Celebrate Singapore's jubilee and rich heritage at the Singapore Botanic Gardens

The Singapore Botanic Gardens celebrates Singapore’s jubilee in a three-day carnival and a range of performances from 7 to 9 August. As part of the SG50 celebrations during the Jubilee Weekend, the National Parks Board (NParks) will hold the third in a series of six free public concerts under the SG50 Concert Series in the Park. Activities include a carnival, free concerts at the Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage and Bandstand, as well as free outdoor movie screenings. The National Day Parade will be telecast live in the Gardens on 9 August. These activities celebrate shared memories as well as the rich cultural and botanical heritage of the Gardens, Singapore’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The carnivals will include a range of activities and game booths from 10am to 5pm. Visitors can engage in traditional games and crafts, view cultural arts like botanical themed batik painting and calligraphy or relive childhood memories by indulging in favourite snacks such as old school biscuits and kacang puteh.

Visitors will be treated to concerts by local artistes and groups from 7 to 9 August. In 1959, the Singapore Botanic Gardens was chosen as a venue for then Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, to launch a series of cultural concerts with a multi-ethnic theme. Singapore’s first “People’s Variety Show”, or Aneka Ragam Ra'ayat, was held in the Gardens during the early years of nation building. Today, the Gardens continues to play an important role in fostering social cohesion by providing a common space for the community to bond through multi-cultural performances. In continuing this tradition, the concert will feature favourite local acts in a multicultural extravaganza, hosted by Suhaimi Yusof and Vernetta Lopez. Local groups and artistes including 53A, Rui En, John Molina, Olivia Ong, Taufik Batisah, Shabir and Corrinne May will form the exciting line-up on 7 August from 4pm to 7pm. On 8 August, the Singapore Lyric Opera accompanied by symphony orchestra and opera singers will enthral concert goers in an evening of classical melodies, with a modern-day twist by home-grown talents, The Sam Willows.

T’ang Quartet and Brass Nation will be performing at the Bandstand from 7.45pm to 8.15pm on 7 and 8 August respectively. These performances will be followed by screenings of local movies “It’s a Great Great World” and “Singapore Dreaming” from 8.30pm to 10pm at Lawn E overlooking Swan Lake on 7 and 8 August, respectively.

The National Day Parade will be telecast live on 9 August, following a series of pre-screening performances by local artistes such as Lorraine Tan, Vocaluptuous and Wicked Aura from 4pm.

From 10 July to 31 August, as part of its anniversary celebrations, admission to the National Orchid Garden is free for Singaporeans and permanent residents. Over 16,000 orchid plants will be on display at the Botany Centre until 10 August as part of the “Orchids of Singapore Botanic Gardens and Their Heritage” exhibition, which showcases the Gardens’ rich orchid heritage. The Gardens’ first exhibition of botanical art by international artists features plant portraits from the Shirley Sherwood Collection of Contemporary Botanical Art. Held in the CDL Green Gallery @ SBG Heritage Museum, the “Tropical Splendour: Plant Portraits from the Shirley Sherwood Collection of Contemporary Botanical Art” exhibition will run until 1 November 2015.

Food and beverage outlets in the Singapore Botanic Gardens are also offering special National Day promotions in the month of August. Halia, Casa Verde, Corner House and Di Wei at Food Canopy have lined up menus to celebrate the nation’s jubilee and the inscription of Singapore’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also, visit the Garden Shops located at Tanglin Gate, Nassim Gate and the National Orchid Garden for botanical inspired gifts.

Visitors are advised to take public transport. Shuttle bus services will be available from Botanic Gardens MRT station on 7 and 8 August from 10am to 11pm. On 9 August, shuttle bus services will run from 10am to 10pm.

For more information on the upcoming concerts in the series, please visit www.nparks.gov.sg/sg50.