Mid-Autumn Festival Singapore – things to do!

The Mid-Autumn Festival in Singapore is just around the corner – on 6 October, in fact! You can expect beautiful lanterns across Chinatown, loads of delish mooncakes, and much more. Find out what its all about, plus some things to do during the Mid-Autumn festival celebrations,.

What’s the Mid-Autumn festival all about?

The Mid-Autumn Festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month in the Chinese calendar. It traditionally marks and celebrates the end of the Autumn harvest. There are lots of legends surrounding this cultural festival. One of the most popular ones is the following tale of famous archer Hou Yi and his beautiful wife Chang’E. 

Ten suns are said to have existed in ancient times, making the heat on earth unbearable. Hou Yi shot down nine of the suns. For his bravery, a goddess gave him a magical elixir of immortality. In order to protect the elixir from being stolen, Chang’E swallowed it. This caused her to fly to the moon, where she has remained forever. In her honour, people eat mooncakes and look at the moon in hopes of seeing her.

Another popular story behind the origins of mooncakes takes place during the Yuan Dynasty. The Han Chinese used the sweet treats to hide secret messages as part of their plan to overthrow the Mongols who were ruling at the time. From that moment, the Chinese have baked and eaten mooncakes to commemorate the event during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

What are some traditional Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations?

The festival was traditionally a thanksgiving celebration, with families gathering to eat mooncakes and admire the full moon during the Autumn harvest. Moon worship also played a part in the festivities; food was offered to the moon, and lanterns were carried to symbolise its light. However, in modern times, some of these traditions have become less common – the focus is more on the mooncakes. (You probably already know how fancy and creative they can get!) The tradition of gifting mooncakes is still prevalent in Singapore, though some families still enjoy carrying lanterns during the festival – mainly for the kids!

Mid-Autumn Festival things to do

Celebrating Mid-Autumn across generations – street light-up at Chinatown

Catch the annual Mid-Autumn Festival street light-up from 7 September to 20 October. This year’s edition pays tribute to Singapore’s 60th anniversary with the theme, “60 Glorious Years: Celebrating Mid-Autumn in Singapore”, and plenty of activities. The opening ceremony on 18 September starts at 6pm at Kreta Ayer Square with Minister Josephine Teo officiating together with Advisers to Jalan Besar GRC GROs. The lights, lanterns and lighted sculptures span from New Bridge Road to Upper Cross Street.

The Chinatown Festive Fair will return to People’s Park Square from 7 September to 6 October, with a mix of handcrafted lanterns, traditional delicacies and artisanal treasures. On 14 September, young talents and passionate artists will converge on Kreta Ayer Square for a Lantern Design Competition.

Launching on 18 September for the first time is a unique activity involving a specially designed postcard and stamps at five locations in Chinatown. Layering the stamps over each other creates a print that becomes an artistic miniature of the SG60 installation.

Take time to pause and reflect with a tea appreciation at Tea Chapter on 20 September. Bring the children for a lantern walk from Chinatown Point to Kreta Ayer Square at 7pm on 27 September. Or head to Kreta Ayer Square on 4 October to solve lantern riddles.

For the full programme line-up, head to the Chinatown Festivals website.

Lights by the Lake at Jurong Lake Gardens

Starting from 6.30pm on 27 September, Jurong Lake Gardens will host its annual 15-day Mid-Autumn Festival celebration. This year’s exhibition brings to life the story of the Journey to the West, through intricate lantern displays depicting the legendary tales of Sun Wukong, Tang Sanzang and their companions. Beyond this, other displays include Chang’e’s Moonlit Garden, Little Mei and Blossoms Beneath the Moon. There’s a food market, a range of cultural performances by local artists as well as a lantern exploration quest. Grab a picnic mat on 11 October for Dancing in the Moonlight, the 24th edition of Rockestra, NParks’ Concert Series in the Park. More details are available on the NParks website.

Mid-Autumn Festival line-up at Gardens by the Bay

Walk through large-scale lantern sets at Gardens by the Bay from 22 September to 12 October, 6pm to 10pm. Local character Ang Ku Kueh Girl and friends will guide visitors through Singapore’s evolution from a fishing village to HDB living. On 22 September, collect a free lantern (while supplies last) from 6.45pm and join the lantern walk from 7.30pm.

There’s also a lineup of workshops on weekends for the family. These include bamboo craft weaving, lantern craft making, Mid-Autumn Festival ornament craft and making your own bookmark. Other experiences include a Chinese tea sharing seminar on Saturdays, and cultural performances such as Mando jazz music, wind percussion, and dance. Round out the experience with traditional food and snacks at the marketplace, and carnival games. Get all the details from the Gardens by the Bay website!

Lantern installation at Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCCI)

As the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall is closed for restoration, their annual Wan Qing Mid-Autumn Festival 2025 festivities will be held at SCCCI instead. On display at SCCCI’s outdoor space from 22 September until 9 October, 10am to 6pm is an outdoor lantern installation that draws inspiration from the colourful and lively guppy fish. There will also be a travelling exhibition, Mid-Autumn Festival: A Taste of Reunion, that highlights the festival’s spirit and its cultural significance on family reunion and kinship love. It will feature information about the mooncake moulds and artisanal mooncake makers of Singapore. For more details, visit SCCCI’s website.

Mid-Autumn Family Fun at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC)

The annual festive event will take place on 4 and 5 October, 1pm to 10pm within the premises of SCCC and Singapore Conference Hall. There are a total of 27 family-friendly activities including mooncake and tea tasting, guided lantern walks, moon and star gazing, workshops for making soap or scented pouches, performances and more. All the activities are free, except for workshops, which has a $7 fee per person.

Find out more about living in Singapore and fun things to do in Singapore with family and friends. To make the most of living in Singapore, read our latest City Guide here for free!