When Singapore turns on its lights, get ready for a night of magical experiences and ethereal art installations.
The master of ceremonies is Marina Bay Sands, the luxurious integrated resort that placed Singapore on the map for travelers from across the world.
Light and water shows turn Marina Bay into a fairy-tale playground while the light and music performances at Gardens by the Bay make the SuperTree Grove surface out of the dark as an enchanted forest.
As all good event managers know, rain showers have to be taken into consideration when planning outdoor entertainment for guests. And make no mistake, Marina Bay Sands always treats you like a guest of honor. They anticipate any situation and plan accordingly, all to make sure that you’re having fun in Singapore’s most visited area.
Since rainfalls in Singapore are plentiful, there’s a couple of indoor light and music installations that might boost your mood even on gloomier days: a fun interactive dance floor and a magical exhibition that blends art, design, and technology to create a unique sensorial experience.
4 Amazing Light and Music Shows in Singapore
1. “Spectra – A Light & Water Show” at Marina Bay Sands
Spectra is the most stunning light and water show in Singapore and a must-have experience when visiting “The Lion City”.
Dramatic music plays in perfect coordination with fantastic light and water effects, together creating one ethereal night show in Marina Bay.
The good news is I managed to capture a part of this Light & Water Show on video, so turn the volume up, press play, and let yourself be amazed. Don’t know about you, but I get serious goosebumps each time I watch this video.
Where and When to See the Light & Water Show in Singapore
“Spectra – A Light & Water Show” is the full name of the event and it’s held every night, in front of Marina Bay Sands Hotel, on the wooden deck outside the mall – Event Plaza, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.
There are two Marina Bay light shows held every night, with a third one added on Fridays and Saturdays, but please check their website before you go as holidays might affect this schedule.
Sunday – Thursday: 8 p.m., 9 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 8 p.m., 9 p.m., 10 p.m.
Things to know before you go see the Light & Water Show at Marina Bay
The night show is free, therefore coming early for “a front row seat” is recommended, as people tend to gather around the deck 20 minutes before the show starts.
Spectra Light and Water Show is 15 minutes long, so make sure you’re on time because all four acts of this visual extravaganza are simply amazing to watch.
If you’re spending at least two nights in Singapore, you can take a walk around Marina Bay to view the show from the opposite side.
We had dinner at OverEasy, a restaurant close to Merlion fountain, and got the chance to admire the light projections on the ArtScience Museum, The Shoppes, and Marina Bay Sands Hotel, a splendid experience since these too are part of the show.
You can still hear the music played in the background from this viewpoint, but the experience isn’t as exciting as when you’re standing up close and getting splashed during the mesmerizing water effects. And yes, the blur in the video was sometimes caused by water drops and splashes on my lenses.
As the night falls, Merlion Fountain also comes to life in rainbow colors. At some point, I got the impression that the light effects on the Merlion were coordinated with the Light and Water Show at Marina Bay Sands.
2. Garden Rhapsody, the SuperTree Light and Music Show at Gardens by the Bay
The very first thing I wanted to do when we arrived in Singapore was to see the futuristic SuperTree Grove at Gardens by the Bay.
Since Garden Rhapsody Night Show is one of the best times to visit the SuperTree Grove, we hopped on the metro and headed to one of the best viewpoints: the promenade by the lake, next to the Dragonfly bridge. Later on, we discovered other viewpoints while wandering the area.
Best Spots To Watch the SuperTree Light Show
– From above, on the skywalk of Marina Bay Sands Hotel,
– On the promenade by the Dragonfly Lake, at the park entrance between Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay,
– In the middle of the grove, under the Super Trees, on the lawn around them,
– On the OCBC Skyway, the skywalk connecting the Super Trees.
Garden Rhapsody is a magical experience, no matter where you view it from. The light show at Gardens by the Bay makes the Super Trees come to life in a myriad of colors, like an enchanted forest just rose from the dark.
It was such a wonderful experience that we went to see the night show three times during our 5 days stay in Singapore, so here’s another thing you shouldn’t miss when visiting “The City of the Future”.
We only had time for the first two viewpoints, but we’re surely going to experience the show from the other two on our next trip to Singapore.
Tickets and Schedule for Gardens by the Bay Light Show
The show is held every night, at 7.45 p.m. and 8.45 p.m., and it’s free for two of the viewpoints. Come early to catch a good spot on the skywalk at Marina Bay Sands Hotel or on the lawn around the Super Trees as both places tend to be a bit crowded during the performance.
This light and music show at Gardens by the Bay is free, although there are some tickets involved during the most beautiful time of the year – Christmas.
Since we visited Singapore in December, we had to pay a ticket for Winter Wonderland (6 SGD), the Christmas Fair built inside the grove, in order to enjoy the light show below the Super Trees.
Except for this month between December and January, when the fair is organized in the grove, the entire park at Gardens by the Bay is free to visit. Still, you’ll need tickets to enter the two plant conservatories and the SuperTree skywalk.
The viewpoints at the promenade by the lake and the skywalk of Marina Bay Sands Hotel are free to enjoy and offer a bird’s eye view of the light show at Gardens by the Bay.
You also have to pay a ticket to watch the show from the OCBC Skyway, if weather allows it; we couldn’t see the show from the gorgeous skywalk because it rained every day of our trip to Singapore. Well, except for the first day, when we didn’t know how to get up there yet.
Find additional information about the light and music show at Gardens by the Bay on their website.
3. “Future World” Exhibition at ArtScience Museum in Singapore
Created by teamLab, a group of interdisciplinary designers, “Future World” is the best example of an interactive design I’ve experienced so far, not to mention a must-visit attraction for visual arts aficionados traveling to Singapore.
Magic, Art, Science – these are the main ingredients of this unique exhibition that offers a three-dimensional sensorial experience: visual delight, fun tactile interactions, and soothing tracks featuring nature sounds.
The art installation unfolds within four rooms, each with its own theme, and there are also some interesting playgrounds for kids to enjoy.
We spent an hour and a half here, admiring all the stunning displays, taking photos, and summoning our inner children to come out and play. It’s not the first interactive museum we’ve visited, but it’s surely the most stunning one.
Tickets and Schedule for “Future World” Exhibition
The exhibition costs 18 SGD for adult travelers, and the last visit starts at 5.30 p.m. ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands is open every day, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., but you can find more about it on their website.
If you want to learn more about the creative projects designed by teamLab around the world, take a look at their website.
This indoor interactive experience at the ArtScience Museum is the perfect way to spend a rainy day in Singapore for both adults and kids, so it would be a shame to leave “The Lion City” without visiting it.
We loved the “Future World” exhibition so much that we’ve already planned our next teamLab experience.
4. Interactive Dance Floor for Kids – The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
Parents will be happy to discover another fun and interactive experience for kids inside The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. Called “Digital Light Canvas”, the interactive floor invites you to play with light while following the music, and it’s a great way to spend a rainy day in Singapore.
Since we only saw parents and kids taking up the dance floor, we settled for watching the mesmerizing light show from above, as the second floor of the mall offers better views of the installation.
Tickets and Schedule for the “Digital Light Canvas”
Sunday – Thursday: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Ticket prices are affordable: 5 SGD / person and free for children < 2 years old. You can find more info on this experience on MarinaBaySands.com.
The interactive dance floor is almost always busy, but maybe mornings are better times to visit than evenings, when locals also come to enjoy it with their kids.
Hope you’ll enjoy the amazing light and music shows at Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay and experience the wonderful installations at the ArtScience Museum and The Shoppes at Marina Bay.
Have fun in Singapore!
Singapore| December 2018 | All Photos ©Ana Matei > Instagram:@MateiAna
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4 Comments
Wonderful, and such thorough information! Thank you!
Happy you liked it, Beverly. Warm thanks. Have a great time in Singapore!
How amazing! I’ve heard of the famous one, of course, but didn’t know about the other light shows, and that there were so many options.
Warm thanks, Dee. Happy you like it. We didn’t know about all of them either, just followed the light. :)) Spectra, the show in the video, was a lucky find while wandering Marina Bay area at night, and so was the interactive dancing floor. Marina Bay Sands is the best marketing engine I’ve ever seen in the travel industry to this day, and these shows are just a small part of the experience they offer to visitors.