese New Year’s atmosphere, seeing the CNY light-ups, enjoying CNY snacks and goodies.
The best thing is, you don’t have to worry about shop closure in January. That’s because Chinese-operated shops usually only close during the actual Chinese New Year Period (which is on 10 & 11 Feb 2024).
Besides CNY-related activities, there are plenty of other events happenings in Singapore in the month of January 2024, such as Night to Light, ArtBox, and Flavours of Tomorrow. More details below.
Singapore’s Weather in January
January is in the Northeast Monsoon period, which has 2 phases: wet and dry.
The early part of January is in the Wet Phase, where there will be long rains with moderate to heavy intensity, accompanied with strong wind. Based on historical data between 1991 to 2020, it rains 13 days out of 31 days.
Meanwhile, the later part of January is in the Dry Phase. The rain frequency and intensity will be lesser compared to the earlier part of the month. And the best thing is, it will be relatively dry and windy!
I really love the windy season of Singapore! I love having a cool, but not wet season.
I recommend that you bookmark Singapore’s weather website, which is a very useful website to see current rain area & intensity, and to check the rain forecast for the next 4 days.
January’s temperature hovers between 24.3 to 30.6 degrees Celsius (75.7 to 87 degrees Fahrenheit). Generally, the temperature in Singapore doesn’t differ much from month to month.
In January, the sun rises between 7.06am (1 Jan) to 7.15am (31 Jan) and sunset occurs between 7.09pm (1 Dec) to 7.19pm (31 Jan).
Things to do in Singapore in January 2024
1. Visit Chinatown to see the Chinese New Year Light Up and Street Decorations
Chinatown is the epicenter of Chinese New Year in Singapore. It’s where you can see the street light-up and decorations, buy bak kwa, pomelo and other CNY necessities.
This year’s CNY theme is “Soaring Into The Auspicious Dragon Year”. You can Read my article on Chinese New Year at Chinatown.
Date: 19 January 2024 to 9 March 2024
Admission: Free
Address: New Bridge Road, Eu Tong Sen, South Bridge Road and Upper Cross Street.
2. Dahlia Dreams at Gardens by the Bay
To celebrate the Year of Dragon, the Flower Dome conservatory will feature a 7m-tall dragon that stretches over 15m in length rising amids amidst more than a thousand dahlias.
There will also be 4 colorful dragon lantern sets, each symbolizing the elements of metal, water, fire, and earth.
Read my article on Dahlia Dreams at Gardens by the Bay.
Date: 19 January 2024 to 17 March 2024
Admission: From S$18 onwards (include Supertree)
Address: 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953
3. Ice Magic: Winter Wonderland
Ice Magic: Winter Wonderland is Asia’s largest touring pop-up winter playground. This winter wonderland takes place at Bayfront Event Space, from 9 December 2023 to 21 January 2024.
Spanning an impressive 3,000 square meters, this year’s installment includes a towering 6-meter snow slope, a two-lane ice slide, mesmerizing ice sculptures, family-friendly rides and games, along with diverse food establishments offering delectable winter-themed culinary delights and beverages.
Date: 9 December 2023 to 21 January 2024
Admission: From S$29 onwards
Address: Bayfront Event Space
4. Light to Night
Light to Night 2024 is a festival organised by National Gallery Singapore which showcases art installations, light projection, exhibitions, live performances festival market, as well as activities in the Civic District, from museums to malls.
Date: 19 January 2024 to 8 February 2024
Admission: Free
Location: Various places in Civic District
5. Flavours of Tomorrow Festival
Flavours of Tomorrow Festival is Singapore’s first alternative food festival that will redefine Singaporeans’ gastronomic journey through groundbreaking sustainable food creations aimed to create positive impact on the environment.
Expect to be surprised with a huge lineup of innovative food, such as plant-based chicken Kebabs by Shandi Global, Masterchef SG-owned restaurant – Paan Kitchen, Singapore’s first oat milk featuring its dairy-free ice cream – Oatside, and many others!
Date: 20 & 21 January 2024, 10am – 8pm
Admission: Free; food can be purchased during the festival
Location: Teletech Park, Singapore Science Park 2, 20 Science Park Road, Singapore 117674
6. ARTBOX Singapore 2024
Artbox Singapore 2024 is one of Singapore’s biggest indoor festivals featuring over 100 F&B and retail stalls.
This year’s theme is Avenue. Held at Singapore Expo Hall 2, the entire 105,000 sq ft of the hall will turn into a city of its own, with streets representing the US, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Thailand.
In addition, there will be live performances, IG-worthy spots, as well as games and competitions.
Date: 26 to 28 January 2024 and and 2 – 4 February 2024, 12pm – 11 pm
Admission: From S$6
Location: Singapore Expo Hall 2, 1 Expo Dr, Singapore 486150
7. Wan Qing Festival of Spring 2024
Wan Qing Festival of Spring 2024, hosted at the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall from 16 Jan to 25 Feb 2024, offers a diverse range of programs, including workshops, performances and tours.
For families seeking an engaging Lunar New Year celebration, the event also feature storytelling and craft activities for children.
Date: 16 January 2024 to 25 February 2024
Admission: Free for Singaporeans & Permanent Residents; S$8 for foreign residents and tourists
Location: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall
8. Thaipusam Festival 2024
Thaipusam is a Hindu festival celebrated on the full moon day in the Tamil month of Thai. It is celebrated in the honour of Lord Subramaniam (also known as Lord Murugan), the destroyer of evil who represents virtue, youth and power.
During the festival, Hindu devotees will walk about 4km from Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple (on Serangoon Road) to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple (on Tank Road). To participate, devotees need to do online registration on Thaipusam.sg website.
The procession starts from 11.30pm on 24 Jan 2024 at Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple, and all devotees have to complete their walk/ vows and reach Sri Thendayuthapani Temple by 11pm on Thaipusam Day which is 25 Jan 2024.
During the procession, devotees will be carrying a statue of the Lord Murugan, milk pot offerings (paal kudam), and kavadis (ceremonial devices used for religious self mortification in Hinduism).
Non-devotees can watch the procession by standing behind the barricades along the procession route. Registration is not required for non-devotees. It’s recommended to watch it early in the morning of 25 Jan 2024.
Date: 24 & 25 January 2024
Admission: From S$20 onwards to participate; Free to watch
Address: From Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple (SSPT) to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple (STT)
What else to do in Singapore
If you haven’t yet, I highly recommend that you read my guide on the best things to do in Singapore. In that article, you’ll find 60+ ideas to make your trip to Singapore a memorable one.
If you have any questions about traveling in Singapore, join All About Singapore Travel Facebook group and post your questions there to get a faster response from me and other members.
