Prudential Marina Bay Carnival 2018

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Prudential Marina Bay Carnival (official website) is a yearly pop-up amusement park held at Marina Bay since December 2017. The second iteration of the carnival was organised from 22 December 2018 to 24 March 2019. It was held at the Bayfront event space, with the closest MRT station being Bayfront (CE1/DT16).

An overview of the 2018/2019 Marina Bay Carnival at the Bayfront event space. Photo from The Smart Local.

Event details

 
The carnival card for the 2018/2019 event.

The carnival operated from 4 pm to 11 pm daily.[1] The opening hours of the carnival were extended on New Year’s Eve when the event was held from 4 pm to 2 am.[2] The carnival does not have an admission fee. However, in order to ride the attractions and play the carnival games, visitors were required to use a carnival card that cost S$10 to purchase.[3] The card comes with 10 credits with the S$10 purchase. The cash to credit conversion was S$1 to 1 credit and the card could be topped up at the relevant booths.


The carnival was co-created by the event management company Pico Pro Singapore and The Great European Carnival Limited, a Hong Kong-based events company. The title sponsor of the carnival was Prudential. Visitors enjoyed a diverse range of activities such as rides, food booths, games and workshops at the carnival. The carnival rides were imported from European countries such as UK, Germany and Italy.[4]

Reception

Based on public feedback towards the 2017/2018 event, the carnival’s organising team wanted to promote a more intimate and enjoyable experience for future visitors.[5] Hence, the carnival was reduced in size from 25,000 sq m to 23,000 sq m for the 2018/2019 carnival. Unlike the previous year, the carnival was only held at one location instead of spanning across two. Prices of the rides had also been reduced. Rides that cost $10 were lowered to $9.[6]

Event highlights

 
The Wave Swinger, one of the new rides added to the 2018/2019 line up. Photo from The Smart Local.
 
Roving clown acts were part of the entertainment line up for the carnival. Photo from The Smart Local.

Rides and games

There were a total of 50 carnival attractions, in contrast to the previous year where there were only 40.[7] New rides such as Wave Swinger (9 credits), Jumper Jumper (9 credits) and Spring Break (10 credits) had been added to the existing list of attractions. Popular rides such as Das Fun Schiff (9 credits), Mach 5 (14 credits) and Starflyer (9 credits) had also been brought back.[8] Carnival games such as Circle Darts (5 credits) and Long Range Basketball (5 credits) were also included in the line-up.[9]


The Wave Swinger ride was the main attraction of the 2018/2019 carnival. The Italian swing chair ride had been painted with murals of tourist attractions around the world such as the Eiffel Tower and even incorporating Singaporean attractions like Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands. Singapore is the first country in Southeast Asia to temporarily house the ride.[10] The ride swings in a circular wave-like movement at 30km/h.


Some rides at the carnival had height restrictions as safety measures. For example, Jumper Jumper required riders to be at least 1.4 m. Jumper Jumper was a graffiti-themed ride that had sudden downward accelerations. The ride had been featured internationally at events such as the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland.

Entertainment and performances

Performers such as Edmund Khong, Circus in Motion and Artful Deceptions were hired for the event. They presented clown, circus and magic shows respectively. Local musical acts such as Synergy and Daniel Sid had also been invited for entertainment purposes.

Other activities

The 2018/ 2019 Prudential Marina Bay Carnival offered various workshops held by local businesses. The 'Acrylic Pour Canvas with Room to Imagine'[11] workshop allowed participants to experience creating abstract art. 'Lovers Mossarium with Craftsforgreen'[12] was another workshop where participants could construct their own moss terrarium. Both workshops required payment, although entry to the carnival was free.[13]


There were also dancing and singing competitions, online quizzes and lucky draws for visitors where cash and credit prizes could be won.[14]

References / Citations

  1. “The Carnival”. Marina Bay Carnival. Accessed on 8 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://marinabaycarnival.sg/the-carnival/
  2. Lai, Jessica. “Marina Bay Carnival Is Back With New Rides, Express Passes & 2AM Closing Time On New Year’s Eve”. The Smart Local. December 22, 2018. Accessed on 8 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://thesmartlocal.com/read/marina-bay-carnival-2019
  3. "MARINA BAY CARNIVAL: YOUR ULTIMATE GUIDE". Marina Bay Sands Singapore. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.marinabaysands.com/singapore-visitors-guide/around-mbs/marina-bay-carnival.html
  4. “General FAQs”. Marina Bay Carnival. 21 December 2018. Accessed on 8 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://marinabaycarnival.sg/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/general-faqs_21dec.pdf
  5. Ang, Benson. “Marina Bay carnival to make a splash with new rides, favourites”. December 15, 2018. Accessed on 8 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/marina-bay-carnival-to-make-a-splash-with-new-rides-favourites
  6. Ang, Benson. “Marina Bay carnival to make a splash with new rides, favourites”. December 15, 2018. Accessed on 8 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/marina-bay-carnival-to-make-a-splash-with-new-rides-favourites
  7. Ang, Benson. “Prudential Marina Bay Carnival returns with more rides and games from Dec 22”. The Strait Times. December 14, 2018. Accessed on 8 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/prudential-marina-bay-carnival-returns-with-more-rides-and-games-from-dec-22
  8. Lai, Jessica. “Marina Bay Carnival Is Back With New Rides, Express Passes & 2AM Closing Time On New Year’s Eve” TheSmartLocal. December 22, 2018. Accessed on 8 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://thesmartlocal.com/read/marina-bay-carnival-2019
  9. For a full list of expenditure on rides and games: Tan, Cherie. "Ultimate Price List of Prudential Marina Bay Carnival 2018/2019: How Much Should You Expect to Spend?". Seedly. December 29, 2018. Retrieved from: https://blog.seedly.sg/ultimate-price-list-prudential-marina-bay-carnival-mbs-singapore/
  10. Lai, Jessica. “Marina Bay Carnival Is Back With New Rides, Express Passes & 2AM Closing Time On New Year’s Eve” TheSmartLocal. December 22, 2018. Accessed on 8 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://thesmartlocal.com/read/marina-bay-carnival-2019
  11. "Workshop – Marina Bay Carnival 2019: Acrylic Pour Canvas". Eventfinda. Feb 17, 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.eventfinda.sg/2019/workshop-marina-bay-carnival-2019-acrylic-pour-canvas/singapore/marina-bay
  12. "Workshop at Prudential Marina Bay Carnival 2019: Lovers Mossarium". Eventbrite. Feb 10, 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.eventbrite.sg/e/workshop-at-prudential-marina-bay-carnival-2019-lovers-mossarium-tickets-55011312316#
  13. “The Carnival”. Marina Bay Carnival. Accessed on 8 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://marinabaycarnival.sg/the-carnival/
  14. Marina Bay Carnival. Accessed on 8 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://marinabaycarnival.sg/