Sakura 2024: Blossom into the night at Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay‘s 2024 cherry blossom floral display – Sakura: Blossom into the night – offers an enchanting night viewing experience.

Sakura: Blossom into the night at Gardens by the Bay

The 2024 Sakura: Blossom into the night floral display offers a breathtaking experience of viewing cherry blossoms – from day to night. Inspired by the city of Kyoto, once the capital of Japan, visitors can enjoy peaceful landscapes and garden elements with nostalgic charm.

This floral display is open from 22 March till 21 April 2024. The display will transform progressively as different trees bloom throughout the season, with most blooms to be expected around the mid-point in early April.

Start your journey under a canopy of glowing paper cranes, bringing colour and good luck to your journey.

This year’s highlight is a “Kyoto bubble” at the Flower Field itself, you can bypass the other gardens and head down directly to the display via the side staircase (that brings you closer to the Flower Dome’s exit).

The centerpiece of Sakura 2024 is Temple of the Golden Pavilion, also known as Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺).

The original in northern Kyoto is a UNESCO World Heritage site and must-see attraction. As for this replica in Gardens by the Bay, it is smaller, and without the lake’s waters – offers an unusual, closer look. You can even “step inside”. But more on that later.

The other parts of the Flower Field offers different Hanami, or flower viewing experiences, with blooms interspersed between themed sections of mini gardens.

A handful of elegant Ikebana (floral arrangements) are also scattered around the display.

This year, you can enjoy over 40 varieties of cherry blossom trees throughout the 1-month long floral display.

One of the most popular varieties returning would be the cherry blossoms with a hint of pink.

There’s a veranda (engawa) section built over a section of the Flower Field, offering an opportunity for memorable photos to be taken from the lower walking path.

Other iconic elements, such as Torii gates, rickshaws and lanterns, tie in the ‘Kyoto travel sampler’ experience.

The display changes gradually at sunset – I would recommend visiting from 6PM to enjoy both the “day and night” versions of this floral display, as well as the transition in between.

As mentioned earlier, you can enter the “Kinkaku-ji” building to see some small displays, such as a traditional armour set, and Ikebana.

While the sun sets, the light effects around the flowers will become more obvious, painting the bright blooms into vibrant, and sometimes surreal, colours.

The lighting (and shadows cast) also make some parts of the landscapes feel more dramatic.

From 7:30PM onwards, the Yozakura (night sakura) viewing experience comes to life as the night landscapes become more intense, and projections transform the floor into streets filled with flying petals, and koi ponds.

Stay on till 8:30PM or later to enjoy lighter crowds to take in the night walking experience around the cherry blossoms.

Due to the high volume of visitors expected for this displays during the day, you should expect to spend more time in the Flower Dome, especially if you wish to take photos with the display.

Please also note that for safety reasons, the use of tripods is not allowed on certain days throughout the Sakura floral display, such as on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays, and any other peak periods determined by the Gardens.

Sakura 2024 – Cultural Programmes

There are a few special cultural programmes complementing Sakura 2024, including performances, tea ceremonies, and the return of Sakura: Anime Garden 2024.

Taking place on 30-31 March 2024, Sakura: Anime Garden 2024 is back after a 4-year hiatus. Japanese pop culture fans can enjoy concerts, performances, celebrity cosplay meet and greets, and the anime market place. Find out more at the Anime Garden 2024 event page. Separate charges apply for some programmes.

While most traditional performances have completed their run on the first weekend (23 and 24 March 2024), you can still enjoy the tea ceremony demonstrations on 30-31 March and 6-7 April 2024. More details on Gardens by the Bay’s event website. Flower Dome admission required for this programme.

Flower Dome’s upcoming floral displays

The upcoming displays this year are Tulipmania (from late April), Rose Romance (from June), and the new Impressions of Monet: The Garden (from July).

Use my Klook link to buy tickets for Flower Dome and other attractions at Gardens by the Bay.

(Purchases made via this link will help support Dejiki.com at no extra cost to you)