Where the Lights Are: Little India After Dark
It is just past seven in the evening and Serangoon Road has turned gold. Strings of bulbs run the length of the street, peacocks arch overhead in lit wirework, and the five-foot ways are stacked with boxes of oil lamps, garlands and foil-wrapped sweets. Somewhere between Campbell Lane and Hastings Road, someone is frying something in ghee and the smell follows you for a block. This is the Deepavali season in Singapore, and the whole thing is free to walk through.
Deepavali falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026. The light-up ceremony runs on 3 October 2026 with music and dance performances, and from that night the decorations stay lit daily from roughly 7pm to midnight, running along Birch Road and Serangoon Road. Come after dark, on foot, with no particular plan.
Walk the Bazaars of Campbell Lane and Hastings Road
The festival bazaar is the centre of the season. Stalls along Campbell Lane and Hastings Road sell Indian ethnic wear, jewellery, decorations and traditional snacks — this is where Singaporeans of every background come to buy their Deepavali outfits and their murukku.
- Deepavali Festival Village — Campbell Lane, 10 October to 8 November 2026, free. Snacks, crafts, traditional clothing and decorations, plus cultural performances.
- Festival bazaar — Campbell Lane and Hastings Road, running through the season alongside the street light-up.
- Tekka Market and Little India Arcade — the two anchors at the top of the district, and the starting points for the heritage walk below.
Make Something, Taste Something: Workshops and Masterclasses
The season's programmes are unusually hands-on, and most of them cost less than a restaurant lunch. Book ahead where registration is required.
- Brass Lamp Engraving Workshop — 10 and 24 October 2026, 10am–1pm, Tekka Place, $10 per person. You hammer and etch your own Kuthuvilakku lamp, the traditional oil lamp that stands for light, prosperity and auspiciousness.
- Spice Blending Masterclass — 17 and 31 October 2026, 11am–1pm, Campbell Lane, $8 per person. A chef leads you through Garam Masala and Sambar Powder; you taste, then take home blends and recipe cards.
- Clay Diya Painting Workshop — 17 and 31 October 2026, 2pm–4pm, Tekka Place, free with registration. Terracotta diyas decorated with peacock, lotus and kolam motifs, and an explanation of what each one means.
- Indian Heritage Centre Open House and Carnival — 5 Campbell Lane. Free, with craft activities, carnival games, live performances, festive market stalls and workshops on the Deepavali story. Dates are announced closer to the season, so check before you go.
Music Under the Open Sky, and a Tour That Runs After Dark
Two of the best things in the programme happen in the evening, and neither needs much forward planning.
- Sangeetham Under the Stars — 17 and 31 October 2026, 8pm–10pm, Campbell Lane Open Stage. Free. Carnatic classical, fusion, Bollywood and local artists, performed outdoors.
- AR/VR Heritage Walk "Journey Through Time" — every Saturday from 10 October to 7 November 2026, departing 6pm from Tekka Market and Little India Arcade. $15 per person, $10 for students, free for seniors. The route takes in Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, which dates to the 1880s, plus Tekka Market and Little India Arcade, and you leave with a digital souvenir album.
- Deepavali Big Bus Tour — 10, 17, 24 and 31 October and 7, 13, 21 and 28 November 2026, with 7pm and 8pm departures. $12 per person including a $5 restaurant voucher. Pick-up at Orchard Hotel, drop-off at Race Course Road, with a guided route through the Little India streets and the bazaar.
Plan the Day Around the Istana
On 1 November 2026, the Istana opens its grounds from 9.30am to 8pm for Deepavali. Entry is free for Singaporeans, permanent residents and children under four; otherwise it is $20 per adult and $10 per child. Tickets are sold only at the Istana Main Gate on the day. Inside you'll find cultural performances, food, family activities and guided tours of the grounds for an additional fee. Pair it with an evening back in Little India — the lights are still on, and the bazaar is at its busiest in the final week before 8 November.
Getting There and What to Eat
Little India is a short MRT ride from Bedok on the East West Line — change at Paya Lebar for the Circle or Downtown line, or ride to Bugis and walk up. Go hungry. The bazaar stalls along Campbell Lane and Hastings Road sell traditional snacks through the season, the spice masterclass sends you home with your own garam masala and sambar powder, and Tekka Market is where you eat before or after the heritage walk. Budget $8 to $20 per paid activity, and remember that the light-up, the Festival Village, the open stage concerts and the street itself cost nothing at all.
Check organisers' pages before you travel, since individual events can shift or be cancelled, then block out an evening in October or the first week of November, take the train east, and let the lights do the rest.