This June and July, get ready to unwind your mind and body, as this year’s Wellness Festival Singapore (WFS) expands its offerings to over 180 activities running for three weeks. Taking place across 10 precincts islandwide, the festival is back to promote physical, emotional and mental wellbeing in both Singaporeans and visitors.

Organised by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), in collaboration with Enterprise Singapore (Enterprise SG), Health Promotion Board (HPB), National Arts Council (NAC), Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), and Sport Singapore (SportSG), the festival will feature key programmes as well as several large-scale activations in popular locations.

The anchor event of WFS 2023 is The Wellness Experience Space, a multi-sensory pop-up at the Marina Bay Sands’ Event Plaza, with six different zones offering fun, innovative public installations, masterclasses as well as food and beverage. These include the ASMR Wonderland where participants can create relaxing sounds by interacting with floating cubes of textured materials; and the Mirror Scent Trail, where visitors can go on a journey along a reimagined “urban jungle”, accompanied by unique scents representing the ebb and flow of daily life. Visitors can also participate at the Active Arena by swinging across an obstacle course, balancing on a slackline or simply let out their feelings with punching bags. Other activities include sound bath jamming (a wellness practice that combines sound baths with music jamming), an array of masterclasses as well as healthy snacks and drinks for a healthier mind and body.

Marina Bay Sands will also invite visitors to embark on an ultimate journey of self-care through ‘Where Mind and Body Connect’ – the integrated resort’s celebration of wellness and well-being. In support of WFS 2023, Marina Bay Sands has lined up 30 weekend workshops across six different activities that explore new holistic ways of experiencing unique spaces such as the Rain Oculus at ArtScience Museum, Digital Light Canvas at The Shoppes and the iconic SkyPark Observation Deck. Visitors can reinvigorate and rejuvenate themselves through high-energy workouts and calming meditations while discovering the various sights, sounds and movement in the heart of the city. In addition to programmes organised by Marina Bay Sands, other parts of the Marina Bay precinct will also be activated with wellness experiences such as Yoga in the Sky at Singapore Flyer, a staycation package with a scent workshop at Fullerton Hotel and a 3-day Wellness Fiesta “Waves of Wellness” organised by Marina Central Business Improvement District.

The Zentosa LiveWELL Festival is returning to Sentosa for its second edition with over 250 activities covering five holistic pillars of wellness: physical wellness (PlayWELL), relationship building (BondWELL), mind and soul nurturing (FeelWELL), healthy eating (EatWELL) and mindful resting (RestWELL). A highlight of the festival will be an immersive mental and emotional wellness zone, FeelWELL at Fort Siloso, that will showcase art installations and poetry created by local artists Kult Studio & Gallery and Charlene Shepherdson,
in collaboration with the National Arts Council and National Heritage Board.

The Gallery Wellness Festival, presented by the National Gallery Singapore, returns with an expanded line-up of more than 20 unique art-inspired wellness experiences from 17 June to 9 July 2023. This year’s festival is themed “Art Connects” with a focus on human connections and the importance of connecting deeply with our emotions and people around us.

“At the Gallery, we believe that art and creativity are essential to health, and socio-emotional wellbeing. Wellness is at the forefront of our priorities, and it is important to organise this platform for people to connect with themselves and others,” says Ms Suenne Megan Tan, Senior Director (Museum Planning & Audience Engagement). “Throughout the pandemic, we’ve all experienced the profound impact art has on human experience, whether it’s offered comfort or solace, or used it as a way to work through more complex emotions, and we too wondered how to harness power of art, to form meaningful connections with world and others. Through our theme of Art Connects, we hope to emphasise the importance of exercising self care, and have people come together to connect with art, with the self and others to forge meaningful connections.”

Jewel Changi Airport will host free fitness classes around HSBC Rain Vortex. These include Bounce, Zumba and Barre, all which will be set against the backdrop of Shiseido Forest Valley for an experience like no other.

Companies and solution providers in the wellness economy can take part in EnterpriseSG’s inaugural Wellness Open Innovation Challenge. Participating corporates will share challenge statements and crowdsource for innovative products and offerings that can address existing industry needs.

With categories spanning fitness, nutrition, emotional well-being, and lifestyle, the festival features a diverse range of wellness offerings that cater to various preferences as well as individuals and groups of different ages and abilities.

Families with young children can participate in Parent-Child Art Journaling by Artcadia Studio and experience hands-on mindful art journaling activities that improve mental focus, encourage reflection and foster well-being. They can also head over to Kiztopia’s Play and Recharge programme which includes wholesome activities such as yoga, Zumba, and cookie painting, which little ones and their families can enjoy.

Seniors can also actively participate in the festival with programmes such as ENERGIZE, a series of active and wellness programmes on Taiji and dance classes held at Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre’s concourse. Those who prefer slower-paced activities can enjoy the love language of flowers with a floral arrangement workshop with Floral Expressions by National Gallery Singapore. They can also experience Kopi, Teh and Contemporary Art, a programme organised by the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) in partnership with RSVP Singapore where senior volunteer guides from RSVP Singapore will take audiences on a tour of SAM’s current exhibitions, and share their personal experiences based on the themes of the artworks.

Festival-goers can look forward to experiences that refresh traditional concepts with a unique local twist. Organised by Sphere in collaboration with Therapy Room, fitness and music enthusiasts can enjoy Beats Performance Therapy, a workout specially created for WFS 2023 using Sphere’s unique methodology (a mixture of HIIT and MetCon), accompanied by a live thematic DJ set. Animal lovers will also get the chance to be up-close and personal with animals while practising yoga at Mandai River Wonders under Animal Yoga, a creative partnership by Anytime Fitness and Mandai Wildlife Reserve.

For those seeking mindfulness and nature, Cacao Ceremony + Sound Journey by Space2B combines one of the oldest holistic healing practices, the usage of cacao, with a sound journey to elevate participants’ mood and release stress. Festival goers who enjoy walking trails can explore the natural biodiversity of Singapore’s flora and fauna through the Immersive Rainforest Trail, Reflective Mangrove Rambling and A Forest Wildlife Exploration by Untamed Tours or go on a calming walking tour, Mindful City – Walk and Talk by Canvass Mindfulness Centre which encourages participants to slow down and focus on the present moment while exploring nature. 

Caffeine lovers can immerse themselves in the world of teas at workshops such as the Wellness Tea Bar by The Tea Story and Teakle Your Fancy session by MONTI. These offer a hands-on artisanal tea blending session while sipping teas and an indulgent afternoon of unique wellness teas paired with treats and guided mindfulness practices.

WFS offerings are conveniently located across the country, close to iconic precincts and public transport. These allow visitors to easily access wellness experiences while exploring Singapore, promoting holistic well-being as a way of life, promoting wellness tourism in a post COVID-19 world, and transform spaces into sites of wellness for all to enjoy in these one-of-a-kind experiences.

Photo Credit: Singapore Tourism Board

Wellness Festival 2023 runs from 17th June to 9th July 2023 across the island. For the most updated listing and details of WFS programming, please visit the WFS website at www.wellnessfest.sg.