For the first time in its nine-year run, Gardens by the Bay’s popular Sakura flower display at the Flower Dome is featuring a day-to-night transition, transforming from a photogenic, pink riot of Japan’s most famous floral crop into a dreamy nighttime tableau, complete with over 150 cherry blossom trees illuminated with lanterns in a scene straight out of Japanese cities.
This charmingly romantic local rendition of yozakura – referring to the act of viewing cherry blossoms at night – will star alongside a host of other cultural programmes and exhibits looking to bring an authentic slice of cherry blossom season to Singapore.
The Sakura 2024 floral display runs from today (22 March) to 21 April, from 9am to 9pm daily. Tickets to the Flower Dome where the display will be held costs $8 for seniors above the age of 60 (or $12 for adults and $8 for children aged 3 to 12).
You can comfortably complete the entire Sakura 2024 experience at Gardens by the Bay in about an hour, assuming you stop for plenty of breaks and photos, so you might want to top up to $15 to get access to the Cloud Forest as well.
To help you decide, here’s a list of the top attractions, programmes and exhibits to look out for at Gardens by the Bay’s Sakura 2024 floral display.
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1. Night blooms with a touch of whimsy at Gardens by the Bay Sakura floral display
The highlight of Sakura 2024 is its inaugural yozakura viewing experience, which really only comes to life at around 7.30pm daily when the night sky gets properly dark – creating the perfect star-studded backdrop for the lantern-lit cherry blossom trees in the Flower Dome below.
Besides hanging around for the ethereal beauty of the nighttime display – and of course, to snag great photos – there will also be whimsical light projection displays to look forward to.
2. Visit a famed UNESCO World Heritage site in Kyoto without leaving Singapore
Cherry blossoms aren’t the only attraction from Japan at the Sakura 2024 display. Kyoto, one of the country’s Sakura hotspots, also takes pride of place with a series of exhibits centred around the city’s historic charm.
These range from a miniature thatched house typical of Miyama Village (which boasts Japan’s highest concentration of thatched houses in the country) and a Japanese garden, to a replica of Kyoto’s iconic Kinkakuji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
3. Participate in Japanese cultural activities
Japanese culture buffs, this one’s for you. Flower Dome ticket holders will get access to not only beautiful cherry blossoms, but also a host of cultural activities for the weekends spanning Sakura 2024.
There’ll be something for everyone, especially on the first weekend (23 and 24 March), with a performance from Japanese drum group Hibikiya, a chance to clap along to the traditional yosakoi dance and a koto (Japanese 13-stringed instrument) recital by The Japanese Association, Singapore.
There will also be live demonstrations of aikido, a martial art known as the “art of peace”, as well as a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
Head here for a full schedule of the activities.
4. Wish upon a crane
According to Japanese tradition, the folding of 1,000 origami cranes can lead to happiness, good luck and a long life. It is even said to help you recover from illness or injury!
Well, there’s lotsa cranes hanging above the Sakura exhibit as a nod to that tradition – you can tell it a wish in the hopes that it’ll be granted, or at the very least, snag a nice photo.
Sakura 2024 at Gardens by the Bay
Location: Flower Dome, 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953
Opening Hours: 22 March to 21 April 2024, 9am to 9pm daily
Admission: $8 (for Flower Dome)
Website: https://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/en/things-to-do/calendar-of-events/sakura-2024.html
