Balloons @ Marina Square
The Creativity & Scale Rarely Seen Anywhere In The World!Singapore’s Greatest Annual Balloon Extravaganza
Since 2012, Marina Square has been organising a huge balloon show during the first-term school holidays. Each time between 45,000 balloons to 100,000 balloons filled the 500 sqm events space at the shopping mall, with everything that can stretch a kid’s imagination – a pirate ship, walking dinosaurs, giant robot, lost treasures, cannibals, carnivorous plants, etc. On some days more than 50,000 people thronged the show, all eager to take a selfie. The creative director of the shows is Lily Tan, Singapore’s most renowned balloon artist. Every year, dozens of volunteers offered to help with the creation of these fantastical lands. Every year, the shows achieved Guinness or Singapore records.
THE BALLOON RECORDS
Longest Balloon Tunnel 2019
With overwhelming crowds in the previous years, the balloon show at Marina Square this time stretched to 10 days from 15 to 24 Mar 2019. Entitled ‘Galaxy Encounters’, the show featured spaceships, aliens and a psychedelic time tunnel that was probably part of a wormhole. The 19.8m-by-3.1m-by-2.9m-high tunnel broke the previous balloon tunnel record. For the 9th year, Lily Tan and her international team were behind the extravanganza.
Largest Balloon Costumes 2018
Now in its eighth year, Marina Square can now boast of hosting world’s largest annual balloon show. Occupying an area of 28.4m by 17.1m, the show features animals in a colourful dreamland. Included is a multi-coloured dancing elephant, with the help of two artists inside, measuring 4.5m by 3.4m by 2.8m high. When the show opens from 9-18 March 2018, the elephant has to assume a static role due to the limited space but a smaller panda will be roaming about.
Largest Balloon Tunnel & Largest Single Sculpture Made Of Balloons 2017
A team of 38 world-class balloon artists led by Lily Tan transformed the Central Atrium into an awe-inspiring aquatic wonderland which opened from 10 to 19 Mar 2017. The giant octopus measuring 23.5m by 19.2m by 11.5m broke the record for largest single balloon sculpture. The tunnel measuring 16.8m by 19.2m by 2.7m gave one the feeling of exploring a marine cave.
Largest Balloon Landscape 2016
For the sixth year, balloon maestro Lily Tan led an international team of 50 balloon artists from 7 countries, to create a Fairytale Land at Marina Square. Using 92,000 balloons in a display area measuring 17.7m by 30.7m, they spent 4 days setting up the show. For 3 days on 18-20 Mar 2016, visitors swarmed Marina Square to pose with the colourful balloon sculptures.
Largest Balloon Landscape & Largest Mobile Balloon Costume 2015
An international team of 55 balloon artists from 9 countries, led by balloon maestro Lily Tan, spent 4 days setting up the largest balloon show yet. Using 85,300 balloons in a display area measuring 17.5m by 30.1m, it was Jurassic Park at Marina Square. For 3 days on 20-22 Mar 2015, queues were already formed before the opening time and visitors had a field day posing with the dinosaurs. The show also featured a dinosaur sculpture that can be worn like a balloon costume. It was totally mobile, with all 4 limbs and the head independently controlled by the wearer. It measured 4m from snout to tail and a height of 1.8m up to its shoulders.
Tallest Balloon Sculpture 2014
For the third year in a row, Marina Square presented a balloon extravanganza for the March school holidays from 21-23 Mar 2014. The team of 35 talented balloon artists from around East Asia led by Lily Tan, took over 30 hours to inflate and put 80,000 balloons together to create the theme of pirates in the most exotic places. The main pirate ship measured 23m by 8m and 12.5m tall.
Largest Balloon Landscape 2013
It was carnival time again at Marina Square for the March school holidays. Huge crowds came for the joyous atmosphere at the carnival-themed balloon world featuring a carousel, roller coaster, octopus rides and more! An entire area – 29m by 16.8m – in the mall was transformed by renowned balloon sculptor Lily Tan and 27 others over 4 days into a fantastical sight using 44,488 balloons. The display was on from 15-17 Mar 2013.
Largest Single Sculpture Made Of Balloon 2012
Balloon artist Lily Tan and her team of 50 balloon artists used 79,854 balloons and spent 42 hours to construct a sculpture in the shape of a robot. Sentinel, as the robot was named, was displayed at Marina Square Shopping Mall from 16 to 18 Mar 2012. It measured 23.3m by 19m and 11.5m high and was accorded a Guinness record.
Gallery
No decorative thing can create the mood and bring about so much delight to children, as much as what balloons can do.
You definitely should not miss this. We’ve come to this balloon extravaganza every year since we got to know about this wonderful event that Marina Square organises every year. And it’s free!Shirley & Audrey, bloggers at sayshappymums.wordpress.com
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