Hari Raya Activities and Workshops for Events in Singapore
Craft stations, performances and roving acts for corporate Hari Raya celebrations, mall activations and community gatherings, booked with set up and a facilitator included.
Hari Raya activities and workshops for events in Singapore bring the Aidilfitri or Aidiladha occasion into a corporate party, mall atrium or community celebration through hands on sessions such as ketupat weaving, henna application, songket craft, and traditional Malay dance or kompang performances. Bookings range from a single 15 to 25 minute stage set to a full afternoon of rotating craft stations for 50 to 500 guests. Price depends on group size, number of facilitators or performers, materials, and whether the date falls on the public holiday itself.
- What Hari Raya activities and workshops cover
- Which events this suits
- Formats and set lengths
- Space, power and setup requirements
- What drives the price
- How booking works
- Mistake to avoid
- FAQ
What Hari Raya activities and workshops cover
Hari Raya activities and workshops for events in Singapore generally fall into three groups: craft stations, performances, and roving entertainment. Craft stations include ketupat weaving, songket or batik pattern workshops, cookie or kuih decorating, and Jawi calligraphy. Performances cover kompang drumming, traditional Malay dance such as Zapin, Joget and Inang, and dikir barat groups. Roving options include henna or inai art at a queue or table, and traditional games corners like congkak and five stones with an attendant on hand.
Most clients combine two or three of these rather than booking one in isolation. A typical office Hari Raya gathering might run a henna queue for the full event alongside one 20 minute dance set as the headline moment. A mall activation usually leans heavier on self-serve craft stations because foot traffic is continuous rather than seated. If you are also planning other cultural segments for the same event, our cultural dance Singapore page covers how Malay, Chinese and Indian dance acts are usually paired for multi-racial celebrations.
Which events this suits
This works for five recurring event types in the Singapore calendar around Ramadan and Syawal. Corporate Hari Raya dinners and open houses use a dance or kompang performance as the main entertainment segment, often alongside a buffet of traditional food. Mall and retail atrium activations run craft stations continuously over a weekend to pull in shoppers. Condo management committees and residents' committees book a scaled down version, usually one or two stations plus a short performance, for void deck or function room gatherings. Government agencies and schools book workshop heavy formats because the educational angle, explaining what ketupat weaving or songket represents, fits a learning objective. Community centres and mosques running bazaars typically want roving acts that keep moving through a crowd rather than a fixed stage.
If your event also needs other cultural or festive acts, our event type page lists how these are structured by occasion, and our act type directory covers the full roster beyond Hari Raya specifically.
Formats and set lengths
Set length and group size vary by activity, and most are designed to repeat in rotations rather than run once. The table below gives typical figures. Confirm exact numbers with us against your guest count and floor plan, since a facilitator who can comfortably run a table of 10 struggles at 25 without a second pair of hands.
| Activity | Format | Typical duration | Group size per session |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ketupat weaving workshop | Stationed, facilitator guided | 15 to 20 min per rotation, repeatable | 8 to 15 pax per table |
| Henna or inai art | Roving or queue at a table | Booked for 2 to 4 hrs, 3 to 5 min per guest | Open queue, roughly 12 to 15 guests per hour per artist |
| Songket or batik craft | Stationed workshop | 30 to 45 min | 10 to 20 pax per session |
| Kompang ensemble | Stage or processional | 15 to 20 min set | 4 to 8 performers |
| Traditional Malay dance | Stage performance | 15 to 25 min, 2 to 3 dances | 4 to 8 dancers |
| Dikir barat | Stage performance | 15 to 20 min | 8 to 12 performers |
| Traditional games corner | Self serve with attendant | Runs for duration of event | Open rotation, unlimited |
Dance performers for Hari Raya sets often come from the same roster used for other cultural segments. See our dancers in Singapore page for how troupe size and number of costume changes affect a quote.
Space, power and setup requirements
A dance or kompang performance needs a clear floor of roughly 3 metres by 3 metres as a minimum, more if the group is 6 or more dancers, and a stage is preferred once the audience exceeds around 80 people so sightlines hold. If music is played through a backing track or live kompang with amplification, you need at least one 13A power point near the performance area and enough lead cable to reach it, which the venue or our team can confirm during the site check.
Craft stations need tables and chairs, which most function rooms and malls already have, plus a load-in window of 30 to 60 minutes before guests arrive and a similar teardown window after. Henna needs good lighting at the table and a surface that will not stain if a cone leaks, so confirm with the venue whether tablecloths are provided or whether we should bring our own. For outdoor or tented events, check shade coverage for the hottest part of the day and confirm power access with the site organiser well before the event, since outdoor power points are not always where you expect.
What drives the price for Hari Raya activities and workshops
There is no fixed rate card for this category because the combination of activities, group size and duration changes every booking. What consistently moves the price:
- Group size and number of facilitators or performers. A single henna artist for 50 guests costs less than two artists for 200 guests across the same window.
- Duration and number of rotations. A one hour craft station costs less than the same station run across a four hour open house.
- Materials. Fresh henna cones, ketupat leaves, songket fabric offcuts and craft supplies are consumed per event and priced into the quote, not reused.
- Performer count for dance or kompang. More performers and more costume or dance changes raise the fee.
- Travel to the venue, particularly for locations further from central Singapore or with restricted loading access.
- Timing. Weekday evenings, weekends, and the public holiday dates for Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji themselves are priced differently, with the actual holiday typically commanding a higher rate.
- Lead time. Booking during the Ramadan to Syawal peak season close to the date usually means a smaller pool of available performers, which can push cost up or limit your choice of act.
We quote after a short call covering guest count, venue, date and which activities you want, so figures here are directional only. Confirm your exact quote with us rather than estimating from a general range.
The mistake that costs the most
Leaving a Hari Raya booking until two or three weeks before the date. Ramadan to Syawal is peak season for Malay cultural performers and henna artists in Singapore, and the good ones are booked out months in advance for the actual public holiday dates and the weekends either side. Clients who wait end up either paying a late booking premium, accepting a less experienced substitute, or dropping the performance entirely and keeping only the craft stations. If you have a date in mind, lock it in as soon as the event is confirmed, even before the full guest list or run of show is finalised.
How booking works
Booking runs through six steps, start to finish. First, you send us the date, venue, guest count and event type, whether it is a corporate open house, mall activation or community gathering. Second, we recommend an activity mix based on space, budget and whether the goal is a stage moment or a full afternoon of engagement. Third, we confirm space and power requirements against your floor plan, either from photos or a site visit if the venue is unfamiliar to us. Fourth, we issue a quotation and you confirm with a deposit to lock the date, which matters most during peak Ramadan to Syawal weeks. Fifth, around one to two weeks out we run a planning call to set the run of show, arrival time and any briefing the venue needs. Sixth, on the day our team handles setup, facilitation or performance, and teardown.
For a wider view of how we structure cultural acts generally, our about us page covers how the agency works across event types, and our blog has further planning notes for other festive and cultural bookings.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should I book Hari Raya entertainment in Singapore?
Book at least six to eight weeks before your event date, and earlier if the date falls on or near the actual Hari Raya public holiday. The Ramadan to Syawal period is peak season for Malay performers and henna artists, and availability for the most requested dates tightens quickly once the holiday dates are announced each year.
What is the difference between Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji activities?
The activities themselves, ketupat weaving, henna, dance and kompang, are the same for both occasions. The difference is mainly in timing and scale: Hari Raya Puasa, marking the end of Ramadan, is the larger celebration in Singapore and tends to draw bigger corporate and community events, while Hari Raya Haji gatherings are typically smaller and more focused on family or community observance.
How many henna artists do I need for a given guest count?
As a rough guide, one henna artist can serve roughly 12 to 15 guests per hour for simple designs. For 100 guests over a two hour window, that points to two to three artists to avoid a long queue. Confirm the exact number with us based on your design complexity and whether guests queue voluntarily or are seated at set times.
Can workshops be combined with a dance performance in one event?
Yes, this is the most common format for corporate Hari Raya events. A typical structure runs henna or a craft station continuously through the event while a kompang or Malay dance performance is scheduled as a 15 to 25 minute highlight, often timed just before or after the meal.
Do you provide materials for ketupat weaving and craft workshops?
Yes, materials such as ketupat leaves, songket offcuts and craft supplies are included and priced into the quotation since they are consumed per event rather than reused. Confirm quantities against your guest count when booking so enough material is prepared for every rotation.
What space do we need for a kompang or traditional dance performance?
Plan for a clear floor of at least 3 metres by 3 metres for a small group, more for six or more performers. A stage is recommended once your audience passes around 80 people so sightlines hold. You also need at least one power point nearby if music is amplified or played through a backing track.
Is this suitable for non-Muslim corporate audiences?
Yes, Hari Raya activities and workshops are regularly booked for mixed and multi-racial corporate audiences in Singapore as part of broader festive or diversity programming. Facilitators usually give a short explanation of the cultural meaning behind each activity, which works well for guests encountering it for the first time.
Can activities be held outdoors or in a tent?
Yes, but confirm shade coverage and power access with the venue before booking. Outdoor henna and craft stations need protection from direct sun and wind, and amplified performances need a confirmed power source. These details are usually settled during the site check step of booking.
Plan your Hari Raya activities and workshops
Tell us your date, venue and guest count and we will put together a mix that fits your space and budget.
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