Huney'Z World: Clifford Pier

Hi Huneybees,

There’s something oddly emotional about standing in a place you thought you knew… only to realise how many stories were quietly hidden beneath it all.

I recently attended the exclusive preview of Port of Dreams, one of the signature experiences under Singapore HeritageFest 2026, and when I thought it was a guided heritage walk, it turned out to be instead was a beautifully immersive journey through memory, migration, and Singapore’s maritime past.

Set around The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore which used to be the historic Clifford Pier, Port of Dreams transforms the waterfront into a living stage taking audiences through a theatrical journey inspired by Singapore’s maritime history. Instead of sitting in a theatre, we moved through the waterfront itself while stories unfolded around us.

As we wandered through the beautifully preserved spaces of the former Clifford Pier, actors emerged from corners of the hotel grounds portraying figures from Singapore’s past — a Straits-born merchant, a Tamil dock worker, a Malaccan fisherman, and a Chinese immigrant.

Together with movement performers, they recreated fragments of life from Singapore’s bustling port days, turning the waterfront into a living memoryscape.

I vaguely remember the old Clifford Pier area before the transformation into today’s modern Fullerton Bay district, but I never truly understood how important this place once was. Watching these stories unfold while standing beside the river made me realise how many arrivals, departures, reunions, sacrifices, and dreams once passed through this very waterfront.

One detail that stayed with me throughout the night was the iconic red lanterns lining the waterfront.

At first, they simply looked beautiful against the evening skyline. But during the performance, we learnt how these lanterns once served as a symbolic marker for arriving travellers. Seeing the warm red glow meant you had finally docked at Clifford Pier. Suddenly, those lanterns no longer felt decorative, they became emotional landmarks tied to memory, homecoming, and arrival.

And that’s what I loved most about Port of Dreams. It didn’t feel like sitting through a history lesson. It felt like wandering through someone else’s memories with the entire experience blurring the lines of theatre, heritage, movement, and storytelling into something surprisingly intimate and poetic.

This is just one glimpse of what Singapore HeritageFest 2026 has planned this year, but honestly, if you only have time to experience one programme from the festival, Port of Dreams feels like the one to prioritise. Especially for younger Singaporeans who may never have known Clifford Pier before its transformation into the Fullerton Bay area, this experience becomes a rare chance to reconnect with a forgotten chapter of our city’s identity and rediscover the stories once anchored along these waters.

Beyond Port of Dreams, what makes Singapore HeritageFest 2026 feel especially exciting this year is how the festival goes far beyond the usual “look at old photos and read information panels” type of heritage experience. Instead, many of the programmes are designed to let people actively step into Singapore’s maritime past through theatre, movement, food, music, crafts, workshops, and even actual journeys across the water.

Image Credit: Marcus Lim

One programme I’m genuinely curious about is A Bump Through Time, which is also Singapore HeritageFest’s first-ever theatrical bumboat experience. Instead of just riding along the Singapore River, participants can become part of an interactive storytelling journey through Clarke Quay and Marina Bay, uncovering how trade, migration, and river life shaped Singapore’s early identity.It sounds like the kind of experience where history suddenly feels cinematic rather than textbook.

Image Credit: ARCH2

For those who enjoy uncovering hidden stories, SHIPPED: Memoirs from Our Maritime World explores Southeast Asia’s maritime archaeology through underwater discoveries and submerged artefacts, revealing how much history still lies beneath our surrounding waters. It’s a reminder that Singapore’s relationship with the sea stretches far beyond modern container ports and skylines.

From Port to Plate.
Image Credit: Singapore HeritageFest 2026

There are also programmes that explore how maritime trade quietly shaped our everyday culture and food traditions today. From Port to Plate traces the evolution of Singapore’s hawker culture through family-friendly interactive trails, while workshops like the Kway Guan Huat Joo Chiat Popiah Workshop allow participants to learn traditional techniques passed down through generations.

Spice to Meet You!
Image Credit: Singapore HeritageFest 2026

Even Scents of the Nusantara takes a creative approach by letting visitors craft perfumes inspired by spices, woods, florals, and ingredients historically traded across Southeast Asian ports.

Image Credit: Singapore HeritageFest 2026

Meanwhile, festival hub HOMEGROUND @ ACM Green sounds like it’s going to become one of the main gathering spaces throughout the festival period. Set against the waterfront beside the Asian Civilisations Museum, the space brings together exhibitions, performances, workshops, food experiences, and craft showcases inspired by Singapore’s maritime roots and migration stories. Apparently, the programmes rotate weekly too, so every visit offers something slightly different.

Image Credit: Singapore HeritageFest 2026

Running from 1 to 24 May 2026, this year’s edition with over 100 programmes islandwide - including immersive tours, theatrical experiences, workshops, exhibitions, guided trails, performances, and family-friendly activities, the Singapore HeritageFest 2026 is definitely something to get your May filled with.

Image Credit: Singapore HeritageFest 2026

And if when attending these programmes, keep an eye out for Pitta, the SHF 2026 mascot, across the island and snap a photo to share on Instagram with @sgheritagefest, #SGHeritageFest, #SHF2026 and #ISeaYou for a chance to win a limited-edition SHF keepsake at HOMEGROUND.

Stay tuned for more and plan your voyage at: https://www.heritage.sg/sgheritagefest.
For more information and programme details, visit Singapore HeritageFest 2026.

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Hi Huneybees,

My F1 weekend ended with a super duper "HC" (High Class) event. Special thanks to Terence, Darren, Jessie and Shu Qing for having me there to party with them. And also a big thanks to Irene, Jessie's friend for the invite for my hubby so that he can join us as well.

We were each given a special pass to be scanned on that day, so that when we participate in the activities, photos will be automatically be sent into our individual Facebook account. Must say it's a very clever idea but too bad, the system became faulty after awhile....

I dolled myself up that day. As the dress code was black tie and had black eyeshadow (Jet Black Party) and a tinge of gold to line my lower water line (Words on invite was gold).

We arrived at the venue One on the Bund, Clifford Pier, and the carpet was rolled out, we entered like celebrities and took pictures in front of the media board with the Johnnie Walker Ladies.

We camwhored at the entrance for a "while" before we entered and be wow-ed by the interior decoration of the place! Super 'atas' can?

We registered ourselves and headed on inside.

Even the table we were at had the JW logo.

Then, we spotted the photo booth and the activity booth where we can have the POV of an F1 racer and experience what's it like before an F1 racer goes on to the tracks...

This is the "F1 experience" booth.

Photo Booth!

Then, we headed on to the board next to the booths and left our names there...

Spotted, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton leaving their signatures on the board too!

Yipee! Drinks time! How can you party without booze right?! And what's on the menu tonight?

Which mixer will you choose?

Well, we had the "Red Flag". It's super fruity and yummy....

And the thoughtful people of JW, even provided bottled water for blending out the Johnnie Walker or for the non-alcoholic drinkers.

Food in preparation.

Loving these mini macarons. Sweet and tasty, I couldn't stop eating it... :)

We were then invited to have a little Johnnie Walker tasting and learned more about the drink...

The table was set.

Everyone was seated and drinks were served.

We tried 4 drinks and each were taken differently. One is neat, the other is with ice.

And another we were told to pour a little on our palms.

And sniff it.

We had to choose which drink was the Black Label and in fact all were. Just that they all taste different at when mixed differently, even drank at different climates affect the way it tastes. So versatile! Like me trying different styles everyday! :X

Shu Qing having her drink.

We then had a picture with the Brand Ambassador of JW, before we let the guys go in and have their turn at JW tasting.

Snapped some photos before some of us went to explore the rest of the place...

Love love love the view from the outdoor balcony...

Now the climax! The clock struck 11pm and celebrities were 'flocking' in. We managed to asked a few to have photos with us. What a star studded night!