IMBA Theatre: Hockney and Botero shows end 1 November 2026

IMBA Theatre, the indoor exhibition hall on Gardens by the Bay's West Lawn beside Bayfront Plaza, is in the final weeks of its two immersive art shows: David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) and Botero: A Life in Fullness both close on Sunday 1 November 2026. Bloomyard's last day is Sunday 25 October, and the artist Yip Yew Chong's free live painting runs in the hall from Wednesday 21 to Sunday 25 October, noon to 6pm. The three ticketed shows say only "admission fee applies" on the Gardens' pages, so check prices on IMBA's own site before you go.

If you have been meaning to see Hockney or Botero with friends, the useful decision now is which day: the 24 to 25 October weekend is the only one with all four things on, and the 31 October to 1 November weekend is the last chance for the two art shows. If you are reading this after 25 October, Bloomyard and the live painting have ended and only Hockney and Botero remain.

What is on at IMBA Theatre before 1 November?

The Gardens describes IMBA as "a new cultural destination at Gardens by the Bay" with "large-scale exhibitions powered by light, motion and imagination". Four programmes share the hall in late October, and they suit different groups.

• David Hockney: Bigger & Closer. A large-scale projection show in which Hockney "takes us on a personal journey through sixty years of his art", according to the Gardens' page. It suits friends who like painting and are happy to sit or stand inside a projected room rather than walk past framed works.
• Botero: A Life in Fullness. A 40-minute immersive experience narrated by the artist's eldest son, Fernando Botero Zea, tracing Fernando Botero's journey "from his Colombian roots to global acclaim" through projections, soundscapes and animated versions of his works. The fixed length makes it easy to slot into an afternoon.
• Bloomyard. A playful garden by the artist duo Graphic Rewilding, with a floral arch, swings among oversized blooms, flower-shaped table tennis tables and a garden mini-golf course. It is the most social of the four, closer to a games afternoon than an exhibition. Its page gives Monday to Thursday 10am to 7pm and Friday to Sunday 10am to 8pm, with last admission an hour before closing.
• Yip Yew Chong: Live Painting. Yip will spend 30 hours over five days painting a 2.5m by 1.5m panoramic night scene of Singapore, with Gardens by the Bay in the foreground and the city beyond, the Singapore segment of his I Paint my World series. The page suggests dropping in early and returning to see the scene take shape.

How much do IMBA Theatre tickets cost?

We cannot give a price. Every Gardens by the Bay page for the three ticketed shows says "Admission fee applies", and the IMBA Theatre page sends readers to IMBA's own website (imbaglobal.com), which could not be opened from our research environment on 16 October 2026. Prices, concessions and any combined tickets therefore need checking at the point of sale. The live painting is listed as "Free Admission".

Two things the Gardens' pages do say are worth knowing before you buy: event dates, times and availability "are subject to change", and the organiser's website is the place for the latest information. If a ticket is dated or timed, buy it for the day your group has actually agreed, not a provisional one.

Which day should you go?

Use the closing dates to pick the day. This is our planning suggestion from the dates above, not an organiser recommendation.

1. Weekday, 21 to 23 October (Wednesday to Friday). All four programmes are on; the hall opens at 10am and the live painting starts at noon. Monday to Thursday has the earlier 7pm close, so start by 3pm if you want two shows; Friday runs to 8pm.
2. Weekend, 24 to 25 October. The only weekend with everything on: the live painting until 6pm, Bloomyard's final two days, and both art shows. Expect this to be the busiest window (our inference, not a published attendance figure).
3. Weekday, 26 to 30 October. Bloomyard and the live painting have ended; Hockney and Botero continue, with 7pm closing from Monday to Thursday and 8pm on Friday.
4. Last weekend, 31 October to 1 November. Hockney and Botero only, closing at 8pm with last admission at 7pm on both days.

For a group of four with mixed interests, a simple running order on Saturday 24 October would be: arrive at 2pm and watch the live painting first (free, open until 6pm), then the 40-minute Botero show, then either Hockney or a round of mini-golf at Bloomyard, finishing before the 7pm last admission. Our group cost calculator turns whatever the tickets cost into a per-person figure once someone has paid for everyone.

Is IMBA Theatre a good haze-day option?

Partly. The exhibitions are indoors, which helps on a hazy afternoon, but reaching the hall involves walking outdoors. On 16 October 2026 NEA forecast a 24-hour PSI of 150 to 230 for the next day and advised healthy people to avoid prolonged or strenuous outdoor exertion, and the elderly, pregnant women and children to minimise outdoor activity. The Singapore Botanic Gardens cancelled all its tours for the weekend of 17 October, citing elevated PSI readings (Botanic Gardens what's on).

The Gardens' getting here page gives the routes: from Bayfront MRT (CE1/DT16), take Exit B and the underground linkway, then cross the Dragonfly Bridge or Meadow Bridge; from Gardens by the Bay MRT (TE22), take Exit 1. The nearest car park to IMBA is Bayfront Carpark, according to the IMBA Theatre page. Check NEA's latest update on the morning you go, and if someone in your group is sensitive to haze, plan the shortest outdoor walk.

What else closes on 1 November?

Design fans have a second deadline on the same day. P*DA20: Power of Singapore Design, the 20th-anniversary showcase of the President's Design Award, runs at the National Museum of Singapore from 18 September to 1 November 2026, according to URA's 18 September 2026 release. It brings together more than 130 Designs of the Year and 47 Designers of the Year, with an interactive LED "atlas of Singapore design" at its centre. The release does not state admission terms, so check with the museum. If you stay at the Gardens, the Flower Dome's Sunflower Surprise display runs to 9 November; our Flower Dome 2027 calendar covers it and next year's displays.

For more ways to organise a gallery outing, see our exhibition group plan, and browse the going-out topic for other dated events.

Common questions