This Is How To Have The Best Time At The Light Show At Gardens By The Bay

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Did you know there’s a light show at Gardens By The Bay? The renowned futuristic gardens in Singapore not only house one of the largest indoor waterfalls, but its surreal Supertree Grove forest lights up to a rhapsody of moonstruck tunes sure to leave you with a sense of astonishment and awe.

With that in mind, Gardens By The Bay can easily be an all day affair with both free and paid attractions. The Supertree Grove, where the light show occurs, is a free attraction that’s open to everyone. After spending the day admiring the gently flowing waterfall located in Cloud Forest and roaming around the outdoor gardens, the light show adds the sprinkles on top of this decadent outdoor paradise.

The Garden By The Bay light show is called, “Garden Rhapsody“, where the vertical gardens (also known as the Supertrees within grove) light up the glowing sky with vibrant colors and sounds. It’s a romantic milieu imprinting poignant recollections of your time in Singapore.

This was one of Evan and I’s favorite travel experience in Singapore because it encapsulates all those memorable feelings of what it’s like to journey through both Singapore and Mother Nature for the first time.

In this post, I’ll share with you exactly what you need to know when gearing up to watch the light show at the Gardens By The Bay.

What is Gardens By The Bay

Gardens By The Bay is an attraction in Singapore that completely reimagined what it means to experience nature at its purest form. Inside you’ll find various attractions, all illustrating Mother Nature in a distinctive and offbeat perspective. The paid attractions within the park include:

Cloud Forest
SuperTree Observatory
OCBC Skyway
Flower Dome
Floral Fantasy

To witness the one of the largest indoor waterfalls in the world, you’ll want to head over to Cloud Forest. For those interested in scaling above the trees for a beautiful jaunt around them, OCBC Skyway promises brilliant panoramic views. Meanwhile, the SuperTree Observatory is the highest terrace visitors can access, offering a more scenic view of the gardens and an inside look at the SuperTree Grove.

This is what the Cloud Forest looks like in the inside! The waterfall is powerful if you’re taking photos next to it, be prepared to get a little wet.

Next, Flower Fantasy houses whimsical flower arrangements for an enchanting garden walk. Meanwhile, the Flower Dome features nine gardens in a state of uninterrupted spring.

On top of these paid attractions, there are also nine free attractions exploring the outdoor gardens. These include:

SuperTree Grove
Bay East Gardens
Serene Gardens
Dragonfly & Kingfisher Lakes
The Canyon
Heritage Gardens
Far East Organization Children’s Garden
Sun Pavilion
World of Plants

With all the attractions in Gardens By The Bay, it’s easy to spend your whole day exploring the gardens. However, if you’re short on time, I recommend picking one or two of the paid attractions to see and select a couple of the free gardens to walk around.

Since we were visiting Singapore for only a couple of days, we didn’t have time to explore all of the paid exhibits, only the Cloud Forest, which I personally found to be enough on top of meandering through the gardens. Each of the gardens were beautiful and completely different from the next.

Our favorites were the SuperGrove Tree, Serene Garden and Dragon & KingFisher Lakes and the World of Plants.

If you’re looking for more enjoyable activities, read through my popular post the best things to do in Singapore.

What is the SuperTree Grove

Opening hours: 5.00am – 2.00am daily

First off, the Garden Rhapsody light and sound show is played in the SuperTree Grove. It’s shown right in the grove’s garden amidst the twelve giant trees that stand at about 164 feet tall. While there are eighteen trees total, only twelve of the trees are synced up for the Garden Rhapsody.

Moreover, these iconic trees are made up of a variety of plants and over 200 different species — 162,900 plants to be exact. They’re exceedingly sustainable in housing these plants and are known as vertical gardens.

In fact, several of the Supertrees were specifically created to be environmentally-sustainable by efficiently accumulating solar energy. These trees power green energy and create a spectacular ambiance with their colorful hues and humongous size.

When is the best time to go for the light show at Gardens By The Bay

In addition, the grove is open from 5:00 am to 2:00 pm. The rhapsody show plays twice every night, as the gigantic trees tango and waltz to the exhilarating music and lights under the moonlight. With 68 surround-sound speakers, the magical music beneath the night sky can be felt and heard anywhere you’re sitting within the garden.

The Garden By The Bay light show times are at 7:45pm and 8:45pm daily. During the holidays additional showtimes are also added, so be sure to double the times. The only time shows don’t run is at the end of March, during the Earth hour.

Each showing lasts about fifteen minutes.

We’ve been to both showing on multiple days and have found that the later showing is our preferred time to watch the light show. While it’s exactly the same at both showings, the 7:45 pm showtime is more crowded from gardens visitors.

However, the 8:45 pm is less crowded and if you’re running late there’s an easier chance to grab a decent spot to observe the wondrous rhapsody.

Note: The Gardens By The Bay light show in 2021 are still running at 7:45pm and 8:45 pm, beginning August 20th, 2021.

Tips for the light show at 7:45 pm

Make sure to arrive early, to snag a good spot. Again, many visitors are leaving the park around this time, and leaving after watching the rhapsody romanticizes this fantastical land further. Thus, the earlier the better — an hour should be plenty of time.

Bring a blanket to relax on the ground, eat some food while you’re waiting, or sit on a bench to relax after leisurely strolling through the gardens.

If you’ve been exploring the gardens at bay all day, this may probably be your preferred time to see the lights, so just plan enough time at the end of your garden trip to find a good seat. When people start camping in the SuperTree Grove, you know what they’re waiting for!

Tips for the light show at 8:45 pm

This is our preferred time to watch the Gardens By The Bay light show! There’s less crowds, cooler weather and the rhapsody is just as poignant and moving beneath the stars.

For this showtime, you’ll still want to arrive early. Although, an hour is too early as the previous show will still be going on and you don’t want a sneak peak before the grand reveal. My suggestion is to get there about 40-45 minutes early to snag a great spot.

However if you get there too late, keep in mind the after the first showing most people are leaving the park. This means the entrance area can be extremely packed and therefore, so is the foot traffic.

If you’re coming from out of the park just to watch the show, I highly recommend getting there before the first show begins to avoid the foot traffic and exploring some of the outdoor gardens. They pathways are lit up and strolling along Dragonfly & Kingfisher Lakes is quite stunning in the evening with the moon sparkling off the lake.

Cost of the light show at Gardens By The Bay

Cost: Free admission

It’s 100% free. There is no charge to visit the Supertree Grove and there is no charge for the sound show.

However if you want to visit the SuperTree Observatory or OCBC Skyway, there is a charge for both of these. Here’s the website to learn more about combo tickets and single ticket prices.

How to get to the Gardens By the Bay

Address: 18 Marina Gardens Dr, Singapore 018953

There are three options for getting to the gardens. Since Singapore is a walk-able city, you can easily walk there. You can also take a taxi or hop on the MRT (public transportation system).

Directions for walking

There are many walking routes to get to gardens and depending where you start, you may spot some beautiful Singaporean street art along your route. I think the easiest route and the one we most preferred was walking from Marina Bay Sands Hotel. You’ll notice a considerable amount of tourist taking this route so it’s pretty easy to follow.

Starting at hotel on the main road you’ll find an external elevator. Take this elevator, and then follow the path to the suspended bridge that crosses over the highway. This will lead you to Gardens By The Bay, you’ll know you’re on the right path because the area is lined with trees, flowers, and a couple benches to sit down on.

The other options is to follow the Marina Reservoir. The route is longer, and walks along the waterfront promenade, about two miles until you reach the gardens. Go pass the ArtScience Museum, and follow the path under the Helix bridge. Continue straight until you reach the end of the promenade and end at the gardens.

If you’re ever confused or lost about how to get there, just ask a local. Singaporeans are very friendly!

Directions for a taxi

Hop in a taxi, or also known as grab (it’s a popular taxi system in Singapore) and have them drop you off close to the Supertrees. The closest entrance is via the Main Entrance Drop off area. Here you’ll want to take the elevator or continue walking straight to take the stairs. At the top, follow the signs to the grove.

Directions for MRT

Your goal is to arrive at the Bayfront MRT Station. The best way to do this is to take the blue Downtown lines or the yellow Circle line to arrive there. Here you must exit via Exit B, and then walk a couple minutes. Cross the Dragonfly Bridge and arrive at Gardens By The Bay. You’ll enter via the Malay Garden, so keep walking forward to reach the Supertree Grove and follow the signs.

Best tips for viewing the light show at Gardens By The Bay

A photo of us watching the light show at Gardens By The Bay

Get there early. This will help you grab a great spot for viewing the sound show.
Remember to stay hydrated. After a long day of exploring the gardens, you’ll want to make sure you stay hydrated throughout the day. The city’s weather is intense during the summer with extreme heat and humidity. Staying hydrated with help with the heat. I always pack my Hydro Flask when traveling, and it helps me stay hydrated. Also, the water in Singapore is drinkable which means you can easily refill your water at restaurants, bars, and etc. throughout your trip.
Sit on the ground or lay on a bench. Keep in mind the trees are about 164 feet tall, and the entire length of the tree lights up. If you’re laying down its considerably easier to witness the gigantic beacons illuminate the night sky.
Bring a blanket if you’re planning to lay on the ground. It’s pavement so it’s not the most comfortable. Having a blanket makes the experience that much magical and comfortable.
Commit a day or half day to visiting the gardens. If you don’t want to make a full day of visiting the gardens, consider visiting for a half day that way you won’t have to exit and reenter the garden to see the light show. This will help avoid the foot traffic coming into the area, and will free up your schedule to experience other wonderful things in Singapore. Think Chinatown, Little India, Hawker centres or perhaps a day trip to Malaysia since it’s Singapore’s neighbor.
Heads up, the show lasts about 15 minutes.
Bring your camera. The skyline and the trees shimmer amongst the black backdrop of the sky. It truly makes for some remarkable photos.
For another light show, watch the Marina bay sands laser show. This stunning laser show is performed daily at the bayfront. Timings for this show begin at 8:00pm and 9:30pm, with an additional light show at 11:00 pm on Friday and Saturday.

What is Gardens By The Bay

What is the SuperTree Grove