It is time for year-end Christmas shopping again! To get you in the Christmas mood, the annual Orchard Road Festive Light-up themed Christmas on A Great Street 2016 will be launched officially on Saturday 12 November 2016 at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza by His Excellency President Tony Tan Keng Yam. From 12 Nov 2016 (Sat) – 2 Jan 2017 (Mon), the entire Orchard Road, spanning over an impressive 2.88 kilometres from Tanglin Mall – Plaza Singapura, will be transformed into a galaxy of enchanting lights of blue, turquoise and sapphire!
Advancing into its 8th consecutive year, Christmas on A Great Street organised by Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA) is sponsored by Hitachi Asia Ltd. and the Official Card is Mastercard® . This year’s theme “Spread the Joy” encourages everyone to spread joy in as many ways as possible. Inspired by celebratory and wildly popular elements, glowing reindeer and shimmering stars take center-stage on arches, overhangs, trees and sidewalks, transforming Orchard Road into a Christmas spectacle for locals and tourists to immerse themselves in the magic of the season.
SJ50 Matsuri, a festival with traditional Japanese culture, pop culture and popular destinations in Japan, will be held at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza on 29 – 30 October from 10am – 8pm. There will be 40 performances over both days by 34 groups and organisations from Japan, Singapore and other Asian countries. The line-up includes music, dancing, demonstrations and talk shows. Admission is free.
This year marks Mastercard’s fourth year as the Official Card for Christmas on A Great Street. This year, they will be working with ComfortDelGro Taxis to offer discounted taxi fares when they book their rides and pay with Masterpass by Mastercard, for a hassle-free experience to and from the malls.” For the first time ever, Mastercard is teaming up with ORBA and ComfortDelGro Taxis to knock $5 off all taxi fares to and from Orchard Road every weekend from 12 Nov 2016 – 1 Jan 2017.
The promo code “ORCHARD” is valid for S$5 off taxi fare, capped at 900 trips each weekend and applicable on ComfortDelGro (CDG) Taxi Booking App for trips to and from the 10 participating malls: 313@somerset, Forum The Shopping Mall, Mandarin Gallery, Orchard Central, orchardgateway, Paragon, Scotts Square, Takashimaya Shopping Centre / Ngee Ann City, TANGS at Tang Plaza, The Centrepoint. Payment must be by Mastercard on Masterpass on the CDG Taxi Booking App.
Christmas Rewards with Mastercard
From 12 – 25 Nov 2016, the first 200 Mastercard holders per week who charge a minimum of $300 to a Mastercard at any of the participating Orchard Road shopping malls, will receive a $30 shopping voucher. Vouchers may be redeemed with a maximum of 5 same-day accumulated receipts from the same mall. And from 26 Nov 2016 – 2 Jan 2017, vouchers will be issued on a whilst-stocks-last basis. The participating shopping malls are: 313@somerset, Forum The Shopping Mall, Mandarin Gallery, Orchard Central, orchardgateway, Paragon, Scotts Square, Takashimaya Shopping Centre / Ngee Ann City, TANGS at Tang Plaza and The Centrepoint.26 Nov 2016 – 2 Jan 2017, vouchers will be issued on a whilst-stocks-last basis. The participating shopping malls are: 313@somerset, Forum The Shopping Mall, Mandarin Gallery, Orchard Central, orchardgateway, Paragon, Scotts Square, Takashimaya Shopping Centre / Ngee Ann City, TANGS at Tang Plaza and The Centrepoint.
Finally, ORBA is partnering Community Chest to organise this year’s Christmas Light-Up Ceremony, which will also mark the start of Community Chest’s year-end charity drive. 130 student volunteers from Republic Polytechnic will distribute multi-coloured light sticks to members of the public on the night of the light-up. ORBA will pledge $1 to Community Chest for every light stick given out.
Music in the Air
Another first this Christmas, visitors will be able to enjoy their favourite Christmas carols and songs which will be piped through 16-20 outdoor speakers lined through the stretch from ION Orchard to Ngee Ann City. Song requests from a pre-selected list of Christmas favourites will be accepted on weekends. This is available from 12 Nov – 25 Dec from 5 – 10pm daily.
Christmas Street Fun – Expect a galore of Christmas-themed activities
The stretch of road between Scotts Road and Bideford Road will be closed to vehicular traffic from 3pm – 11pm on 12 Nov 2016 for visitors to fully bask in the festive atmosphere. Visitors can enjoy performances by local talents such as Jack & Rai and move to the beat with dancers from Glee Studios.
In addition to the joyous occasion, a one-of-a-kind Christmas Market will be held during the road closure, with 30–40 stalls selling artisanal gifts and crafts for an early Christmas shopping experience. Other features include a trackless train, bouncy castle, Santa’s corner, life-size snow globe, food truck fest and vintage rides.
Carollers and musicians from various schools and institutions will also showcase their talents at Paragon and orchardgateway. The full schedule of the performances on Saturday 12 Nov 2016 is as follows:
Best Dressed Building Contest 2016
Christmas on A Great Street is never complete without the visual feast of the buildings decked out in the spirit of the season. The Best Dressed Building Contest takes place from 12 – 27 Nov 2016. Buildings along Orchard Road will be jousting for the Voters’ Choice Award as well as the Judges’ Choice Award.
You and your loved ones can vote for your favourite building on the OneOrchard mobile app and Orchard Road Facebook Page. Voters for the winner of the Voters’ Choice Award stand a chance at being one of 15 lucky voters to win up to S$200 worth of shopping vouchers each in a lucky draw!
The participating buildings are Forum The Shopping Mall, ION Orchard, Orchard Central, orchardgateway, Paragon, Plaza Singapura, Tanglin Mall, TANGS at Tang Plaza, The Centrepoint and Wheelock Place.
Christmas Light-Up Period
The Light-Up Period takes place at the following times of the day: 6.30pm – 6am on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve; 6.30pm – 2am on Fridays and Saturdays;and except as stated above, 6.30pm – 12midnight on Mondays to Thursdays and on Sundays.
Social Media Contest
ORBA will be holding a social media contest from 12 Nov 2016 – 2 Jan 2017. To participate:simply Follow Orchard Road Facebook Page, take a creative photo in Orchard Road and post the photo with a caption on what “Spread The Joy” means to you. Remember to include hashtag #OrchardRdXmas and you may be one of the two lucky winners to walk away with prizes up to $250 each. Participants may submit multiple posts
There is no better time to visit and shop at Orchard Road to soak in the festivities! Here’s wishing everyone an early Christmas!
