River Hongbao is back but you can't just walk in — here's how to book your tickets

[UPDATED: JAN 21, 2022]

Shortly after ticketing for the River Hongbao event opened up on Wednesday (Jan 19), tickets for the first few days were quickly snapped up. As of the time of writing, all time slots from Jan 30 to Feb 2 are fully booked.

Addressing the overwhelming ticket response, organisers said in a Facebook post dated Jan 20 that the time allocated to complete each booking will be reduced. This is to allow more people to have the opportunity to book and reserve their tickets.

They also promised in a separate comment that more tickets would be released over the next few days.

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We're just a few weeks away from the Lunar New Year and this means that one can look forward to getting into the festive mood at River Hongbao, Singapore's largest annual Chinese New Year event. 

The hybrid event will run from Jan 30 to Feb 6 and features both virtual and physical activities, with the latter being held at Gardens by the Bay for the second year running. 

Guests can look forward to a host of activities like getai, performances featuring local artistes, as well as amusement rides. 

There will also be 30 giant lanterns on display, up from the 24 last year. The display includes familiar characters such as the God of Fortune, the 12 animals of the zodiac, as well as a music-themed interactive Rising After Challenges lantern. 

One can also look forward to an exhibition called Nian Hua: Changing Times, Unchanging Aspirations, which showcases traditional Chinese art and paintings.

Here, guests can use their phones to participate in an escape-style mini-game by looking for the QR codes situated next to the artefacts scattered around the exhibition hall. 

As for the virtual activities, don't miss the livestreams covering everything from fortune telling to 'tang yuan' making. 

You can also take part in the River Hongbao Instagram Emoji Hunt from home and stand to win $388 in shopping vouchers. 

Getting yourself a ticket 

Unlike pre-pandemic times when visitors could simply walk in, you'll have to book yourself a free ticket on River Hongbao's website to see the physical displays.

Some good news is that up to 4,400 visitors may visit per time slot, which is more than double the 2,000 visitors allowed last year. 

Tickets will be released in batches from today (Jan 19) onwards from 11 am. Up to five people can be registered per booking.

Once you've completed your registration, a confirmation email with QR codes will be sent to you via email — you'll need to use these enter the event. 

On the day itself, check-in counters will open 30 minutes before the scheduled time slot. 

Visitors will only be allowed to enter the event grounds once during their time slot and no extension of time slots are allowed either, so be sure not to leave the venue prematurely. 

melissateo@asiaone.com