Chinese New Year Workshops and Activities for Events in Singapore
Lantern making, calligraphy, tangyuan rolling, fan painting and lion dance, booked as one package with materials, a facilitator and setup included.
Chinese New Year workshops and activities for events in Singapore cover hands-on craft stations such as lantern making, Chinese calligraphy, tangyuan rolling and fan painting, plus performance elements like lion dance and drumming. Bella Entertainment supplies the activity, materials, a trained facilitator and on-site setup for corporate events, malls, condos and private functions. Cost depends on group size, session length, number of stations and whether you add a lion dance performance. Book 4 to 8 weeks ahead, earlier still if your date falls in the two to three weeks around Chinese New Year itself, when demand peaks.
What Chinese New Year workshops and activities for events in Singapore actually include
These fall into two broad categories, and most events book one or both. The first is the hands-on workshop station: guests sit or stand at a table and make something, with a facilitator guiding them. Common options are lantern making, Chinese calligraphy (writing fortune characters on red paper), tangyuan rolling (the glutinous rice balls eaten at Chinese New Year), red packet or fan painting, and Chinese knot tying. These run continuously through an event window and guests drop in and out.
The second category is performance: lion dance, with or without drummers, and sometimes a Cai Shen (God of Fortune) walkabout for photo moments. This is scheduled, not continuous. It runs for a fixed slot, usually opens or punctuates the event, and needs its own clear floor space and a few minutes of full attention from the crowd.
Most corporate and mall clients combine the two: a short lion dance to open, then workshop stations running for the rest of the session. For a wider menu of cultural acts that pair well with CNY programming, see our cultural dance offerings, which many planners book alongside the craft stations rather than instead of them.
Which Chinese New Year workshop suits your event type
The setting decides the format more than the budget does. A corporate lunch or townhall with 60 to 150 staff usually wants two or three rotating stations in a function room, something people can finish in 15 to 20 minutes before going back to their seats. A mall atrium activation is the opposite: open to passing shoppers, no fixed seating, so stations need to be self-contained with their own small table and signage, and the lion dance performance does the job of pulling a crowd toward the stations.
Condo and residential CNY parties tend to book family-friendly stations, lantern making and simple calligraphy work well across ages, and a shorter lion dance that performs near the pool deck or function hall rather than indoors. Schools and student events usually want the craft element heavier and the performance lighter, since the learning angle matters to the organiser. Private reunion dinners and family functions at restaurants or homes almost always book a shorter lion dance slot only, timed to the start of the meal, without the workshop stations.
If you are weighing a CNY theme against other cultural entertainment for a multicultural workplace event, our event type pages break down what tends to work for each setting, and our act type directory covers the full range of acts beyond CNY if you want to compare.
Space, power and technical requirements for CNY workshop stations
Each craft station typically needs one standard trestle table, roughly 1.8m, and two chairs if seated. Allow about 2m by 2m of floor footprint once you account for guests queueing, including a table for lantern making or calligraphy where glue, ink or paint could spill. One 13A power point per station is enough for lighting or a hot glue gun, if the venue does not have enough sockets we bring an extension and confirm this with the venue in advance, not on the day.
Lion dance has different needs entirely. It needs a clear, flat floor, ideally not carpeted, and enough ceiling height for the lion head to be lifted, which matters indoors in function rooms with low false ceilings. Confirm ceiling height with the venue before booking a lion dance performance, because some ballrooms and void decks are lower than they look in photos. Drumming also needs to be cleared with the venue or building management, especially in residential settings, since cymbals and drums carry.
Outdoor or semi-outdoor setups, atriums, void decks, pool decks, need a wet weather plan agreed with the venue beforehand. We ask for this at booking stage rather than assuming it.
Group size, session length and how many stations you need
One facilitator can comfortably run one station for up to around 15 to 20 guests per rotation, more than that and people queue too long and start to leave. For larger headcounts, the answer is more stations and more facilitators, not a bigger queue at one table. A typical corporate event of 100 to 150 pax runs two to three stations side by side over a window of 45 minutes to an hour, which lets most guests complete at least one activity.
| Activity | Typical session per batch | Space needed | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lantern making | 15 to 20 minutes | 1 table per 15 to 20 guests | Corporate, condo, school |
| Chinese calligraphy | 10 to 15 minutes | 1 table per 15 guests | Corporate, mall, private |
| Tangyuan rolling | 15 to 20 minutes | 1 table, requires hand washing nearby | Family and reunion events |
| Fan painting / red packet art | 15 to 20 minutes | 1 table per 15 guests | Corporate, school |
| Lion dance performance | 5 to 15 minute set | Clear flat floor, adequate ceiling height | All event types, as an opener |
If you are not sure how many stations your headcount needs, tell us the guest count and the time window and we will size it, rather than you guessing and ending up with a 40-minute queue at one lantern table.
What drives the price of Chinese New Year workshops and activities
There is no flat rate to quote here because it depends on choices you make, but the variables are consistent across every booking we quote. The main ones, in rough order of impact on the final figure, are:
- Number of stations and facilitators. Two stations with two facilitators costs roughly double one station, materials included.
- Materials grade. Basic paper lanterns cost less than silk or LED lantern kits, and calligraphy with ink brushes costs less than pre-printed templates with paint pens.
- Session length. A one-hour window is priced differently from a half-day activation that runs continuously.
- Whether a lion dance performance is added. This is usually quoted separately from the workshop stations since it involves a different team, often with drummers.
- Date. The two to three weeks around Chinese New Year itself are peak season for lion dance troupes specifically, and rates and availability both tighten.
- Venue and travel. Setup time and transport for a venue with loading bay access differs from a walk-up unit with lifts, and this is reflected in the quote.
Ask for a line-itemised quote so you can see what each station and the performance cost separately, that way you can trim stations to fit budget without losing the headline act.
The most expensive mistake: booking the lion dance too close to Chinese New Year
Lion dance troupes are booked solid during the two to three weeks around Chinese New Year, often weeks in advance, because every CNY lunch, store opening and reunion dinner wants one in the same narrow window. Teams who call us a week out either get no troupe at all or pay a peak-period premium that a booking made two months earlier would have avoided entirely. If lion dance is part of your plan, lock the date first and build the rest of the programme around its confirmed availability.
How booking works and when to confirm
The process is the same whether you want one craft station or a full lion dance plus three stations. Share your date, venue, expected headcount and time window first, that single brief lets us tell you what fits and what the realistic options are before you commit to anything.
- Brief us on date, venue, headcount and budget range, even a rough one.
- We propose a format, number of stations, duration and whether a performance element makes sense for your space.
- Site details confirmed, power points, floor type, ceiling height for lion dance, loading access.
- Quote and deposit to hold the date, which matters most for lion dance bookings near Chinese New Year itself.
- Setup and run on the day, our team arrives ahead of your guests and clears down after.
Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year under the lunar calendar, typically landing in late January or February, so check the actual date for your event year before fixing a booking window. For general enquiries or to start the brief, use our about us page to see how we work, or go straight to a quote request. If your event needs a broader cultural mix, our dancers in Singapore page and bhangra dancers and dhol players page cover acts that pair well with CNY programming at multicultural workplaces.
Frequently asked questions
What is included in a Chinese New Year workshop for events?
A standard booking includes the activity materials, a trained facilitator who runs the station and guides guests, and setup and clear-down by our team. Table and chairs are usually provided by the venue, confirmed with you beforehand. Lion dance is quoted as a separate performance element since it uses a different team.
How many people can join a CNY lantern making or calligraphy workshop?
One facilitator at one station handles about 15 to 20 guests per rotation, each taking roughly 15 to 20 minutes. For larger groups we add stations and facilitators rather than lengthening the queue at one table. Tell us your headcount and time window and we will size the number of stations accordingly.
Do you provide lion dance performances together with the workshops?
Yes, lion dance and drumming can be booked alongside craft workshop stations, and most corporate and mall events combine both, a short performance to open followed by continuous workshop stations. The two are quoted separately since they use different teams, and lion dance needs its own clear floor space and adequate ceiling height.
How far in advance should I book CNY activities for my event?
Four to eight weeks ahead is a safe general window. If lion dance is part of your plan and your date falls within the two to three weeks around Chinese New Year itself, book earlier still, since troupes are in highest demand during exactly that period and availability tightens fast.
What space and power do you need for a CNY workshop station?
Each station needs roughly one trestle table and a 2m by 2m footprint including queue space, plus one power point if the activity uses glue guns or lighting. Lion dance needs a clear, flat floor and enough ceiling height to lift the lion head, which should be confirmed with the venue before booking, especially indoors.
Can the activity be adapted for corporate branding?
Yes, lantern making, fan painting and calligraphy stations can incorporate company colours or a logo on the materials, and the facilitator briefing can mention a sponsor or campaign tie-in. Tell us the branding requirement at the quote stage so materials can be sourced or customised in time.
What happens if Chinese New Year falls on a weekday and I need the activity for a weekend event instead?
That is fine, these activities are not restricted to the actual public holiday date and are booked for whatever date suits your event calendar, often the weekend before or after Chinese New Year itself. Just confirm the actual lunar date for the relevant year so your event timing still reads as a CNY celebration.
Is there a minimum group size or event size for booking?
There is no fixed minimum, workshop stations and a lion dance performance have both been booked for small private functions and large corporate activations. Smaller groups simply need fewer stations and a shorter facilitator slot, so cost scales down with headcount rather than a flat minimum applying.
Planning a Chinese New Year event?
Tell us your date, venue and headcount and we will put together a workshop and performance line-up that fits your space.
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