Ten-day line-up to feature over 120 offerings such as fitness classes, meditation workshops, and arts and lifestyle experiences.

Join a meditation masterclass at an art gallery, do Pilates on board a luxury tall ship, or join a wellness tour to discover hidden gems in local neighbourhoods. These are some of the offerings that will be part of the inaugural Wellness Festival Singapore (WFS) that will run from June 3 to 12, 2022.

As more international visitors return, the festival will be a key part of the Singapore Tourism Board’s strategy to position the city as a leading Urban Wellness haven. It is the first nationwide effort to promote holistic well-being, and is organised in collaboration with Enterprise Singapore (Enterprise SG), Health Promotion Board (HPB), National Arts Council (NAC), Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), and Sport Singapore (SportSG).

Apart from inspiring locals and visitors to embrace holistic wellness as a way of life, the festival aims to boost the discoverability of Singapore’s wellness offerings, grow a strong base of wellness advocates, and catalyse partnerships among industry players.

Participants can look forward to a 10-day line-up of over 120 physical and virtual wellness offerings from fitness studios, attractions, hotels, shopping malls, artists and arts groups and other wellness and lifestyle businesses. There will also be a symposium and networking opportunities for businesses to connect and expand their wellness offerings.

There will be several large-scale activations in popular locations across Singapore. These include:

• The Wellness Sensorium, a multi-sensory pop-up at The Meadow at Gardens by the Bay that will have six zones offering innovative and instagrammable experiences. These include the Stone Ritual, which engages visitors in the mindful and collaborative exercise of stone-stacking to heighten their spatial awareness, and the Light and Sound Bath, a darkened environment filled with slow-moving coloured lights and ambient sound to induce a state of calm. Visitors can also take part in free daily programmes at the Masterclass Studio. For example, participants can learn the practice of slow-stitching meditation from textile artist Agatha Lee, or join a cooking demonstration and nutrition workshop that celebrates health and Singapore’s local flavours with Charlotte Mei and Sarah Huang Benjamin. Other activities include fitness workouts, wellness talks, and mental health circles.
• Zentosa Fest, a play on Sentosa’s name, will transform Singapore’s iconic leisure destination into a wellness island retreat, leveraging Sentosa’s scenic environment and island charm to help guests escape, rejuvenate, and recharge, away from the stresses of urban living and grind. Organised as part of Sentosa’s 50th anniversary celebrations, specially curated wellness-themed stayover programmes, beach activities, and a diverse pipeline of lifestyle offerings would be held across Sentosa throughout the month of June, helping guests discover the art of living well. The Southernmost Point of Continental Asia, for instance, will be transformed into an escapade called “Stress Stop”, which will feature meditations, breathwork, and sound bathing sessions; while Palawan Green will be transformed into a tentpole Zentosa Festival Village, featuring masterclasses, sports workshops, and outdoor performances.
• Three Merli Wellness Trails will be launched by 42Race, a hybrid race platform, across the Singapore Botanic Gardens, HortPark-Harbourfront and Fort Canning Park, where participants can explore the parks and garden, and answer questions in exchange for exclusive Merli and Friends virtual badges.

 

Rest and rejuvenate your mind

The arts play an important role in nurturing social, emotional and mental well-being, with the power to uplift spirits and improve wellness. From June 3 to 12, look forward to islandwide arts offerings in the heartlands and city centres. In the Civic District, National Gallery Singapore will offer experiences including Somatic Movement workshops that allow participants to express themselves through qi gong, silat and other movements accompanied by traditional instruments and an eclectic playlist; a Slow Art programme that encourages mindful art appreciation and an immersive Sound Bath Experience for 10- to 14- year-olds to enjoy soothing sounds that will relax the body and mind. Programmes by NAC’s Arts and Culture Nodes, an islandwide network of arts touchpoints also include visual arts workshops to enhance self-discovery and mindfulness; Chinese percussion and Latin dance workshops as well as a 10-metre art mural accompanied by a meditative soundscape.

COMO Shambhala Urban Escape will host a full-day open house on June 12 to inspire individuals, couples, young families and children to embrace fun and curiosity in their journey towards lifelong wellness. Guests can experience mindfulness-based art and movement for children, partner yoga, Pilates classes as well as nutrition talks.

 

Re-energise with fitness classes and lifestyle offerings

From June 11 to 12, visitors to Jewel Changi Airport can enjoy complimentary fitness and health classes at the Shiseido Forest Valley, set against the backdrop of the HSBC Rain Vortex. These classes are organised by Jewel Changi Airport Devt, Changi Airport Group, SportSG and STB. Participants can expect K-Kardio, Spin classes and a mass Taichi workout that promotes serenity through gentle movements, led by 2015 SEA Games Wushu gold medallist Lee Tze Yuan.

ClassPass will also conduct free virtual fitness/wellness classes at Gardens by the Bay and the scenic Civic District. These will be coupled with a mini virtual tour of each location so that everyone can experience Singapore and our wellness offerings from afar.

Locals and visitors can also boost their physical health through fitness and lifestyle activities such as Pilates followed by a curated meal and sail aboard Luxury Tall Ship Royal Albatross at Sentosa, a healthy Thai cooking class taught by Chef Donnapa of Greenhouse at Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore, and a guided walking tour around Little India by VegThisCity that introduces participants to Ayurvedic practices.

 

Invigorate the senses with unique retail and food-themed experiences

A pop-up activation at Crane (Arab Street) will feature up to seven Made with Passion wellness brands on June 4 and 5. There will also be brand-led workshops including Herbology Talks by FoodCulture, Scent by Six Perfume Workshops, and a Kombucha workshop with Starter Culture. Herbal Pharm will be collaborating with Cantina to provide smoothies for the breakfast crowd using a special smoothie bike.

Foodies can also indulge in a special ‘six-hands’ collaboration at 1-Arden, Singapore’s latest sky-high dining destination. The experience brings chefs and farmers together to prepare a wholesome meal, chosen from over 130 edible plant varieties and over 2,000 plants for their traditional healing properties, incorporated into contemporary culinary creations.

Festivalgoers can sign up for Wellness food tours such as the ‘TCM in Food’ Tour by Let’s Go Tour Singapore, where participants can discover how traditional Chinese medicine is applied into food preparation. They can also go on a ‘Family Farm Adventure’, an outdoor tour of Kampung Kampus by Earth Adventures that includes a farm-to-table plant-based organic lunch on the farm.

CapitaLand will hold its first wellness and community festival called Live It Up! across its malls and workspace properties. Participants can look forward to activities such as art therapy workshops and tea making classes, to embrace good health and wellness practices as part of their daily lives.

More information can also be found at the WFS website HERE.

 

(** PHOTO CREDITS: Wellness Festival Singapore)