Christmas Together Holiday Market, Bayfront: Free Nov 27–29

Christmas Together is free to enter and takes over Hall F of the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre from Friday, November 27 to Sunday, November 29, 2026, open 10am to 9pm each day. Each adult registers online for one free pass, and children and teens under 18 do not need their own. As a "holiday market near me" pick for the last weekend of November, it is the largest free option on the 2026 calendar so far.

This is the first edition of Christmas Together, an initiative of Sustainable Markets SG. It builds on the work of Sustainable Markets SG and Peace of Art SG, which the organisers say have raised over S$1.5 million, and this year's beneficiary is Singapore Red Cross Young Hearts. The team is not new to festive fairs: it ran a Sustainable Christmas Market at South Beach on November 11 and 12, 2023, from 11am to 7pm.

The 2026 version is far bigger. The organisers describe a 70,000 sq ft Christmas village with 18 signature experiences, more than 150 brands, 50 live performances and 40 workshops, all under one roof. That scale is why the event fills an entire expo hall rather than a mall atrium.

The official site names its signature stops: the Kindness Bear House, Santa's Post Office, The Village Carnival, The Christmas Cookie Kombi and The Good Game. Santa's Post Office is the obvious first stop for families with a wish list to deliver, and the cookie kombi is the one children spot from across the hall.

The most distinctive corner is KIDSforKIDS, where shops are run by children themselves. Buying a card or bracelet from a ten-year-old shopkeeper is a sweeter memory than another branded souvenir, and it is the part of the village that feels most different from a commercial Christmas fair.

The organiser's track record is in sustainable markets, so the brand mix is likely to lean toward small labels and social enterprises rather than big-brand electronics; the full list was still being finalised in late October. Because the event raises money for Singapore Red Cross Young Hearts, a gift bought here doubles as a contribution to a youth charity.

An honest note: with 50 performances and 40 workshops spread over three days, you cannot do everything. Pick two or three workshops that matter to your family, then wander the stalls in between instead of trying to tick off all 18 experiences in a single visit.

Young families get the most out of the village, because so much of it is built around children: a post office for letters to Santa, a carnival, a cookie van and a row of shops staffed by kids. Grandparents who prefer an air-conditioned outing to an outdoor fair will appreciate that everything is indoors in one hall. Groups of friends doing a charity-minded gift run also fit in well, since entry costs nothing and the proceeds story is easy to share.

It is less suited to anyone hoping for a European-style mulled-wine market with timber huts and cold air; the tropics make that a hard brief anywhere in Singapore. Here the draw is the free entry, the scale and the chance to let children run a stall.

Entry is free, but registration matters. The official registration page explains that one adult receives one free pass and that children and teens under 18 do not need to register separately. It also advises visitors to pre-register before arriving to skip the queue, which is worth doing on your phone at home rather than at the hall door.

Friday, November 27 at 10am will be the quietest window, since many families only come on the weekend. Saturday afternoon will be the peak. If you arrive and the entrance line looks long, use the time to get a drink in The Shoppes and come back after 6pm, when younger children start heading home for bedtime.

Christmas Together takes place at 10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956, in Hall F of the expo and convention centre. Take the Circle Line (CE1) or Downtown Line (DT16) to Bayfront station, then follow the underground linkway from Exit B into the complex and the signs to the expo halls. The route is covered, so a tropical downpour will not ruin the trip.

If you are coming with a stroller or a group of grandparents, a taxi to the convention driveway saves the longer indoor walk from the MRT, though the linkway is flat and step-free for most of its length.

Two other big fairs bookend this one, so it is easy to build a month around them. The Christmas Atelier runs November 12 to 14 in Hall C of the same convention centre with S$8 day passes, and Boutiques Singapore holds its Gifting Edition November 20 to 22 at the F1 Pit Building. Christmas Together is the only one of the three that is free.

Just across the Garden Bay Bridge, Gardens by the Bay at 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953, opens its Christmas Train Show in the Flower Dome from November 20, with two SMRT trains running past model MRT stations. Flower Dome admission applies there, but the outdoor gardens remain free to explore.

For an easy evening walk, head out to the Marina Bay waterfront promenade and loop toward the ArtScience Museum, then cross the Helix Bridge to the Marina Centre side for views back across the water. The full loop takes around 30 minutes at a family pace and finishes near Bayfront MRT, ready for the ride home with your shopping bags.

Dates and hours: Friday, November 27 to Sunday, November 29, 2026, 10am to 9pm daily.

Venue: Hall F, Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre, 10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956; MRT Bayfront (CE1/DT16), Exit B.

Entry: free. Register online for one free adult pass each; under-18s do not need to register separately. Pre-registering lets you skip the entrance queue.

Contact: the organiser lists the email events@peace-of-art.sg and publishes no phone number.