We get it; the conquest of curating the perfect IG feed is nigh impossible, but thankfully, there’s now a picture-perfect spot to bring a date to help provide aesthetic fodder for this month’s photo dump. Enter illumi Singapore 2024, a massive light, sound, and multimedia event that will be transforming Marina Bay into a gleaming utopia from 13th September 2024.
You won’t want to miss this one, as it’s bringing 9 different themed worlds all prettied up with various light installations, complete with a 47m-tall Tree of Light. Whether you’re on BF duty or just swinging by out of curiosity, here’s how to get the best out of this scintillating attraction by capturing some Gen-Z-approved snaps for the ‘Gram.
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Hailing from Canada, illumi is a light show that has been dazzling visitors since its 2019 debut in Montreal. It’s finally going global, and will be making its first international stop right here in the Little Red Dot. illumi Singapore will be up and running at Bayfront Event Space, from 13th September all the way to 2nd February 2025.
Dubbed the world’s largest light, sound, and multimedia event of its kind, it will be dressing up the Bayfront Event Ground in 20 million LED lights. You’ll want to have your camera at the ready for this one, as larger-than-life structures and innovative light installations light up the iconic Singapore skyline beautifully.
Tickets are currently available for purchase on Tremtix and Pelago, and are starting from $25 for adults and from $15 for kids aged between 2 and 12.
Once you’ve made your way to illumi Singapore 2024, the first zone you’ll come across is the whimsical Magical Forest, inhabited by sparkling denizens such as elephants, zebras, flamingoes, and tigers. There are also various plants and trees peppered throughout the grounds, constructed from dangling LED wires which add to the zone’s ethereal beauty.
Since standing for your shots is just plain boring, we’ve opted for a lower angle to capture this area’s flora and fauna, and there are pockets of wonderfully-lit red mushrooms to pose beside. Squatting seems to be one of the de-facto poses in Gen-Z’s repertoire, and we have to admit that it does give a certain nonchalant edge to your portraits.
Looks like winter has come early; walk amongst the shimmering stalagmites, or duck into igloos for a photo at The Infinite Poles.
Gen-Z’s obsession with 0.5 selfies is honestly terrifying, but there’s something so eye-catchingly quirky about their distorted proportions. There are plenty of opportunities to put this quintessential selfie to good use at illumi Singapore 2024, as you’ll be able to perfectly frame yourself within the Infinite Poles zone.
Simply switch your phone’s rear camera to a 0.5x zoom and point it at yourself; if you’re finding it tough to hit the shutter on your phone’s screen, most smartphones allow you to use your volume buttons to snap a picture. Take selfies the traditional way like what we’ve done on the right, and you might miss out on background elements like the waddling penguins and the towering illumi Tree.
Head a little further into illumi Singapore 2024, and you’ll eventually reach The Dune Palace, a desert-themed spot which sports camels, fruit stands, genies, and even an Aladdin-like flying carpet. There’s also a Flying Chairs ride that’s free to hop on which the little ones will have a blast at as it twirls round and round.
But, if you’re here for the IG story updates, then look no further than the huge, glowing arcs in the vicinity. Of course, you’re free to hit up the cheesy cut-out boards that are adorned with pretty lights, but we’re taking a page out of Gen-Z’s book for this one. To make your shots more dynamic, add some motion blur by using a long exposure to get that “caught in the act” look.
The tunnel flashes in a myriad of colours, so stay put for a bit to catch a mini light show here.
Candid shots are the bread and butter of Gen-Z’s aesthetic arsenal, so be sure to ask your friends to supply you with tons by spamming the shutter button at the Tunnel of Colours. Framing your shots is effortless with the tunnel’s straight walkway, and the overhead sign here lets your IG audience know exactly where you’ve spent your weekend at.
To put things into perspective, the illumi Tree is as tall as 5 Merlions stacked atop one another.
Afterwards, feel free to take a breather at the base of the illumi Tree. You would’ve caught a glimpse of it at the entrance of the festival; the base of the 47m-tall Christmas tree look-alike comes right after the end of the tunnel, and it too pulses in a variety of patterns and colours.
You can grab some refreshments at the Glowing Bar which is sat right below the tree, and take the chance to aim your cameras upwards to shoot another angle of this sky-scraping monument. It’s also decorated with vivid butterflies that seem to flit within the radiant cone.
The chicken coop, barn, and farm animals in the back are a nod to rural Canada.
The Enchanted Maples zone is also another area where you can unwind at. It features a whole forest of maple trees which wreaths the entire area in hues of red and orange, and there’s even a Sugar Shack nearby where you can munch on sweet treats courtesy of Canada.
Besides being able to give your feet a break, the seats within The Enchanted Maples also serve as a great prop, literally, for your phones to capture dreamy, soft launch pics. A standard selfie does nothing to hide those pearly whites, so open up your camera app to double as a mirror, and use another phone as a mask of anonymity.
Animal lovers will have a field day at the Puppies & Kitties zone, as the place is filled with illuminated sculptures of dogs and cats of all sizes and breeds. Playful tabbies lay in wait, while gigantic Golden Retrievers and Dalmations stand guard.
Speaking of which, they make for great backdrops to commemorate a perfect night out. Rather than striking for a tourist-y pose in front of one of the oversized doggos, keep your followers guessing who’s your +1 by lowering your camera’s exposure and going for a silhouette shot. After all, gloomy pics where you can’t make out what’s what seem to be all the rage these days.
If you’re looking for something a little more intimidating than the wagging tails of puppies, then The Jurassic Kingdom zone will be right up your alley. The familiar soundtrack of Jurassic Park should cue you in; you’ll be greeted with dinosaur animatronics once you step foot into their domain.
Yes, these hulking behemoths actually move about, albeit rooted in place. Watch in awe as a Brontosaur cranes its neck from side to side as the iconic T-Rex brandishes its razor-sharp teeth.
Another spectacle of illumi Singapore 2024 is their Wall of Lights. Like its name suggests, the entire area is covered with seemingly endless curtains of lights that drape to the ground. You’ll also spot a couple of cheeky gnomes stationed around the premises to wave hello to.
Now that you’ve hopefully picked up a thing or 2 when it comes to achieving that coveted, contemporary Gen-Z aesthetic, all that’s left to do is to put that into practice by heading down to illumi Singapore 2024 yourself. Even if you’re not there to go on a snapping spree, the place is pretty dang gorgeous in-person, so there’s nothing wrong with going there just for the vibes.
For more light festival-related reads and inspo, check out the recent Singapore Night Festival 2024, or how last year’s i Light Singapore 2023 went down. For those with friends who’d need another photography crash course, peep our Orchard Road Christmas Lights guide to ensure that your pics come out looking chio AF.
Photography by Huy Pham.
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