8,000 visit first day 
of Star Wars festival

SINGAPORE — On Thursday night (May 4), at 8pm, something special took place at the Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay.

The epic soundtrack to Star Wars started to play, ringing through the night — and lights were beamed up from the tops of the Supertrees, making them look like the lightsabers from the iconic Star Wars movies.

The light-up was part of The Star Wars Day: May the 4th Be With You festival, which is on until Saturday (May 6). Organised by local event company Esprimo and The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia, the festival is part of a three-year tie-up between the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Disney to boost tourism here.

Thronging the venue on the first day were 8,000 fans; among them were marketing manager Lie Felicia, and marketing supervisor Rid Irnaldi. The Star Wars fanatics had flown in from Jakarta to attend the event.

The duo are from the Indonesia “outpost” of costuming group 501st Legion, which focuses on Star Wars characters from the dark side of the Force.

They had booked their tickets when Star Wars Day was announced in April, as “this is one of the biggest Star Wars events in South-east Asia”, said Lie, 33.

Irnaldi, 38, was dressed as a stormtrooper — in part, for practical reasons. “The costume was easy to travel with,” he said. But it actually takes him at least 20 minutes to suit up, putting on the costume piece by piece, starting with the legs first.

Lie is intending to stay on until Saturday to take part in the inaugural Star Wars Run on Friday, where one can choose to be on the “light side” or the “dark side”. Naturally, “I will be on the dark side”, she laughed.

Trade and Industry Minister S Iswaran was at Gardens by the Bay to officiate the opening of the event. The STB and Disney tie-up — the first of its kind between Disney and a national tourism body — will incorporate more Star Wars-related events in Singapore in the second half of the year.

Mr Iswaran later headed to the Shangri-La Hotel to grace the Singapore Tourism Awards presentation ceremony. There, awards were given to 31 individuals and organisations for their contributions to the tourism industry here.

Notable awards included the Breakthrough Contribution to Tourism, which was handed to the Michelin Guide Singapore. Mr Wee Teng Wen and Mr Daniel He from The Lo & Behold Group were recipients of the Outstanding Tourism Entrepreneur award.

Star Wars Day: May the 4th Be With You is on at the Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay from May 4 to 6, from 3pm to 11pm. Admission is free. Visit www.gardensbythebay.com.sg for more information.