Chicken rice, chilli crab and satay: A taste of home at Singapore Day 2018 in London

LONDON - Free food, plenty of freebies and a concert to round off what is touted as a reunion of Singaporeans abroad brought thousands to Peninsula Quays in Greenwich on Saturday (March 24).

Singapore Day 2018 began at 10.30am (6.30pm Singapore time), but the queues to enter the venue began as early as 9.45am.

Local fare from 18 Singaporean hawkers and restaurants were given out to eager Singaporeans and their guests. Each Singaporean is allowed one guest, with about 5,000 people attending the annual event.

Some of the food on offer included bak kut teh from Song Fa Bak Kut Teh, chilli crab and fried mantous from Jumbo Seafood, and roti prata from Casuarina Curry.

"I came here for the carrot cake and queued one hour but it didn't disappoint," said Mr Heng Theng Juay, 21, an International Relations student at the University of Sussex.

Eventgoers also got to play games to redeem gifts such as a Lego dragon playground or a book about founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and the physical transformation of Singapore.

Other activities included a dress-up booth for children complete with traditional costumes, and Instagrammable Lego versions of Singaporean classics like the blue void deck table, orange payphone and gem biscuits.

Local acts such as funnyman Kumar and singers Joanna Dong and Rahimah Rahim are slated to perform at the finale concert later in the day.

Singapore Day is a day-long event held each year in a major city with a significant number of Singaporeans so that they can strengthen bonds, relive memories of home and connect with the latest developments in Singapore.

The inaugural Singapore Day took place in New York in 2007, while cities such as San Francisco, Melbourne and Shanghai have also played host.