I just came back from a preview of Lights by the Lake 2026 at Jurong Lake Gardens, and if you’re looking for somewhere to take a little Mid-Autumn date, an evening stroll with the family, or simply an excuse to get out after dark, this is one to add to your plans.
Running from 19 to 27 September 2026, this year’s festival transforms Jurong Lake Gardens with lantern displays, light installations, performances, activities and a food market. The lantern displays will also stay on a little longer, until 4 October 2026.
The Legend of the White Snake Comes to Life
Instead of simply walking from lantern to lantern, this year you can actually follow a story through the gardens.
The main lantern displays this year draw inspiration from the Chinese folklore Legend of the White Snake, following the love story between Bai Suzhen, a white snake spirit who takes human form, and the mortal Xu Xian.
Across Lakeside Garden, five lantern scenes unfold like chapters of their story. It begins with The Spirit Awakens, as Bai Suzhen enters the human world, followed by Fateful Encounter on the Bridge, where a shared umbrella sparks her romance with Xu Xian.
Under the rain, Xu Xian shares his umbrella with Bai Suzhen and that tiny act of kindness becomes the beginning of their love story. Seeing that moment recreated as a lantern display feels especially fitting for a little date night, don't you think?
Their story continues with A Mortal Life Together, depicting the couple’s peaceful life in Hangzhou, before taking a darker turn in The Realgar Wine Revelation, when Bai Suzhen’s true identity as a white snake spirit is revealed.
The journey culminates in The Battle at Jinshan Temple, where a desperate Bai Suzhen confronts Fa Hai in an attempt to reunite with Xu Xian. She summons her powers and floods the temple, but is ultimately defeated by Fa Hai, leaving the lovers separated.
It’s quite a dramatic love story to follow as you make your way through the gardens, and knowing what each scene represents definitely adds another layer to the lantern displays. And these aren't all static lanterns either. Look out for interactive details including dynamic waterfall lighting effects and even the swinging tail of the White Snake.
Don't Stop at Lakeside Garden
One thing I would recommend is giving yourself enough time to explore beyond the main White Snake displays. Head over to Chinese Garden, where you'll find more familiar Mid-Autumn imagery around the Cleansing Biotope Ponds.
There’s Moonlit Reunion, where Chang’e looks down upon the mortal world surrounded by lotus flowers, followed by the adorable Whispers of the Jade Rabbit, with the Jade Rabbit and its friends gathering under the moonlight.
Then continue into Japanese Garden, because the mood changes again.
Kaguya's Moon Garden draws inspiration from the Japanese folktale The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, creating a dreamy moonlit scene of Princess Kaguya surrounded by flowers, rabbits and drifting clouds.
Nearby, Waters of Abundance is a much more tranquil display, with colourful koi seemingly gliding beneath floating lanterns. This was one of those spots that made me want to slow down for a moment instead of rushing off to the next photo opportunity.
Wait for the Cloud Pagoda to Light Up
The highlight every year is definitely the Cloud Pagoda at Chinese Garden. And this year, Legend of the White Snake: The Reunion takes the familiar tale in a slightly different direction. Rather than leaving Bai Suzhen, Xu Xian, Xiao Qing and Fa Hai divided by everything that has happened, this reimagined ending brings the four characters together again with a message of forgiveness, harmony and hope.
Their story is projected onto the Cloud Pagoda in a light show running every 30 minutes from 7:30pm to 10pm during the festival. It makes a nice finale if you've been following the White Snake story from the beginning of your walk.
Wan Qing Mid-Autumn Festival Merge
There’s actually a lot more happening at Chinese Garden beyond the lantern displays this year.
For the first time, Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall’s Wan Qing Mid-Autumn Festival is joining Lights by the Lake, bringing its cultural activities into the Chinese Garden from 19 to 27 September 2026.
One that immediately caught my attention is Xiao Qing’s Special Delivery: Chinese Garden Stamp Rally. Inspired by the Legend of the White Snake, the self-guided trail takes you around different landmarks in Chinese Garden to collect stamps while following Xiao Qing on her special delivery mission.
Complete the trail and you can redeem an additional special keepsake on 19, 20, 25, 26 and 27 September, from 6.30pm to 9.30pm at the Bonsai Garden.
Over at the Bonsai Garden, there are also plenty of free drop-in activities happening on selected festival nights, including lantern making, Hanfu dress-up and photography, heritage activities and multi-layered stamp printing.
The Hanfu experience sounds particularly fun for photos. You can dress up in traditional Hanfu, pose for a complimentary photo and even bring home a printed keepsake from your visit.
Or if you prefer something crafty, make your own lantern before taking it along for your night-time stroll. There’s also a multi-layered stamp printing activity where you can create a postcard featuring a scene from Legend of the White Snake or the iconic Wan Qing Yuan.
There are also Mid-Autumn storytelling sessions at the Tea Pavilion, conducted in Mandarin on 20 September and English on 27 September, as well as two travelling exhibitions at the Grand Arch exploring Mid-Autumn traditions and the history of Wan Qing Yuan.
Most of these activities are free, so I would definitely factor in some extra time at Chinese Garden instead of only passing through for the lanterns.
There’s More Than Lanterns This Year
While the lanterns may be the main attraction, there’s actually plenty happening around Jurong Lake Gardens throughout the nine-day festival.
Depending on when you visit, you can catch everything from live performances and outdoor movie screenings to art activities, heritage experiences, lantern riddles and hands-on workshops.
Science Centre Singapore returns with Celestial Nights: Mid-Autumn Edition, where you can take a self-guided walk past illuminated planetary panels and a giant inflatable moon. There are also additional programmes such as a Silent Disco on 26 September and Moon Legends: From Myth to Mission, a 20-minute planetarium show happening on 25 and 26 September. Selected programmes require registration.
Here's something rather different: night dragon boating.
For the first time, PAssion Wave @ Jurong Lake Gardens is introducing Light Up Jurong Lake: A Night Dragon Boating Experience on 26 September. Participants will get to glide across Jurong Lake after dark aboard an illuminated dragon boat, while hearing stories about the heritage of the area.
There are also concerts and performances happening across the festival, including Music Oasis by Singapore Chinese Orchestra, LED lion dances and Moonstruck 2026 – Watermarks of the Moon at Japanese Garden.
With different programmes happening on different nights, here's the programme highlights below so you can plan which evening to visit.
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| Click to expand for more programme details. |
Some activities require registration or separate tickets, so do check the individual programme details before heading down. This will definitely make it more of an evening-out situation than simply coming down, taking a few lantern photos and leaving.
Make a Night of It
And because walking around Jurong Lake Gardens is inevitably going to make someone say, "I'm hungry," there is also a Food Market at Lakeside Field throughout the festival. It runs from 6:30pm to 11pm daily, so you can grab something to eat before continuing your lantern walk or end the evening there.
Grab a bite, have a drink break and don't rush through the event trying to tick off every installation.
So, grab your favourite person, arrive as the sun goes down, follow Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian's story through the lanterns, wander into Chinese and Japanese Gardens, stop for photos, catch the Cloud Pagoda light show and get something to eat before heading home.
A simple little Mid-Autumn date under the lights. 🏮🌕✨
Lights by the Lake 2026
📍 Jurong Lake Gardens
📆 19 – 27 September 2026
(Lantern displays till 4 October 2026)
⏰ 6:30pm – 10:30pm daily
🎫 Free, although selected programmes and workshops require registration.
❗❗❗ Do note that Jurong Lake Gardens is smoke-free, and while battery-operated lanterns are welcome, candlelit lanterns, sparklers and other open flames are not permitted. Visitors are also encouraged to take public transport, especially with larger crowds expected during the festival.
