Purple Parade postponed to first half of 2027 amid haze concerns

SINGAPORE – The Purple Parade has been postponed amid worsening haze conditions, 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 confirmed, added organisers.

In a separate document with frequently asked questions for the event’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 the 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 email 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 this month’s event was slated to be its 14th edition.

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

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” PSI levels alongside “high” PM2.5 readings.

At 3pm, the one-hour PM2.5 readings – measured in micrograms per cubic metre and used as a gauge for current air quality – were in the “high” band for two regions: central (182) and west (156).

The north, east and south registered “elevated” readings of 150, 140 and 109 respectively.

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

Meanwhile, the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) in the central region at 3pm stood at 229, hitting a new high for this haze season. That lies in the “very unhealthy” range, alongside the east and west regions both measuring 205.

The southern and northern parts of Singapore recorded PSI readings in the “unhealthy” band at that time, measuring 185 and 157 respectively.

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.

Laura Chia is a journalist covering breaking news and current affairs, with an interest in sports.