Dayna WongThis year’s Wellness Festival is organised by the Singapore Tourism Board in partnership with six other statutory boards. Held from June 21 to July 21, this islandwide festival features more than 120 programmes from over 75 partners, including activities you can do for free! Everything on offer, from poetry to bouldering, is aimed at promoting ways for Singaporeans to focus on their physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing.
Here are some highlights from the Wellness Festival so far!
Glow Festival by Prudential
Venue: Marina Bay Sands, Event Plaza
Date: July 6 to July 21
Time: 5.30pm to 10.30pm (Weekdays), 10.30am to 10.30pm (Weekends)
Free Admission to the Wellness Activity Space and Bazaar. Selected sessions require a Glow Festival Pass ranging from $29 to $69.
The third edition of the Wellness Festival Singapore features the Glow Festival by Prudential as its anchor event. Visitors can expect a rewarding day packed with a multitude of wellness experiences led by professionals, partnering with fitness brands like lululemon to serve the ultimate “glow up” for Singaporeans.
Photo by Dayna Wong.
Drawn to the colourful banners and interesting games, I first stopped by the Wellness Bazaar, where visitors can purchase wellness products and foods from multiple health and lifestyle brands. I even got free samples from doing simple exercises!
Walking into the space, I got a glimpse of the flashing lights from the Oracle room and was curious to go in for a session. It does not disappoint in delivering a unique visual experience, allowing me to see moving shapes and patterns while my eyes are closed! Immersive experiences that are free of charge include this activity at the Oracle and sound therapy at the Bliss Room, where sessions are conducted at intervals throughout the day.
For those who want to participate in mass workouts or classes led by professionals, a Glow Festival Pass must be purchased separately online.
Looking to try something more fast-paced, I tried out the virtual rowing booth by Refract. After speaking to the staff, I learnt that they are a company that creates virtual reality experiences for sports like taekwondo and boxing. At the festival, their booth gamifies rowing through motion tracking technology. If you are looking for an adrenaline rush, the paired set up makes it a good workout to do with a friend!
Gallery Wellness Special by the National Gallery
Venue: National Gallery Singapore, City Hall Wing, Level 1, Opposite Keppel Centre for Art Education
Date: June 21 to July 21
Time: 10am – 7pm
Admission is free, except for the Slow Art X Workshop.
As a means to unwind the next day, I visited the 2024 Gallery Wellness special, which focuses on the theme, “Your Canvas”, encouraging reflection on personal development and growth through art.
At the activity Words that Count, we made blackout poetry, which involves creating a poem by blacking out and highlighting words from an existing text based on what resonates with you.
Additionally, the Colors and Shapes of Feelings is an activity targeted towards young families, allowing children to learn to express their emotions. Through stickers and shapes, participants are prompted to illustrate happiness, sadness, anger, and fear.
These activities allowed my brain to slow down and process the past year, allowing me to freely create in the moment.
Photo by Dayna Wong.
Next to this, I visited the Project Dreamcatchers showcase titled “Fall, Cry, Grow, Smile… We Soar”. It features a collection of artistic expressions done by 18 youths living with chronic illnesses, each one inspired by an artwork at the National Gallery. Their art depicts the ups and downs in their journey, showing their resilience and tenacity through their works. It also highlights the mental wellness of those living with chronic medical conditions.
Capitaland Live it Up!
Venue: Multiple Locations
Date: June 21 to July 21
Time: Subject to each activity
Admission is free.
Lastly, I stopped by the flag off ceremony for Capitaland’s first ever Community Fun Run, as part of their Live It Up! Campaign. Held in conjunction with the Wellness Festival Singapore, the campaign launched with a bang on June 29 with their Community Fun Run through Capitaland malls and properties across Singapore.
This marks the start of a lineup of fitness and self-care activities, such as kickboxing yoga and art jamming, its goal to allow the world of wellness to be within reach for Singaporeans. With its activities taking place in multiple locations across Singapore, they make for an impromptu wellness session from wherever you are.
This is just the beginning — check out the upcoming activities at the Wellness Festival happening till July 21!