Cover Studio Toer turns the Cavenagh Bridge into the ’Bridge of 1,000 Dreams’ for i Light Singapore
Studio Toer turns the Cavenagh Bridge into the ’Bridge of 1,000 Dreams’ for i Light Singapore
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Celebrating Singapore’s 60th birthday with interactive artworks and sustainable design, i Light Singapore 2025 invites all to pause, play and reflect together
As Singapore celebrates its 60th birthday, i Light Singapore returns with purpose and renewed energy. Running from May 29 to June 21, 2025, the city’s signature light art festival once again transforms Marina Bay and its surrounds with installations that invite participation and provoke reflection. Organised by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and presented by UOB, this year’s edition expands its reach to new precincts, including the Singapore River and Raffles Place, alongside a returning satellite site at South Beach.
This year’s theme, To Gather, is both timely and symbolic. Taking inspiration from the colour red, the longest wavelength of visible light and a nod to the SG60 milestone, i Light Singapore 2025 draws attention to the strength of collective presence—how individuals, communities and ideas intersect in shared spaces, and what happens when they do.
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Above ‘Take a walk through the meadow with me’ by Megan Tan and Tan Shao Xuan comprises 300 illuminated blooms
‘Take a walk through the meadow with me’ by Megan Tan and Tan Shao Xuan comprises 300 illuminated blooms
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“The festival will once again illuminate Marina Bay and serve as a focal point where diverse individuals, groups and ideas converge to shape a more sustainable future together,” said URA chief executive officer Lim Eng Hwee. “We invite everyone to join us in an immersive experience and to be part of the meaningful activities, because a brighter, more inclusive and sustainable future is one that we build together.”
Key installations at Marina Bay
At the heart of i Light Singapore is the iconic Marina Bay, where visitors are invited to interact with immersive artwork to create light, sounds, and memories together in a sensorial shared experience. A short walk from the NTUC Building, a field of 300 glowing flowers forms Take a walk through the meadow with me by Singaporean artists Megan Tan and Tan Shao Xuan. The blooms are made from salvaged acrylic waste—offcuts from art-making workshops—and react to movement with gentle lights and music. A hands-on charm-making workshop invites guests to turn leftover pieces into personal keepsakes, an echo of Singapore’s broader philosophy of designing with care and intent.
Above ‘Piano Walk’ by Amigo & Amigo invites visitors to collaboratively create music
‘Piano Walk’ by Amigo & Amigo invites visitors to collaboratively create music
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Nearby at the Marina Bay Sands, Piano Walk by Australian collective Amigo & Amigo transforms its outdoor Event Plaza into an open-air musical playground. Step on the oversized piano keys and each footfall becomes a note, occasionally accompanied by an original score that plays every ten minutes.
Just across the water at Clifford Square, Elementary by audiovisual artist Tonoptik explores motion and perception. What looks like a static screen suddenly shifts as visitors walk by, revealing a digital seascape that subtly responds to their movements.
Meanwhile, Urban Oracle by Ultravioletto illuminates the pontoon near the Red Dot Design Museum with 24 glowing letters flashing to life when any of the three buttons along the boardwalk is pressed—displaying AI-generated messages inspired by Singapore’s past, present and future rippling across the surface.
Above ‘Urban Oracle’ by Ultravioletto reflects messages inspired by Singapore’s past, present, and future
‘Urban Oracle’ by Ultravioletto reflects messages inspired by Singapore’s past, present, and future
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Expansion to the Singapore River and Raffles Place
This year marks i Light Singapore’s most ambitious footprint yet. For the first time, festival installations extend into Raffles Place and along the Singapore River, opening up fresh spaces for art and conversation.
Outside UOB Plaza, Reverse Waterfall by Taiwanese UxU Studio is a visual paradox where water appears to flow upward instead of down. As disorienting as it is mesmerising, it’s a poetic reminder that not everything is as it seems, inviting festival goers to reflect on new perspectives of reality.
Over by the Singapore River, the Cavenagh Bridge becomes the Bridge of 1,000 Dreams by Studio Toer, where illuminated bamboo poles—each representing the aspirations of everyday Singaporeans—form a luminous passage that stretches across the river.
Above ‘The Guardians’ by Matthew Aberline and The Beautiful And Useful Studio features native flora
‘The Guardians’ by Matthew Aberline and The Beautiful And Useful Studio features native flora
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Wee Ee Cheong, deputy chairman and chief executive officer of UOB, adds: “UOB has always been steadfast in doing right by our communities. The i Light Singapore 2025 installations celebrate SG60 and UOB’s 90th anniversary, symbolising our shared growth with the nation.”
Raffles Place Park also joins the festivities this year, presenting The Guardians by Matthew Aberline and The Beautiful And Useful Studio. The inflatable garden, showcasing flora native to Singapore, offers a playful yet meaningful gathering point for festival-goers.
Familiar spaces, new energy
South Beach returns as a satellite site, hosting two natural and sustainable installations that invite discourse and public engagement. Saulux by Splaces.Studio uses wind to generate soft lights and ambient sound. Willow-like forms sway gently, inviting guests to pause, listen, and let themselves be immersed. Nearby, This is Not a Screen by National University of Singapore repurposes discarded polarised screens from digital devices. Spin them gently and you’ll notice shifting patterns and colours, reminding us how our individual perception is shaped and skewed by the technology we use daily.
Above ‘This is Not a Screen’ by National University of Singapore and presented by Aedas
‘This is Not a Screen’ by National University of Singapore and presented by Aedas
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Of course, no i Light Singapore festival is complete without its communal anchor, GastroBeats. Returning to the Bayfront Event space for the duration of the event, the GastroBeats Festival Village is equal parts food market, music stage and gathering space. This year’s edition continues to spotlight the universal pleasures of good food and company with a vibrant mix of retail and dining, plus a new activation, Let’s Trouble The Water! featuring the wildly imaginative Jelilo characters, whose playful antics draw attention to marine pollution in a meaningful way.
i Light Singapore runs nightly from May 29 to June 21, 2025, between 7:30pm to 11:00pm, with extended hours until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Admission is free, with select activities ticketed.
Credits
Images: i Light Singapore 2025
Sabrina Low was the former assistant digital editor for Tatler Singapore.
