Purple Parade among events postponed, cancelled amid haze concerns

SINGAPORE – The Purple Parade has been postponed amid worsening haze conditions, its organisers announced on Oct 16.

The event, a ground-up movement that promotes awareness of the special needs community, was set to be held on Oct 24 at Suntec City.

“In view of the current unpredictable and unhealthy haze situation, The Purple Parade 2026 will be postponed to the first half of 2027,” organisers said in a Facebook post. “The safety and well-being of our participants, especially persons with disabilities and their caregivers, remain our top priority.”

A new event date will be shared once it is confirmed, they added.

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Oct 16 that he had been looking forward to the event, noting that the organisers, performers, volunteers and partners were “raring to go” after having put so much into preparations.

“It is disappointing, but the health and well-being of our people must come first,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

“The Purple Parade movement is more than just a physical event, so your efforts will not go to waste. Let’s keep supporting inclusion and celebrating abilities, and I look forward to joining everyone in 2027,” he added.

The Purple Parade chairman Rachel Ong said it was a difficult decision to postpone the event because of the haze, and thanked the organising committee and volunteers in a Facebook post.

She wrote: “I plan my month around The Purple Parade, and the week leading up to the parade at Suntec is always blocked out. This year, that week will look a little different. The parade was meant to be next Saturday, 24th October.

“I am grateful to our organising team and volunteers. They started planning right after last year’s parade, and they have given months of heart and hard work to get us ready. None of that effort is lost. It simply carries us forward to an even stronger celebration of inclusion next year.”

In a document linked to the Facebook post, which contains frequently asked questions for The Purple Parade’s various stakeholders, organisers said they had considered options such as moving the event indoors.

“However, given the scale and complexity of the event, as well as venue availability and logistical requirements, an indoor arrangement that would allow us to deliver the event safely and meaningfully could not be confirmed in a short period of time,” said organisers.

The document added that carnival coupons purchased for The Purple Parade 2026 will remain valid for use at the next edition in 2027.

Those unable to attend the next Purple Parade may request a refund for unused coupons by contacting AXS directly via e-mail at cs@axs.com.sg or calling 6560-2727.

Refund requests for e-coupons will be processed by AXS until Dec 31.

However, refunds are not available for merchandise purchased for The Purple Parade.

The first Purple Parade was held in 2013, and October’s event was slated to be its 14th edition.

In 2025, more than 15,000 people turned up for the biggest edition of the annual parade, which featured more than 60 live performances, 60 carnival booths and more than 130 contingents marching together.

Haze affects other events and facilities

Other events and facilities have also been affected by the haze.

On Oct 16, Beyond the Label, a nationwide movement to address the stigma faced by persons with mental health conditions, announced the cancellation of its Beyond the Label Fest 2026, which was set to be held at Bayfront Event Space from Oct 23 to 25.

The event will move online, the movement said on Facebook, adding that the new dates and timings will be announced on its official social media channels.

Meanwhile, at 12pm on Oct 16, national sports agency Sport Singapore closed all its outdoor and non-air-conditioned ActiveSG facilities across the island. Those that are indoor and air-conditioned remained open.

All activities at The Kallang’s outdoor venues – OCBC Aquatic Centre, Water Sports Centre, Kallang Football Hub, Kallang Tennis Hub’s outdoor courts and all community facilities – were also suspended, it said at 10am.

Science Centre Singapore closed its observatory on Oct 16, while the Singapore Civil Defence Force’s weekly Fire Station Open House and the Singapore Botanic Gardens’ free tours slated for Oct 17 were also cancelled.

Singapore has been experiencing its longest continuous stretch of poor air quality since the 2015 haze crisis.

Hazy conditions across the island worsened on Oct 16 with the east, west and central regions recording “very unhealthy” Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) levels alongside “high” PM2.5 readings.

The 24-hour PSI hit 229 in the central region at 3pm, marking a new high for this haze season.

Air quality is considered unhealthy when the PSI – a 24-hour rolling average of six key air pollutants – is in the range of 101 to 200 and very unhealthy when it is in the range of 201 to 300.

The highest PM2.5 reading this haze season was recorded at 3pm on Oct 14 in the western part of the island at 288.