Are 2026 Ramadan bazaars worth checking out?
The TLDR: Are Ramadan bazaars pricier than before? Maybe, but young people still like visiting them, because they feature food and drinks popularised on social media.
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Choo Ying Ern
The bazaars held during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting and prayer, have evolved over the years.
Fewer stalls sell traditional snacks like kueh and long-time faves such as like the Ramly burger, with more stalls offering trendier food such as matcha lattes and quesillos, a Venenzuelan flan that recently went viral on social media.
Some appreciate the stallholders’ attempts to keep up with the times, others think the bazaars have become too pricey, and are more hype than is worth the effort to visit them.
What do young people think of the bazaars? To find out, TL;DR went to three of them, located at Kampong Gelam, Geylang Serai, and Marsiling. The former two are the biggest ones in 2026 – the Geylang Serai bazaar has around 500 stalls, 150 of which are food stalls; while the Kampong Gelam one has around 100 stalls.
At the Gemilang Kampong Gelam Ramadan Bazaar, TL;DR saw many young people, including friends Felisya Qasheera and Nurul Nabillah Qushaira.
Ms Nurul Nabilah Qushaira and Ms Felisya Qasheera at the Gemilang Kampong Gelam Ramadan Bazaar.
PHOTO: CHOO YING ERN
“I wanted to try some (food I saw) from TikTok”, said Felisya, 17, a Bendemeer Secondary School student, who looks forward to visiting Ramadan bazaars every year.
Ramadan bazaars are “not so much for the food, (but) more for bonding with friends,” she added.
Nabillah, 17, from ITE College East noticed that the prices have gone up from when she was younger.
The two friends bought a Chicago cheesesteak ($13) to share, an Air Balang Blue Vanilla drink ($6), and a Thai milk tea ($5).
At the same bazaar, Ms Esther Suzanna Pang Ern Ai, a student from National University of Singapore, and Mr Muhammad Rayyan Mazlan, a full-time national serviceman, both 22, both said they have noticed how the bazaars have changed in recent years.
A lot of stalls Ramadan are now focused on fusion food and what would be popular among young people, as well as have the potential to be viral on social media, said Mr Rayyan.
Not that this is a bad thing. In fact, Ms Pang said the trendy offerings make the bazaars more unique.
Ms Esther Suzanna Pang Ern Ai and Mr Muhammad Rayyan Bin Mazlan at the Gemilang Kampong Gelam Ramadan Bazaar.
ST PHOTO: CHOO YING ERN
She and Mr Rayyan said bought some of these foods to try, including smashed avocado tacos ($14), as well as a strawberry matcha latte ($8).
At the Kampong Gelam and Geylang Serai bazaars, prices ranged from $10 to $20 for most foods, and around $5 to $8 for drinks. Bazaria Marsiling at Woodlands had lower prices, with more options for mains under $10.
In 2019, stalls at Geylang Serai offered sliders for $4.50, chicken quesadillas for $6, meatballs in a bucket for $10.
While there are people who think bazaar prices are higher than before, 18-year-olds Lau Jing Yi and Athena Kwek Zhi Yi from Temasek Polytechnic are realistic about the hike and say it is reasonable.
Given rising rental costs, “stall owners also need to make a living, so we don’t mind paying the price”, Ms Kwek said.
“I think a few years ago, drinks would be like $2, $3. Now it has doubled to $4 to $6. A lot of those trending foods now are above $10,” she added.
At the Kampong Gelam bazaar, they bought matcha lattes that were featured on TikTok – a strawberry matcha latte ($8) and a cookie butter matcha latte ($9).
Said Ms Lau: “(These bazaars are) not overhyped – it is still nice to come down and try the different trendy foods.”
Additional reporting by Kaelyn Fong
