At Suntec City, Lunar New Year Becomes a Playground Again
There is a very specific kind of nostalgia Singaporeans carry into Lunar New Year.
It smells faintly of bak kwa. It sounds like mahjong tiles knocking against each other. It feels like being dragged through shopping centres as a child, half-bored, half-hyped, clutching red packets and hoping something unexpected happens.
Every year, malls try to recreate that feeling. Most succeed only halfway.
In 2026, Suntec City is doing something a little more ambitious. Instead of just dressing the atrium in red and gold and calling it a day, it is turning Lunar New Year into something you can actually step into, play in, and bring home.
From 15 January to 1 March 2026, Suntec City’s Huat A Pot-sperity Festival transforms the mall into a hotpot-themed, plush-filled, nostalgia-powered Lunar New Year playground that feels designed not just for children, but for adults who secretly miss being one.
The Hotpot That You Can Actually Jump Into
The emotional centrepiece of the entire festival is also the most ridiculous in the best way possible.
At the Atrium (Tower 1 & 2), Suntec City is installing a five-metre-tall yuan yang hotpot inflatable playground. One side is inspired by mala. The other by collagen soup. Together, they form a two-in-one play zone that is equal parts photo-op, stress relief, and controlled chaos.
Inside, one zone functions as an energetic bouncy area. The other becomes a ball pit. The idea is simple and kind of brilliant. You do not just eat hotpot during Chinese New Year anymore. You become part of it.
For adults who still secretly want to join in, there are also two interactive stations. One is a fast-paced digital game called Prosperity Pot Master, where players race against time to assemble the right ingredients in sequence. The other is a Lucky Roll Station, where you stamp your own red packet and bring it home as a keepsake.
Access is free for Suntec+ members, which makes it less of a gimmick and more of a genuine reason to actually hang around the mall instead of just walking in, buying something, and leaving.
Mr Merlion, But Make It a Childhood Memory
If the playground is the spectacle, then Mr Merlion & Friends: Prosperity Fest is the part that hits you emotionally.
Suntec City has turned its atrium into a plush-themed, walk-through Lunar New Year bazaar filled with interactive stalls that recreate old-school festive rituals. You can pretend to grill bak kwa. Roll love letters. “Bake” pineapple tarts. Everything is stylised, adorable, and deliberately designed to feel like a childhood memory rather than a retail concept.
But here is where it gets clever.
Instead of selling you individual items, Suntec City offers an $88 interactive bundle experience. You walk through the bazaar, pick five plushies from different stalls, receive a mahjong blind box, and then proceed to a final mahjong table where you flip a tile for a chance to win a giant mahjong cushion.
It is retail, gamified and emotionalised.
The first 1,000 Suntec+ members who buy this bundle also receive a limited-edition Golden Hotpot bag charm, which is exactly the kind of thing that ends up clipped onto bags for the next six months.
On weekends, the Mr Merlion & Friends mascots even roam the space for photo opportunities, which tells you exactly who this is designed for. Families, couples, and adults who pretend they are just “taking photos for their niece.”
The Collectibles Are Not an Afterthought
There is also a full retail pop-up selling Mr Merlion & Friends merchandise, including apparel, keychains, bag charms and Lunar New Year-themed items.
And then there is the sleeper hit of the entire campaign.
Shoppers who spend a minimum amount can redeem a Fortune Hotpot Brick Set, a buildable collectible that lets you assemble your own miniature hotpot scene. It is part toy, part display piece, part conversation starter. It is also exactly the kind of thing Singaporeans love to put on shelves and forget they bought.
Stackable rewards also include red packets, e-vouchers, and carpark dollars, which means your festive shopping actually turns into something tangible instead of just receipts and regret.
Even Your Zodiac Gets an Upgrade
Suntec City is also leaning into tech in a way that feels surprisingly tasteful.
Across the mall, there will be 12 Zodiac Reading Panels created with Alchemy International Advisory. Each panel comes with a QR code that unlocks AR filters, turning your zodiac reading into something you can actually interact with and share.
It is a small detail, but it shows how Lunar New Year activations are shifting. Less static decor. More experiences you can step into, scan, and participate in.
When and Where
Huat A Pot-sperity Festival runs from 15 January to 1 March 2026 at Suntec City.
Key attractions like the Yuan Yang playground and Mr Merlion & Friends Prosperity Fest run between 29 January and 22 February 2026 at the Atrium (Tower 1 & 2).
You can find full programme details at https://sunteccity.com.sg/huat-a-potsperity