Make the most of your trip: Fun attractions to explore while in Singapore for the Vietnam Phở Festival
Visitors to the Vietnam Phở Festival 2025 in Singapore this weekend will have the chance not only to enjoy authentic Vietnamese bowls of pho but also to explore the many exciting attractions and cultural experiences the island nation has to offer.
Following are some recommendations from the Singapore Tourism Board for this season.
Science Centre Singapore’s largest dinosaur exhibition
Dinosaur lovers are in for a treat this season with the opening of Singapore’s largest-ever dinosaur exhibition at the Science Centre Singapore.
Launching from October 11, the 'Dinosaurs | Extinctions | Us' showcase will let visitors come face-to-face with some of the biggest dinos that ever lived.
The experience will feature 33 rare fossils and 60 full-scale models across 3,000 square metres and is set to be Science Centre Singapore's largest-ever dinosaur showcase.
A collaboration between Science Centre Singapore and the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum of the National University of Singapore, 'Dinosaurs | Extinctions | Us' will bring together two exhibitions unfolding across three interactive zones.
Visitors can look forward to journeying through 400 million years of Earth’s history.
The exhibition will shed light on the rise and fall of prehistoric life, and the five major extinction events in the planet’s history.
Newest pop-culture stops to discover at Changi Airport
Changi Airport continues to expand its appeal with exciting new experiences, from pop culture-inspired retail to themed library space.
One Piece Mugiwara Store
Opened in mid-September, this is the first store in Southeast Asia dedicated to the beloved One Piece manga and anime, offering fans a treasure trove of over 600 exclusive items inspired by Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates.
Inside, shoppers will find everything from plushies, keychains, collectible figures to exclusive merchandise that will not be found elsewhere.
Star Wars pop-up library
As part of the National Library Board’s 30th anniversary celebrations, this limited-time pop-up library has come to life in collaboration with Disney and Changi Airport Group, running till 24 January next year.
This Singapore's first-ever Star Wars pop-up library located at Changi Airport Terminal 3 Departure Hall.
Modelled after the Jedi Archives on Coruscant, the pop-up library invites fans of all ages to explore over 2,000 epic Star Wars stories, specially handpicked by NLB librarians.
Spooky adventures, Halloween highlights across Singapore
As October unfolds, Singapore transforms with festive thrills, haunted spectacles, and family-friendly events that bring a touch of Halloween magic to the city.
The Former Supreme Court: Unseen, Unheard at National Gallery Singapore
This Halloween, the National Gallery Singapore opens the doors of its historic Former Supreme Court for a rare after-dark edition of the Back-of-House Tour.
Built in the 1930s and home to many landmark trials for more than six decades, the building invites visitors to explore its hidden chambers, eerie corridors, and forgotten passageways in this Halloween-exclusive experience titled 'Unseen, Unheard.'
Participants will retrace the footsteps of prisoners and judges, climb through the infamous trapdoor into the prisoner’s dock, and step into the Viewing Gallery where the public once observed trials.
The guided tour also grants special access to the former Chief Justice’s private lift and courtroom seat -- areas typically closed to the public.
The evening begins with a meal at Bakery Brera, the Gallery’s newly opened café, before guests embark on this haunting journey through the city’s judicial past.
Halloween Horror Nights 13 at Universal Studios Singapore
Southeast Asia’s biggest Halloween event returns with Halloween Horror Nights 13, transforming Universal Studios Singapore into a realm of terrors where the clock strikes the dreaded 'hour 13.'
Running until 1 November 2025, this year’s event features multiple haunted houses, including one inspired by Netflix’s Stranger Things, alongside scare zones and live performances.
Each haunted experience is designed around the year’s central theme of '13,' where every tick and tock unveils new horrors and restless spirits.
Beyond the scares, visitors can enjoy spooky drinks, themed bites, and Halloween merchandise available throughout the park.
Vietnam Phở Festival 2025 in Singapore: Cultural connection, cooperation boost
The Vietnam Phở Festival is organized by the Vietnamese Embassy in Singapore, Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, and Saigontourist Group, in coordination with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade and the Vietnamese Community Liaison Committee in Singapore.
The event, which is held under the guidance of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, will take place on October 18 and 19 at Our Tampines Hub in the city-state.
The festival comes as Vietnam and Singapore have just upgraded their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, underlining the event's timeliness and significance.
With the message 'Pho – Enjoying Together, Growing Together,' the Vietnam Phở Festival 2025 aims not only to invite international friends to enjoy Vietnam's iconic dish—listed by CNN in 2011 among the world's 50 must-try foods—but also to convey Vietnam's aspiration for connection, sharing, and growing together.
Through the festival, pho will be presented as a 'cultural ambassador,' a bridge fostering prosperity and sustainability between Vietnam, Singapore, and global friends.
The highlight of the event is offering Singaporeans and visitors the chance to savor authentic Vietnamese pho, freshly prepared by top Vietnamese chefs and culinary artisans at Our Tampines Hub.
Head chefs from five-star hotels under Saigontourist Group, including Rex Saigon, Majestic Saigon, Grand Saigon, Caravelle Saigon, and the pho restaurant of Vietnam Golf & Country Club, along with renowned pho brands such as Pho Thin Bo Ho, Pho Ta, Pho Phu Gia, Pho Vuong, and Ba Ban Pho, will showcase the diversity of pho recipes and styles of enjoyment.
Beyond pho, visitors can also enjoy a range of traditional Vietnamese dishes, prepared by Saigontourist's five-star chefs, creating a vibrant 'culinary symphony.'
Alongside the festival, a large-scale investment forum titled the 'Vietnam–Singapore Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Forum 2025' will take place, highlighting the event's practical significance.
The forum will kick off right after the opening ceremony on the morning of October 18 and is expected to attract around 150 enterprises from both countries.
At the forum, government agencies and businesses will discuss new cooperation trends in green processing industries and logistics, tourism and aviation services, the export and import of Vietnamese agricultural products and specialties, as well as digital transformation and e-commerce.
In particular, the Business Matching program (one-on-one business meetings) will facilitate direct connections between Vietnamese and Singaporean enterprises, helping them explore practical partnership opportunities.
Dong Nguyen / Tuoi Tre News