6 exciting experiences you should check out during Wellness Festival Singapore 2023

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Travelling is clearly back on the agenda for many people as we enter the post-pandemic era. Travellers are also increasingly drawn to destinations and itineraries that can improve their overall well-being. Wellness tourism is expected to grow 20.9 per cent annually to bring in US$1.1 trillion by 2025, according to a 2021 report by the non-profit Global Wellness Institute.

Singapore has already been contributing to this growing trend, providing its visitors and residents with a selection of offerings that cater to myriad fitness levels, interests and goals, and which go far beyond the traditional gyms and health clubs. The second edition of the annual Wellness Festival Singapore, which will run over three weeks from June 17 to July 9, is a case in point. The festival promises a wide line-up of activities and experiences that promote holistic well-being in the City in Nature.

People can choose from a diverse range of fun and unique activities located conveniently across the city state to get an energising fitness, mental and emotional boost, whether they are locals in need of a midday pick-me-up or visitors looking to enhance their holiday.

Check out six highlights from the festival’s programmes that we are especially looking forward to.

1. Wellness Experience Space

Anchoring the festival will be a multisensory pop-up hosted at Marina Bay Sands, offering fun, educational and innovative installations, masterclasses and workshops focused on holistic wellness. Activities will be spread across six different zones such as ASMR Wonderland and Sound Bath Jamming, just to name a couple.

When: June 17 to July 9, 5.50pm to 10.30pm on weekdays; 10.30am to 10.30pm on weekends

Venue: Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza

Admission: Free, but select activities at Masterclass Greenhouse are paid and/or require pre-registration

2. Gallery Wellness Festival

Art will meet wellness at the National Gallery Singapore. The city state’s leading visual arts institution, which is housed in two national monuments, the former Supreme Court and City Hall buildings, will play host to an array of workshops and tours curated to enhance participants’ well-being while also allowing them to get acquainted with the museum’s art collection.

When: June 30, July 1 to 2 and July 7 to 9

Venue: National Gallery Singapore

Admission: Pre-registration required

3. It All Makes Scents at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore

Guests at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore can book a stay package that includes a complimentary 90-minute scent-crafting workshop organised by The Intan Peranakan Home Museum. The experience will offer guests the opportunity to create their ideal fragrance blends, guided by elements of Peranakan, or Straits Chinese, culture that has been passed down through generations.

Each participant’s personalised scent will be created using a selection of top-grade, pure essential oils such as lemongrass and sandalwood. These organic essential oils are distilled from plants that have been sustainably harvested and replanted to ensure that local ecosystems are protected, thereby weaving green practices together with holistic wellness.

When: Saturdays from June 3 to July 1

Venue: The Fullerton Hotel Singapore

4. Wellness at Jewel Changi Airport

Since its official opening in October 2019, Jewel Changi Airport attracts as many as 300,000 visitors each day to its 10-storey nexus comprising an assortment of dining establishments, retail stores and verdant attractions. Imagine getting your workout and a dose of wellness in the heart of this vast lifestyle destination.

During the three-week Wellness Festival at Jewel Changi Airport, there will be a variety of dynamic fitness classes including barre, rhythm cycling and Zumba, conducted by trained instructors. Those who prefer something more low-impact can look forward to serene activities that promote mental and emotional well-being, such as forest bathing at Jewel Changi’s Canopy Park.

When: Weekends from June 17 to July 9

Venue: Jewel Changi Airport

5. Reflective Mangrove Rambling

As one of the greenest cities in the world, Singapore is rich in lush nature reserves, gardens and parks, offering everyone easy access to find respite in nature. Witness the wild side of the city state with a night walk through one of its largest publicly accessible mangrove forests and its thriving ecosystem, located on the northeastern shoreline. Under the cover of darkness and accompanied by nature’s symphony, participants will learn how to spot and identify common amphibians and nocturnal invertebrates.

They will also get to see mangrove inhabitants such as horseshoe crabs, vinegar crabs, mudskippers and various water snakes, observed from a safe distance. This family-friendly activity will be led by an experienced nature guide who will encourage participants to put away their phones, follow their senses, slow down and enjoy the local biodiversity.

When: Select dates from June 21 to July 8

Venue: Pasir Ris Park

6. Zentosa LiveWELL Fest 2023

Singapore’s premier island resort, Sentosa, will once again play host to an exciting array of activities, games, food and art aimed at wellness for visitors of all ages. At the Festival Village, there will be mass sessions for physical workouts such as yoga, silent kickboxing and barre to get your body moving against a bayfront backdrop.

Sign up for a ticketed 5km Discovery Walk with Korean mixed martial artist and judoka Choo Sung-hoon, and learn more about the island’s coastal and natural history. Or go on a journey of mental and emotional well-being by exploring a transformative installation within the tunnels of Fort Siloso, featuring art and poetry created by local talents.

Do not miss out on a series of engaging and therapeutic activities, including the Therapeutic ForestWalk @ Imbiah Trail, that are suitable for all ages and seek to help you connect meaningfully with yourself or your loved ones. In addition, participating restaurants across Sentosa Island will be serving healthier options during the weeks of the festival.

When: June 10 to July 9

Venue: Sentosa Island