Drawing inspiration from Europe, a Singapore Christmas village featuring pop-up stores from 25 brands, will make its debut at the annual Orchard Road light-up this year.
Outside Ngee Ann City from November 25 to Christmas Day, the village will feature such brands as Fish & Co, Starbucks and Toast Box, with Singapore’s first-ever duplex carousel.
“Christmas villages are very popular in Europe,” says Orchard Road Business Association (Orba) chairman Mark Shaw. “It will be a good opportunity for retailers to reach out to customers.”
Running from November 11 to January 1, the ninth edition of Christmas on a Great Street will be themed “Endless Wonder”. Highlights will include the event’s highest-ever main arch, reaching 12m, outside Ion Orchard and a 5m Enchanted Tree installation outside Wisma Atria.
Activities along the 2.8km stretch between Plaza Singapura and Tanglin Mall will start earlier this year, at 3pm rather than 6.30. There will be daily performances from bands, carol singers and roving cosplayers.
Shaw says LED lights will enhance the installations even in the afternoon. Each of the 1200 hanging globes to be strung on trees comprise coloured fabric intertwined with LED fairy lights.
Other attractions include the Walk of Wonder, a 12m-high 20m tunnel outside Forum the Shopping Mall made from reflective fabric and fairy lights.
A 4.5m Tree of Time in front of Ngee Ann City will be topped with a countdown-to-Christmas Day clock, and will be the backdrop to a Christmas Eve concert featuring bands and a midnight pyrotechnics show.
Orba expects the event to draw 3.6 million visitors this year. While this appears to be a sharp drop from the 6 million visitors counted last year, the association says it is introducing a new calculation method. In previous years, anyone who entered the event area would be counted as a visitor, but from this year visitors will be asked if they are there specifically for the event.