Christmas on A Great Street will kick off on 9 November 2024 with the lighting of Orchard Road, featuring the much-anticipated return of the popular Great Christmas Eve Street Party. Highlights include a stunning new 14-metre-tall outdoor Christmas tree and nightly immersive snowfall shows.
The 41st edition of the Christmas Light-Up, organised by Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA), brings together tradition and innovation in its design approach. It will “incorporate a twist to classic Christmas lights” by setting iconic Christmas elements in a “firefly garden”. This year’s stars, bells, dazzling fir trees, red cardinal birds perched atop the overstreet décor and arches of pine and holly epitomise a season of peace, hope and joy. A series of vertical beams of light that mimic the wavelike motion of fireflies signify light, connection and inspiration, bringing a touch of magic and mystery to this year’s design. The abundance of evergreen pine in the design is also a nod to Orchard Road’s past when it was home to former fruit orchards and nutmeg plantations.
This year’s Christmas on A Great Street will also feature a new initiative, ORBar on A Great Street, a bar-hopping “passport” for signature cocktails at special prices, ahead of the year-end holiday season.
ORBA’s long-time key partners continue to support the annual Light-Up. Singapore Tourism Board (STB) reaffirms its commitment to this iconic celebration, playing a key role to enhance the Orchard Road precinct as a compelling destination for locals and visitors. Hitachi marks an impressive 34th consecutive year as the main sponsor of the festive tradition, while Mastercard serves as the Official Card for the 12th year running. The long-standing collaboration between the public and private sectors underscores the significance of the event and the enduring partnerships that contributes to its lasting success.
Mr Mark Shaw, ORBA Chairman, said: “We are delighted to once again welcome both residents and visitors of all ages to Orchard Road to enjoy the vibrant atmosphere of Christmas on A Great Street. As we come together with friends and family during this festive season, we want to spread love, hope, and joy. Building on last year’s sustainability initiatives, ORBA remains committed to reducing our carbon footprint at this year’s festivities by reusing and repurposing decorations from past years.”
Mr Kojin Nakakita, Chairman of Hitachi Asia Ltd., said: “The Christmas Light-Up along Orchard Road has always been the highlight of the year-end holiday season. Hitachi is honoured to be the main sponsor of this iconic celebration for 34 consecutive years. Each year, we look forward to spreading the festive cheer as visitors enjoy the radiant display of lights. It’s always a pleasure to bring people together in celebration!
“Continuing our tradition of doing good for the community during this Season of Giving, Hitachi Asia and our Group of Companies have contributed to support the meaningful causes by the Community Chest. Beyond supporting charitable causes and simply spreading joy, we are also dedicated to improving the well-being of individuals in Singapore and Southeast Asia. Through utilising and integrating our Digital, Green and Innovative solutions, we aim to create a sustainable world for many generations to come.”
Ms Guo Teyi, Director, Retail & Dining, Singapore Tourism Board, said: “The Christmas Light-Up has been an annual signature event since 1984. Locals and visitors can look forward to evening strolls along Singapore’s iconic shopping street as it transforms into a mesmerising spectacle of festive lights. The return of the Christmas Eve Street Party and the new experiences at the Great Christmas Village coupled with year-end events and retail and dining offerings make Orchard Road a must-visit lifestyle destination that promises unforgettable moments this festive season.”
Guest-of-Honour President Tharman Shanmugaratnam will officiate the Light-Up Ceremony, which is organised by ORBA and Community Chest to raise funds for more than 100 social service agencies running over 200 social service programmes. A special Christmas edition of Night At Orchard will take place from 8 – 10 November 2024 along the pedestrian walkway fronting ION Orchard to Ngee Ann City as part of the programming for the Light-Up weekend.
Highlights of Christmas on A Great Street 2024
The popular Christmas Eve Street Party returns, promising to draw crowds with live performances, music, dance, as well as other festive attractions. Other perennial features include two Great Christmas Villages, Music in the Air, augmented reality multimedia projections, countdowns for Christmas and the New Year, as well as a new initiative by ORBA called ORBar on A Great Street that involves a bar-hopping passport featuring a selection of eight iconic bars in the precinct, designed to invigorate nightlife along Orchard Road.
Great Christmas Eve Street Party
The much-anticipated Great Christmas Eve Street Party is making a triumphant return, stretching 400m from ION Orchard to Ngee Ann City. It will feature live DJ performances, roving mascots, pop-up stalls, food trucks, as well as a countdown to Christmas, among other offerings. A section of Orchard Road from Paterson Road junction to Bideford Road junction will be closed to vehicular traffic on 24 December 2024 from 6pm to 2am for revellers as the countdown to Christmas Day begins at 8pm.
Great Christmas Villages
This year’s two Great Christmas Villages – one at Shaw House Urban Plaza and the other at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza – will open to the public on 8 November and 10 November respectively. Besides carnival rides, there will be live performances by local buskers and bands on weekends at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the holiday spirit.
A standout this year is an outdoor 14-metre-tall Mastercard Priceless Christmas tree which will be the centrepiece of the Great Christmas Village at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza. Visitors will be enchanted with a magical four-minute programmed snowfall show around the tree at 8pm and 9pm from 10 November 2024 to 1 January 2025.
The Great Christmas Village at Shaw House Urban Plaza will run from 8 November 2024 to 5 January 2025, featuring carnival rides such as the Euro Swing, Ferris Wheel, claw machines, and a new Spin & Catch game.
The Great Christmas Village at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza will run from 10 November 2024 to 1 January 2025, featuring a Flying Dumbo ride and carousel among its variety of rides and games, as well as the sale of an exclusive Orchard Road craft beer called Jingle Ale in partnership with a local brewer, Asa Brew. To build on the holiday spirit, ORBA welcomes community groups and organisations to perform at the Great Christmas Village stage from Sundays to Thursdays. Interested parties can write to ORBA indicating their interest, and include a video submission of their past performances.
Outdoor Augmented Reality (AR) projections
The AR multimedia projections on the façade of Hilton Singapore Orchard, in partnership with OUE Limited, will see golden sparkles, snowflakes and fireworks come to life in augmented reality. Visitors will be able to view the AR display which transforms the hotel building façade into a lively display of immersive public art when viewed on their phones. The 100-metre-tall outdoor visual projections will be activated from 1 November 2024 to 1 January 2025. Music in the Air, played synchronously from speakers perched on 44 lamp posts on both sides of Orchard Road, will further enhance the festive atmosphere.
On Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, a countdown clock will mark the start of Christmas and the New Year respectively for revellers.
ORBar on A Great Street
ORBar on A Great Street involves a bar-hopping passport that features a selection of eight iconic bars in the precinct and is designed to raise the profile of bars on Orchard Road. Customers can purchase a passport bundle of eight signature cocktails from four selected bars from now till 31 December 2024. Each bar will serve two drinks per passport. The drinks in the bar passport can be redeemed at the participating bars from 1 November 2024 to 31 January 2025.
Sustainability and Community
Sustainability remains a core principle of Christmas on A Great Street, with continued emphasis on recycling, reusing, and repurposing decor materials. Last year’s decorations, for instance, were repurposed to adorn community spaces, reducing waste while bringing festive cheer to new areas. This year, ORBA will continue its commitment to donate lights to charity group EQUAL which provides animal-based learning for social integration and life skills. In the spirit of giving, ORBA also invites charities and community groups to write in if they wish to reuse past year’s decorations. ORBA will also purchase renewable energy credits for the Christmas Light-Up.
Christmas on A Great Street also supported National Parks Board’s (NParks) Garden City Fund Plant-A-Tree Programme by committing to plant 100 trees in the Orchard Road precinct. To kick off the year-end planting efforts, ORBA planted two Malayan Crape Myrtle trees in front of ION Orchard on 4 September. ORBA will continue to work with horticulturalists and conservation experts from NParks to examine the trees that support the light-up décor to ensure they remain healthy. Mastercard has also pledged to restore one tree globally for every eligible transaction made with a Mastercard at 14 participating Orchard Road malls between 9 November 2024 to 1 January 2025 through their Priceless Planet Coalition partner, Conservation International Foundation.
As part of our commitment to giving back to the community, special bus tours will be organised for underprivileged seniors, healthcare and migrant workers throughout the season. ORBA will also host beneficiaries from Community Chest social service agencies for a special celebration at the Great Christmas Village at Ngee Ann City on 9 November 2024 to enjoy the activities a day before the Village is open to the public.
Exclusive Festive Spend Campaigns with Mastercard®
Mastercard, the official card partner for Christmas on A Great Street for the 12th year running, will be offering a host of exclusive offers and experiences.
This year, 14 malls will participate in Christmas Rewards with Mastercard between 9 November 2024 and 1 January 2025. Eleven malls will participate in the Black Friday Tier of Christmas Rewards with Mastercard from 29 November till 15 December 2024.
For Christmas Rewards and the Black Friday Tier, cardholders will be able to redeem up to $30 and $50 worth of mall-specific shopping vouchers with a minimum spend of $300 and $500 (maximum of five same-day receipts) respectively in participating malls, limited to the first 100 cardholders per week for Christmas Rewards, and the first 200 cardholders for the Black Friday Tier on a while-stocks-last basis.
Besides Christmas Rewards, the 14 malls will also contribute to Mastercard’s Priceless Planet Coalition’s efforts between 9 November 2024 and 1 January 2025. The Priceless Planet Coalition unites the efforts of citizens, businesses, and corporate partners to fight climate change through funding the restoration of 100 million trees globally. With every eligible Mastercard transaction made at these 14 malls, Mastercard will restore one tree, capped at 100,000 trees for this campaign, through the Coalition’s expert partners Conservation International and the World Resource Institute.
Ms Deborah Heng, Country Manager, Singapore, Mastercard, said: “Mastercard is honoured to celebrate its 12th year of collaboration with Christmas on A Great Street and being part of this marquee annual event, which is a key highlight of the Christmas and year end season in Singapore. The festive atmosphere and activities, together with exciting shopping rewards, align with Mastercard’s commitment to creating memorable experiences. Mastercard is also delighted to bring the magic of Christmas to life through the enchanting 14-metre-tall Christmas tree and the immersive snowfall show at the Christmas Village.
“We are also deeply grateful for ORBA’s collaboration and support once again for Mastercard’s Priceless Planet Coalition, an effort which seeks to restore 100 million trees globally by uniting corporate sustainability efforts, and engaging businesses and consumers to take collective actions. Through this year’s collaborative efforts, continuing to give back not just to our local communities but to the planet as well, we aim to contribute to this goal by restoring up to 100,000 trees.”
Christmas on A Great Street Stay Packages
This year, seven hotels along Orchard Road will offer a host of attractive Stay Packages from 1 November 2024 to 1 January 2025, for both locals and tourists to soak in the holiday atmosphere. With a minimum 3D2N stay package with breakfast and $50 Great Christmas Village credits to spend on rides and games at the two Great Christmas Villages, guests can enjoy festive fun right outside their rooms.
Images credit to Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA)
