Gardens by the Bay's Mid-Autumn Festival 2026: Dates, Lanterns & What Is Free
The 2026 festival runs from 12 to 27 September with free evening lantern displays, a marketplace, performances and selected paid craft activities.
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- Dates
- 12–27 September 2026
- Main hours
- 6pm–10pm daily
- Venue
- Golden Garden, Supertree Grove, Bayfront Plaza & Flower Dome
- Admission
- Free for the outdoor festival; fees apply for selected activities and Flower Dome admission
- Opening highlight
- LED Lion Dance on 12 September at 8.30pm, Supertree Grove Lawn
- Best for
- Lantern photography, families, cultural performances and free Mid-Autumn evening outings
Gardens by the Bay's main Mid-Autumn Festival programme returns from Saturday, 12 September to Sunday, 27 September 2026. The headline reason this page matters is simple: the outdoor festival itself is free, and the timing makes it one of the strongest evening plans in Singapore over the next two weeks.
Key Takeaways
- Gardens by the Bay's main Mid-Autumn Festival programme returns from Saturday, 12 September to Sunday, 27 September 2026.
- The official festival timing for the outdoor programme is 6pm to 10pm daily from 12 to 27 September.
- The big free draw is the lantern trail and open-air atmosphere.
Core dates, timings and admission
The official festival timing for the outdoor programme is 6pm to 10pm daily from 12 to 27 September. Admission to the main festival grounds is free. The listed location spans Golden Garden, Supertree Grove, Bayfront Plaza and Flower Dome, which means visitors should think of it as a multi-zone evening event rather than a single photo point.
What is free
The big free draw is the lantern trail and open-air atmosphere. Gardens by the Bay is staging illuminated displays across the festival zones, allowing visitors to experience the main Mid-Autumn setting without buying a separate festival ticket. You can also browse the general marketplace atmosphere without paying entry.
Opening-weekend highlights
The opening-night highlight on Saturday, 12 September is the LED Lion Dance at 8.30pm at Supertree Grove Lawn. The official page also lists a marketplace with food, beverages, carnival games and family-friendly rides throughout the festival period, although charges apply for those activities.
Crafts and family add-ons
Craft Corner dates are scheduled on 13 September, 19 to 20 September and 25 to 27 September at the Colonnade, with selected fees applying. Inside Flower Dome, the Mid-Autumn season also overlaps with Lilytopia and family-oriented festival activities, which means visitors can choose between a free outdoor visit or a fuller paid indoor-plus-outdoor outing.
Planning tip
If you want the strongest atmosphere, go after sunset and build your route around Supertree Grove. If you want a lighter crowd, choose a weekday evening instead of the opening Saturday. Also note that Borealis is rescheduled to 9pm to 9.15pm during the festival period, which can help if you are building a longer night plan around the Gardens.
Planning a Gardens evening? Also see our free things at Gardens by the Bay guide and current Gardens card discounts.
Sources
Primary sources used for this guide: