Think about Christmas events in Singapore and the usual suspects will come to mind: Christmas Wonderland, the light-up at Orchard Road, and our airport’s own Changi Festive Village. Arguably, the latter is more than just a Christmas event, since it stretches out over a few months into the new year.
Back for another run from 4th November 2023 to 31st March 2024, this year’s edition has an uber sweet theme. The public spaces of Changi Airport Terminal 3 has been transformed into 3 unique zones: Candy Snow House, Candy Carnival, and Candy Wonderland.
Snow bowling.
The first thing we usually associate with Changi Airport is travelling, but soaring ticket prices or not having enough ALs make staying home a viable option. If you’ve gotten wanderlust from all those pictures of winter destinations, you can also experience sub-zero temperatures right here on our sunny island, all without having to reach for your passport.
Ice luge.
Changi Airport has teamed up with Snow City to transform the coach pick-up area into the Candy Snow House. This is where you’ll find everything from sports with an frigid twist, think mini golf with a course carved out of ice, to event specific activities such as the 3-lane 5m-long ice slides or 3m-long ice luge.
In order to reduce wear and tear on the ice slide and ice luge, users have to sit on a tyre before zooming down. That said, do be careful as the ice can be slippery.
Snap a pose by the intricately-carved sculptures.
Be prepared because it gets cold here, we’re talking icy -10°C temperatures. But you don’t have to worry about lugging your own winterwear. Cold weather gear such as gloves ($3.50/pair) and waterproof pants ($4.50) are available for rent.
Entry to the Candy Snow House costs 20 credits – which is about $19.90 – for an hour of icy play. Additionally, do note that personal photography is not permitted in the Candy Snow House for safety reasons. Photo packages, starting at $19.90, are available for those who want to keep the photographs for the mems.
If you’re not a fan of frigid temperatures, fret not, there’s also the Candy Carnival. Located just in front of the Candy Snow House, this is where you can win attractive prizes such as giant plushies when you try your luck at a variety of carnival games available. These include familiar favourites such as ring toss, dart throws, and claw machines.
If carnival rides are more your thing, there are those too, with classic ones such as pirate ship ($5) and carousel ($4) available. Parents can accompany their children at the candy-themed bouncy castle ($6) or race each other at the go-karts ($6).
Once you’ve had your share of fun, head over to the row of “food trucks” located just in front of the entrance. From finger food such as takoyaki ($6 for 4) to easy-to-eat carnival grub like corndogs (starting from $7) and full meals like lamb mandi rice ($12), you’ll find a wide variety of food to quell that hunger.
Corndog (left) and rosti with smoked duck (right).
Personally, we’d recommend the plain rosti with smoked duck ($10) and cheesy chicken quesadillas ($10). We found the rosti to be crispy, with the sour cream giving a nice kick to the dry potato strips while the smoked duck added just the right amount of saltiness. The quesadillas didn’t disappoint either, being chock full of ingredients such as shimeji mushrooms, diced onions, chicken chunks, and of course, mozzarella.
Credits for both the Candy Snow House and Candy Carnival are available for purchase from the Changi App, with 21 credits going for $20. If you’d like to have more fun, 55 credits and a free amusement ride can be had for $50, while $100 will entitle you to 120 credits and 2 free amusement rides.
We’ve saved the best for the last. When you’ve had your fill of carnival games and Christmas-themed drinks and bites, head up to the departure hall where Candy Wonderland awaits.
The highlight of Changi Festive Village, this is where you’ll find the most whimsical candy-themed features. You won’t miss the 5m-tall teddy bear and a 2-storey high Ferris wheel. But hold your horses – before you get excited, know that you can’t ride the ferris wheel – it’s just there for the ‘Gram.
Every evening, there’ll also be a light and sound show, complete with dancers and cuddly dinosaur mascots that the kids will love.
From now till Christmas Day, catch a variety of performances at Candy Wonderland ranging from towering stilt walkers to festive jugglers. Every Saturday from now till 25th December, there’ll even be a marching band from Ventus Music, a non profit organisation comprising educators, music professionals, as well as hobbyists.
What’s Christmas without Santa? Whether it’s for photos or to find out if you’ve been naughty or nice this year, you can catch the man of the season himself. He’ll make appearances on weekends from 15th-25th December.
Whether you’re looking for a winter getaway without leaving our sunny island, Changi Festive Village is where its at. Whether you intend to relive childhood memories by trying your hand at the many carnival games, take adorable family shots, or whoosh down a 3m-long ice luge, it’s worth heading down.
Address: 65 Airport Boulevard, Changi Airport Terminal 3, Singapore 819663
Candy Snow House
Location: Arrival Hall, B2
Dates: 4th November 2023-31st March 2024
Opening hours: 12pm-10pm, Daily (revised schedule starting from 2nd January 2024 – only open on weekends, school holidays & PHs)
Candy Carnival
Location: Arrival Hall, B2 & B3
Dates: 4th November 2023-31st March 2024
Opening hours: 11am-10pm, Daily
Candy Wonderland
Location: Departure Hall, Level
Dates: 4th November 2023-1st January 2024
Opening hours: 11am-10pm, Daily
Other events & destinations to look forward to this December:
Photography by Shawn Low
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