The annual Orchard Road Christmas Light Up is back for the 2017 edition. With the theme of ‘Endless Wonder’ and the variety of decorations, lights and Christmas events all around the Orchard Road district, there’s no excuse not to visit this year’s edition of this annual event. Here’s a closer look.
What is the Orchard Road Christmas Light Up 2017?
Each year, it’s a tradition for the Orchard Road district to be all decked out with beautiful Christmas lights and decorations which stretches from Tanglin Mall to Plaza Singapura. Malls in Orchard Road will also add their own touch by decorating their buildings with a variety of Christmas decorations contributing to that festive vibe.
Street Lights along Orchard Road
The most famous part of the whole Orchard Christmas Light Up are the rows of decorative lights suspended in the air with the support of lampposts on both sides of the street. There were also plenty of Christmas ornaments decorated alongside the lights. Since this year’s theme is ‘Endless Wonder’, the lights were in the colour of blue and white with the light up starting at 3pm in the day.
For that full ‘Endless Wonder’ experience, ride on a double decker bus, or better yet, on an open top double decker bus along the streets of Orchard Road to immerse yourself in the beautiful bright lights.
The Great Christmas Village at Ngee Ann City’s Civic Plaza & Flashbang at Somerset's Open Carpark
A new addition to this year’s Christmas Light Up is the Great Christmas Village located at the Ngee Ann City’s Civic Plaza which ran from 25 November all the way to Christmas day. Some of the highlights of the Great Christmas Village include live performances, a flea market, food stalls by brand names like Toast Box and Starbucks and much more.
The Great Christmas Village is definitely a great accompaniment to the existing Light Up which adds to that long list of exciting Christmas activities you can carry out at Orchard Road.
Apart from the Great Christmas Village at Ngee Ann City, another event that’s happening in December is the Flashbang creative festival happening at the open air carpark beside Somerset MRT Station. The event consists of flea market stalls, food stalls and live performances by young independent artists.
Visitors could also enjoy their time by playing at the arcade games available and take pictures with the decorative neon lights located all around. Although the event was not Christmas-themed, it was still an exciting event happening in Orchard Road and the response was overwhelming.
Shibuya-style Crossing at Orchard Road
As part of the plan to rejuvenate the Orchard Road district, a trial for a scramble crossing took place from December 2017 to January 2018 at the junction of Cairnhill Road, Orchard Road and Grange Road near The Heeren mall.
Pedestrians were given free reign to cross whichever direction they wish during that one minute when the traffic stops in all directions just like the famous crossing in Shibuya in Tokyo, Japan. If the trial is successful, it will be a permanent fixture and will be extended to other crossings along Orchard Road.
Best Dressed Malls of Orchard Road Part 1
As it’s the Christmas season, malls along Orchard Road were all decked out in their best Christmas-themed decorations and Christmas trees. Orchard Central created a mini Christmas village along the walkway complete with props for passers-by to pose photos with while Orchard Gateway on the other hand, had this space-themed Christmas where a Santa Claus prop was dressed up in a space suit like an astronaut.
Right over at Ion Orchard, their signature giant Christmas tree were decorated with Pandora crystals all over. A small toy train station and smaller scale Christmas trees were located at the other side of the Ion Orchard entrance.
Best Dressed Malls of Orchard Road Part 2
At Centrepoint, a Star Wars-themed Christmas welcomes shoppers with small Christmas trees made up of the famous Star Wars lightsabers while at Wheelock Place, you could have yourself a grand entrance with this interesting Christmas-themed installation right outside the mall's entrance.
Lastly at Forum shopping mall over at the Tanglin side, the building was all dressed up in light blue lights all over together with a light blue lit Christmas tree. Though simple, they still got the job done.
Christmas-themed Installations Along the Orchard Road Walkway
While walking along the walkway throughout the whole Orchard Road, there were interesting and eye-catching installations along the way too. Some of it may have some interactive elements to it while some were static displays which were prime targets for photo-taking opportunities because of its appealing aesthetics.
One notable interesting installation was located right outside the Forum shopping mall. It's called the Endless Wonder tunnel which was a brightly-lit tunnel where you could walk through to capture the beauty of the installation inside and out. It’s very popular among curious passers-by and a very popular place to do some photo-taking.
Conclusion
The annual Orchard Road Christmas Light Up is a definite must-visit thanks to the variety of Christmas lights, decorations and trees all around. The 2017 edition even has events like the Great Christmas Village and Flashbang which definitely added on to the vibe. We also find that this year’s light up is perhaps one of the most festive throughout the years. Visited the 2017 Light Up recently? Let us know in the comments!
More Information
Orchard Road Business Association Official Website: http://www.orchardroad.org/