Chinese New Year 2027 in Singapore with Kids: Dates, School and Events

30 October 2026 · 7 min read

Chinese New Year 2027 is on Saturday 6 February. The second day falls on Sunday 7 February, so Monday 8 February is a public holiday, and MOE schools stay shut on Tuesday 9 February as well. Children get four days off. Most working parents get three.

Most of what families do for Chinese New Year happens in the three weeks before the day, and on 30 October 2026 almost none of it had 2027 dates. River Hongbao's website still showed last year's edition. Chinatown, Chingay and the Istana had published no 2027 dates. One display was confirmed: Spring Blossoms in the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay, from 15 January to 28 February.

This guide to Chinese New Year 2027 in Singapore with kids gives the official dates, what is confirmed and, for the rest, who announces it and when they did last year. We will refresh it in early January.

DatesThe eve at schoolConfirmedNot announced yetClassesTraditions

Chinese New Year 2027 at a Glance

The Chinese New Year 2027 Dates and School Days Off

The Ministry of Manpower lists Chinese New Year on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 February 2027. Monday 8 February is a public holiday for anyone whose rest day falls on the Sunday.

MOE's 2027 school calendar adds one more day. Tuesday 9 February is a designated day off in lieu for schools, and MOE says schools, their general offices, student care centres and KCare centres will all be closed. If you are working that day, you need cover.

One day of leave on Tuesday 9 February gives the whole family four days together. International schools break for longer: our 2027 school holidays guide lists the Chinese New Year break at 18 of them.

The Eve, Friday 5 February: Expect an Early Finish

MOE's 2027 calendar does not mention the eve, and we found no MOE-wide rule on dismissal times. Each school sets its own.

In 2026 the eve fell on Monday 16 February. Maha Bodhi School celebrated from 7.30am to 10.30am and closed straight after. Yuan Ching Secondary dismissed students at 10.30am after a concert, and let them come in traditional costume. It told parents four days before.

So plan for a mid-morning pick-up on Friday 5 February 2027, and watch for your own school's notice, which may come late.

Confirmed for 2027

One family event has published 2027 dates. Two more are clearly being prepared.

Chinatown's 2027 light-up is being made. The Kreta Ayer community that runs Chinatown's celebrations put three Year of the Goat centrepiece designs to a public vote that closed on 19 July. A People's Association tender for the 2027 Chinese New Year street light-up, briefed at Kreta Ayer Community Club, closed on 31 August. Neither has a date for the lights or the street fair yet.

Community clubs have started listing, but not for children. onePA already shows Chinese New Year 2027 shopping trips to Johor, reunion dinners and a temple tour. We found no children's workshop among them.

Not Announced Yet: Who Announces What, and When

These are the events families plan around. For each, here is the organiser and what happened last year, from the organiser's own pages. Last year's dates are a guide, not a promise.

• River Hongbao. Its five organisers include the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations, the Singapore Tourism Board and the People's Association. Its website still shows 2026: 15 to 24 February at Gardens by the Bay, free, with no tickets. Fireworks went off at midnight on the eve and at 9pm on the first two days. The organisers announced that edition on 13 January 2026.
• The River Hongbao pattern. In 2024, 2025 and 2026 it opened two days before Chinese New Year and ran for 10 days. If 2027 follows, it would open around Thursday 4 February. Nothing is confirmed.
• Chinatown light-up and street fair. The street fair along Pagoda, Smith, Sago, Temple and Trengganu Streets ran from 27 January to 17 February in 2026, and from 8 to 28 January in 2025, according to the People's Association's stall tenders. In each of the last three years it lasted about three weeks and ended at Chinese New Year. For 2027, that points to mid-January to early February.
• Chingay. The People's Association's parade was on 27 and 28 February 2026 at the F1 Pit Building, ten days after Chinese New Year, and its tickets sold out. Children under 2 sat on a lap for free; everyone else needed a ticket. Chingay's website is recruiting volunteers for Chingay 2027 but gives no date.
• SCCC's CNY Family FUN. The Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre ran it from 30 January to 1 February 2026 with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra: children's lion and dragon dance workshops, storytelling and free lion dance by five troupes. It announced that programme on 8 January. Nothing for 2027 is listed yet.
• Istana Open House. In 2026 the Istana opened on Sunday 22 February, the Sunday after Chinese New Year, and announced it 10 days before. Entry was free for citizens and PRs; other visitors paid $20 an adult and $10 a child aged 4 to 12.
• Libraries and museums. NLB's events calendar runs only to 17 November. The National Museum, the Asian Civilisations Museum and the Children's Museum list no Chinese New Year programme yet.

Kids' Classes on Jungle Before Lion Dance Season

No Jungle-listed school had published a Chinese New Year 2027 workshop or camp on 30 October. Palate Sensations has a Chinese New Year category on its booking site, still empty. With four days off for MOE children, camps are rare. A child who wants to do more than watch can start a term now.

Chinese New Year Explained for Kids

If your child asks why, here is the short version, from Roots, the National Heritage Board's heritage site.

• Why the date moves. It follows the Chinese lunar calendar and falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice. The celebrations last 15 days.
• Spring cleaning. Families clean before the new year. The Chinese word for dust sounds like the word for old, so sweeping it away clears out bad luck.
• Reunion dinner. On the eve the extended family eats together, and many stay up past midnight to welcome the new year.
• Oranges and red packets. Visitors bring a pair of mandarin oranges and get a pair back, because the fruit's Chinese name sounds like "luck in abundance". Married adults, whatever their age, give red packets: decorated envelopes with a small sum inside.
• Lo hei. Yusheng is a colourful raw fish salad, popular in Singapore and Malaysia, that the family tosses together while calling out good wishes.
• The lion dance. Roots says lions are believed to bring good luck. Watch for the lion plucking greens hung up high: getting them symbolises good fortune.
• The goat. Gardens by the Bay and the Chinatown organisers both call 2027 the Year of the Goat.

How We Checked This

Every date, price and age was read on 30 October 2026 on the organiser's own website, booking system or government page, never a roundup. We will refresh this guide in early January 2027, when River Hongbao and the Chinatown programme are due.

For Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 February, browse public holiday activities on Jungle.