Hello, Again: First Istana Open House To Public Since COVID

Sim Ding En
Tue, 27 Apr 2021 00:00:00 Z

The Istana will be opening its doors to the public on 13 May 2021 to celebrate Labour Day and Hari Raya Puasa.

Photo: Instagram/@erhanerdogar

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the things we're most fortunate to have had in Singapore is the use oif technology - to keep us updated, to give us a sense of new normalcy, to help us keep calm and carry on.

National Day Virtual Istana Open House 2020
Posted by Halimah Yacob on Saturday, 1 August 2020

You might have seen the virtual tours of the popular Istana Open House (IOH) last year:

the one last May that hosted more than 120 beneficiaries and their families in celebration of Hari Raya Puasa;

the memorable virtual National Day IOH (above) to celebrate the nation's 55th birthday;

and the one in November to celebrate Deepavali.

Launch of the Inclusive Garden at Lunar New Year Istana Open House 2021
For the first time in a year, the Istana opened its grounds to a small group of beneficiaries for the launch of the Inclusive Garden at this year’s Lunar New Year Istana Open House. When designing the garden, we paid particular attention to making it more accessible to a wider range of visitors, including the elderly in wheelchairs and persons with disabilities. Features such as the wheelchair-friendly footpath and sensory stimulating plant varieties will make it easier and more interesting for them to tour the garden. I’m glad that the beneficiaries from Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore and St Luke’s ElderCare enjoyed themselves. Hopefully, I will be able to host more groups at the Inclusive Garden in the near future. I hope everyone is staying safe and enjoying their Lunar New Year festivities! Happy Lunar New Year! #inclusiveSingapore
Posted by Halimah Yacob on Friday, 12 February 2021

In February 2021, for the first time in a year, the Istana opened its doors to a small group of beneficiaries for the launch of the Inclusive Garden (above) at this year’s Lunar New Year Istana Open House.

Said President Halimah Yacob in a Facebook post: "I’m glad that the beneficiaries from Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore and St Luke’s ElderCare enjoyed themselves. Hopefully, I will be able to host more groups at the Inclusive Garden in the near future."

So, with bated breath, and as things started looking up in our fight against COVID-19 here in Singapore, we awaited an IOH that we could all attend.

And the day is finally set!

Happy to share that the Istana is reopening its doors to welcome visitors again. We will be holding a combined Istana...
Posted by Halimah Yacob on Tuesday, 27 April 2021

Mark your calendars, peeps! The Istana will be opening its doors to us on 13 May 2021 to celebrate Labour Day and Hari Raya Puasa.

Traditionally, we enjoy performances, tours, booths and food trucks at the IOH. But of course, #COVID. So, there'll be none of that this year.

But hey, that could turn out to be a good thing - we can expect to have a more reflective experience of the many gardens and open spaces on the grounds, especially in the new Inclusive Garden.

Needless to say, safe management measures will be in place (i.e. no gathering in large groups hor) and safe distancing ambassadors will be deployed to make sure everyone has a safe experience.

We'll have to register in advance, and you can register for free tickets from 10am on 29 Apr (Thursday).

Tickets will be allotted based on two-hourly time slots and on a first-come, first-served basis.

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