First narrated changing of guards ceremony part of Istana open house for Deepavali

The open house will take place from 10am to 8pm on Nov 1, with final admission at 6.30pm.

Published Oct 27, 2026, 05:11 PM

Updated Oct 27, 2026, 05:11 PM

The Istana Open House on Nov 1 will feature the first live-narrated changing of guards ceremony to explain the military tradition.

Visitors can enjoy band and drill performances, cultural shows, a marketplace, reading activities, tours, and the Istana Stamp Rally across the grounds.

Entry is free for citizens, permanent residents, and migrant domestic workers with families, while other visitors pay $20 for adults and $10 for children.

SINGAPORE – Ever wondered what happens during the changing of guards ceremony? You can find out more at the Istana Open House on Nov 1 – ahead of Deepavali, which is on Nov 8 in 2026 .

The ceremony will be accompanied by live narration for the first time, offering insights into the longstanding military tradition, said the President’s Office in a statement on Oct 27.

The changing of guards ceremony marks the formal handover of guard duties from outgoing to incoming guards.

Other activities include a performance by the SAF Ceremonial Band and synchronised rifle drills by the Silent Precision Drill Squad , an evening outdoor concert, cultural performances and activities, as well as a community marketplace.

Performers include homegrown singer-songwriters Ahmadul Amin and Heema Izzati, performing groups from Project #JalanJalan, Extraordinary People, Micron and Quantedge .

Students from Singapore Polytechnic will also put up dikir barat and Malay dance performances.

The community marketplace, organised by the Singapore Business Federation Foundation , will feature community organisations and employers that foster support for vulnerable individuals, such as New Hope Community Services and the Caregiving Welfare association.

“Visitors can take part in hands-on activities and learn more about the community organisations,” said the statement.

The Singapore Business Federation Foundation will also be holding a fund-raising event, Walk for Work, to help vulnerable individuals rebuild their lives through meaningful employment.

The charity walk is open only to pre-registered corporate participants.

Furthermore, as part of the ReadSG initiative, visitors can visit a dedicated reading space by the National Library & Archives Board (NLB), featuring a selection of books recommended by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his spouse Jane Ittogi.

“Visitors can browse the recommended titles, participate in reading-related activities, including joining the ReadSG Challenge, and redeem limited-edition ‘I Read at the Istana’ collectibles,” said the statement.

NLB’s mobile library, MOLLY, will also be available for visitors to borrow books. Independent bookstore Book Bar will also have books for sale.

Those interested in the Istana grounds can take part in self-guided tours available from 10am to 5.30pm (last entry at 5pm) , where they can view a collection of state gifts presented to Singapore’s leaders.

Visitors who have pre-registered for the guided Istana Heritage Tour will tour the grounds during their selected time slots from 10.30am .

Different parts of the Istana grounds will feature activities at designated pit stops, where visitors can collect unique stamps and redeem exclusive Istana merchandise through the Istana Stamp Rally developed in partnership with Singapore Poly.

Food and drink stalls such as Old Chang Kee and the Milo van will be present on the Istana grounds.

Entry to the Istana grounds is free for Singapore citizens, permanent residents, and migrant domestic workers accompanying families. Other visitors will need to pay $20 per adult and $10 per child ( four to 12 years old).

Additional fees apply for other activities, such as the guided Istana Heritage Tour and the Istana Villa visit.

Only cashless payments will be accepted at the open house.

All earnings from entry to the Istana grounds and tours are non-refundable and will go towards benefiting programmes supported by the President’s Challenge.

The open house will take place from 10am to 8pm, with final admission at 6.30pm.

Parks/Nature reserves

开放日将于11月1日上午10点至晚上8点举行，最后入场时间为下午6点30分。

发布于 2026 年 10 月 27 日下午 5:11

更新于2026年10月27日下午5:11

11月1日，总统府开放日将首次举行现场解说的卫兵换岗仪式，以解释这一军事传统。

游客可以在庄园内欣赏乐队和仪仗表演、文化表演、集市、阅读活动、参观游览以及参加总统府集邮活动。

公民、永久居民和携家眷的移民家政工人可免费入场，其他游客成人票价为 20 美元，儿童票价为 10 美元。

新加坡——你是否好奇过卫兵换岗仪式期间会发生什么？你可以在11月1日总统府开放日了解更多信息——届时正值屠妖节（2026年屠妖节为11月8日）之前。

总统办公室在 10 月 27 日的一份声明中表示，此次仪式将首次配以现场解说，让人们深入了解这一悠久的军事传统。

换岗仪式标志着卫兵职责从卸任卫兵正式移交给新任卫兵。

其他活动包括新加坡武装部队仪仗队的表演、无声精准操练队的同步步枪操练、晚间户外音乐会、文化表演和活动，以及社区市集。

表演者包括本土创作歌手 Ahmadul Amin 和 Heema Izzati，以及来自 Project #JalanJalan、Extraordinary People、Micron 和 Quantedge 的表演团体。

新加坡理工学院的学生也将带来迪基尔巴拉特舞和马来舞蹈表演。

由新加坡商业联合会基金会组织的社区市集将展出为弱势群体提供支持的社区组织和雇主，例如新希望社区服务中心和护理福利协会。

声明称：“游客可以参与实践活动，并了解更多关于社区组织的信息。”

新加坡商业联合会基金会也将举办名为“为工作而行”的筹款活动，以帮助弱势群体通过有意义的就业重建生活。

慈善步行活动仅对预先注册的企业参与者开放。

此外，作为 ReadSG 计划的一部分，参观者可以前往国家图书馆和档案馆管理局 (NLB) 设立的专门阅读空间，那里陈列着总统尚达曼及其夫人简·伊托吉推荐的一系列书籍。

声明称：“参观者可以浏览推荐书目，参与与阅读相关的活动，包括参加 ReadSG 挑战赛，并兑换限量版‘我在总统府阅读’纪念品。”

新加坡国家图书馆的移动图书馆 MOLLY 也将为访客提供借阅服务。独立书店 Book Bar 也将出售书籍。

对总统府感兴趣的游客可以参加上午 10 点至下午 5 点 30 分（下午 5 点停止入场）的自助游览，参观新加坡领导人收到的各种国礼。

已预先登记参加伊斯坦纳遗产导览游的游客将在上午 10:30 开始的选定时间段内参观宫殿。

总统府的不同区域将在指定的休息站举办活动，游客可以通过与新加坡理工学院合作开发的“总统府集章活动”收集独特的印章并兑换总统府独家商品。

总统府内将设有老曾记和美禄餐车等餐饮摊位。

新加坡公民、永久居民以及随行家政工人可免费进入总统府。其他游客需支付成人20新元、4至12岁儿童10新元的费用。

其他活动需另行付费，例如皇宫遗产导览游和皇宫别墅参观。

开放日当天只接受非现金支付方式。

进入总统府和参加游览的所有收入均不可退款，并将用于资助总统挑战计划支持的项目。

开放日活动时间为上午 10 点至晚上 8 点，最后入场时间为下午 6 点 30 分。

公园/自然保护区