Illuminating the history of the Istana

A kaleidoscope of light and colour played over the facade of the Istana last night, telling the story of the building's history and that of Singapore. The light show was part of celebrations for the Istana's 150th anniversary on Oct 8.

Sunday was the first time that the Istana opened its doors to the public at night. The event, hosted by President Halimah Yacob and her husband, Mr Mohamed Abdullah Alhabshee, also featured performances by local artists and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, as well as a food carnival.

Nearly 2,000 people bought tickets to the event within six hours of the release of the tickets. All proceeds will go to the President's Challenge, an annual community outreach and fund-raising campaign.