SINGAPORE - Christmas lights in Orchard Road will be switched on three hours earlier at 3pm this year in a bid to give visitors a "different experience" of seeing daytime lights against the greenery of the shopping belt.

From Nov 11, Orchard Road will be awash in hues of purple, blue and silver, with interactive street-side installations and a 12m main arch, the tallest to be on display at the Christmas light-up so far.

President Halimah Yacob will be officiating the light-up ceremony that day.

For the first time, a Christmas Village in the vein of European Christmas markets will also be set up outside Ngee Ann City.

The village will host stores by more than 25 brands, such as Starbucks coffee chain and Paul bakery, where shoppers can dine al fresco and enjoy nightly live performances. There will also be a two-storey carousel.

A Christmas countdown concert will be held at the village on Christmas Eve.

The stretch between Wisma Atria and Mandarin Gallery will feature pop-up stores from brands such as ice cream store Haagen-Dazs and beauty retailer SK-II from early November. The Haagen-Dazs store will host workshops and a snow room, while the SK-II store will come with a cafe and art installations.

Chairman of the Orchard Road Business Association Mark Shaw said the group is confident that the new initiatives will "add to the allure of Orchard Road amid the challenging retail environment".

The association is aiming to attract 3.64 million unique visitors to the belt during the festive period this year.