Gardens by the Bay's first Portuguese-themed floral display opens in Flower Dome on Friday, 9 October 2026 and runs through Monday, 9 November. Sunflower Surprise: Garden by the Ocean puts more than 5,000 sunflowers from 20 varieties under the conservatory glass, including supersized plants that can reach 1.8m. The official Gardens page is the source for dates, hours and ticket bands. Flower Dome tickets apply. Singapore residents pay S$12 for adults and S$8 each for seniors aged 60 and above and children aged 3 to 12.
A walk from Alfama to the Portuguese countryside
The display is not a single sunflower field. Gardens by the Bay has staged a walk that starts in Alfama, one of Lisbon's oldest neighbourhoods, then moves to the striped houses of the fishing town Costa Nova, a 6m Farol de Belem lighthouse and the bow of a traditional Portuguese carrack. Inland, the route picks up vineyards, olive groves and cork oaks, plus recreations of historic Porto shopfronts and Lisbon street kiosks. Azulejos, the hand-painted blue-and-white tiles that cover Portuguese facades, sit among the blooms.
The Embassy of Portugal in Singapore is the presenting partner, with support from AICEP, the Portuguese Trade and Investment Agency, and Turismo de Portugal. The run also marks 45 years of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Portugal. That history gets its own photographic exhibition in Flower Dome's Mediterranean Garden from Thursday, 8 October through 9 November, tracing early maritime routes between Portugal and Southeast Asia and the cultural traces that remain in language and communities here.
10 October is the day to eat and watch, not just photograph
If you only want flowers, any day between 9 October and 9 November works. If you want the country as well as the plants, Saturday 10 October is the packed day. Experience Portugal takes over Flower Field Hall, entered through the Group Entrance glass door next to Flower Dome. The cultural programmes themselves are free. You still need a Flower Dome ticket to reach the conservatory side of the day.
The Sea That Unites Us, a family art and storytelling workshop, runs 9.30am to 11.00am. Children paint a sea-inspired work and hear a children's story in Portuguese and English. Dimensao S3, a film about young people and screen dependence, screens 11.00am to 12.00pm. Food tasting of pastel de nata, canned fish, cheeses and cured ham runs 12.00pm to 5.00pm, with wine tasting 1.00pm to 5.00pm. The Eurasian Association Dance Troupe performs the folk dance and song Malhao, Malhao at 12.00pm and again at 3.00pm. Publisher Shantarin stages 15-minute poetry readings in Portuguese and English at 12.45pm, 2.00pm and 4.00pm, drawing on Luis de Camoes, Florbela Espanca, Cesario Verde, Mario de Sa-Carneiro and Fernando Pessoa. Mother Knows Best, a PG family comedy directed by Nuno Rocha, screens 5.00pm to 6.20pm. A book talk on Pessoa's The Book of Disquiet, with publisher Joao Pedro Ruivo and remote guests, closes the hall from 6.30pm to 7.30pm.
That is a long Saturday. Plan around the food window if you are coming with kids who will not sit through Pessoa. The dance sets are 15 minutes, which is the easiest drop-in if you are already in Flower Dome for the sunflowers.
Later weekends, closures and how to get in
Saturday 17 October, 2.00pm to 5.00pm, Sensory Moments in the South American Garden and Flower Field walks through how sunflowers track the sun and pack hundreds of florets into one head. Each sharing lasts about 10 minutes. Same date, Get Crafty by Esty Art in the Australian Garden, 11.00am to 5.00pm, has visitors paint a sunflower-themed tray. ConservaClay with WWF Singapore on Saturday 7 November runs clay sessions from 10.00am through 4.30pm in the South American Garden. Children 5 and above sculpt marine animals in air-dry clay. Under-12s need a parent. Get Crafty returns 31 October and 1 November, 10.00am to 5.00pm, for a sunflower suncatcher in crushed glass and resin.
Flower Dome is closed for maintenance on Tuesday 6 October, before this display opens, and again on 16 November after it ends. Hours during the run are 9.00am to 9.00pm. Last admission is 8.30pm. Non-resident combo tickets for Flower Dome, Cloud Forest featuring Jurassic World, and Disney Garden of Wonder at Floral Fantasy are listed at S$73 for adults and S$51 for children. Resident Flower Dome plus Cloud Forest is S$34 for adults, S$29 for seniors and S$26 for children. Buy on the Gardens ticketing site. Bayfront MRT, Circle and Downtown lines, Exit B, is the shortest walk. Gardens by the Bay station on the Thomson-East Coast Line is the other option. The car park fills on weekends. Satay by the Bay has already closed, so eat at Jurassic Nest at Supertree Grove or bring a plan for lunch before you enter the dome.
Practical Details
- Dates: Friday 9 October to Monday 9 November 2026
- Time: 9.00am to 9.00pm daily, last admission 8.30pm
- Venue: Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953
- Nearest MRT: Bayfront CE1/DT16 or Gardens by the Bay TE22
- Price: Flower Dome admission. Singapore residents: adult S$12, senior and child S$8
- Website: Sunflower Surprise official page
