Chinese New Year 2027 in Singapore: dates

Chinese New Year is the biggest festival of the year in Singapore: red lanterns over Chinatown, festive markets, lion dances and family reunions. The short answer for 2027: Chinese New Year's Day falls on Saturday 6 February 2027 and begins the Year of the Goat. According to the Ministry of Manpower, 6 February is a public holiday, and since the second day falls on Sunday 7 February, Monday 8 February is also a public holiday.

Chinese New Year 2027 in Singapore: the key dates

Public holidays as gazetted by Singapore's Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for 2027 (see sources). The festive season itself lasts longer: Chinatown is decorated weeks before New Year, and traditionally the celebrations run for 15 days, until the Lantern Festival.

For travellers this means a long weekend from Saturday to Monday, when many Singaporeans visit family or travel themselves. Shops, offices and some hawker stalls close for one or two days; malls, attractions and most restaurants in tourist areas stay open.

What to see

The festival is celebrated in many places, but three are classics for visitors:

• Chinatown: in the weeks before New Year, the streets around South Bridge Road, New Bridge Road and Eu Tong Sen Street are decorated with lanterns and a large figure of the zodiac animal, and a festive street market sells decorations, dried meats, sweets and flowers. The light-up is best seen after dark.
• River Hongbao: a large festival with lantern displays, stage shows and food stalls, usually held at Marina Bay around New Year.
• Chingay Parade: Singapore's big street parade with floats and performers from many communities, held in the weeks after New Year.

The organisers publish the exact dates of the Chinatown light-up, River Hongbao and Chingay closer to the festival – the official websites of Singapore's tourism board and the event organisers are the place to check before you book.

Customs worth knowing

• Red envelopes (hongbao): married couples and elders give red envelopes with money to children and unmarried relatives. As a visitor you are not expected to give any.
• Greetings: "Gong Xi Fa Cai" or "Xin Nian Kuai Le" are the usual wishes for a prosperous and happy new year.
• Mandarin oranges: visitors bring a pair of mandarin oranges when they call on a family – a symbol of good fortune.
• Lion dances: troupes perform at shops, offices and malls to bring luck for the new year. Follow the drums.

Weather in February

Averages 2015–2024 from the ERA5 reanalysis (via Open-Meteo), rounded.

February is usually one of the driest months in Singapore – a good time to visit. It is still hot and humid, around 29 °C in the day and above 24 °C at night, with occasional showers. Light clothes, sun protection and an umbrella are all you need. YesTrip shows you the forecast for your actual travel days and suggests matching clothes in the packing list.

Getting there and getting around

From London, direct flights to Singapore take around 13 hours. From Changi Airport, the MRT and taxis take you into the city; the MRT network is the easiest way to reach Chinatown, Marina Bay and the other festival areas. Around Chinese New Year flights within Asia are in high demand, because many people travel home – book early if Singapore is part of a longer trip.

If you arrive in the morning and your room is not ready, there is luggage storage in Singapore^* (Radical Storage). Several attractions in one ticket are bundled in the Singapore sightseeing pass^* (Go City), and tours or tickets for Gardens by the Bay and Sentosa are on tickets and tours in Singapore^* (Klook). A travel eSIM for Singapore^* (Airalo) is usually much cheaper than roaming; our eSIM price index compares the prices per gigabyte.

Where to stay

• Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar: right in the middle of the festive decorations, many hotels and restaurants.
• Marina Bay and the Civic District: close to the river and the big events, more expensive.
• Bugis and Little India: good value, well connected by MRT.

Hotels are in high demand over the long weekend; book a few months ahead.

More than New Year

Singapore is worth a few days of its own: Gardens by the Bay, the hawker centres, the colonial quarter and the museums. Our guide to how many days in Singapore helps you plan the trip, and the best time to visit Singapore compares the seasons. If you travel on through Asia, Chinese New Year 2027 in Hong Kong falls on the same days.

In YesTrip, "What's on" lists festivals, events and holidays on the days of your trip, and you can add them to the day plan with one tap.

Singapore trip planDay by day, with map and tips

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