If your child’s idea of a perfect afternoon involves Hello Kitty, carnival games and an unreasonable amount of cute merchandise, VivoCity has made your Mid-Autumn plans rather easy this year.
From 25 August to 27 September 2026, VivoCity’s Sky Park has transformed into the Sanrio Characters Moonlit Garden, bringing Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll, Kuromi, My Melody, Hangyodon and Pompompurin together in a colourful Mid-Autumn celebration spanning six themed spaces.
The month-long event is also part of VivoCity’s 20th anniversary celebrations. We dropped by for a first look and, unsurprisingly, Divisha was completely sold. Between meeting the characters, trying her hand at the carnival games and spotting Sanrio everywhere we turned, this was very much her kind of outing.
A Moonlit Garden filled with familiar faces
The main attraction sits at Sky Park, Level 3, where the experience has been designed as a journey through six different Sanrio-themed environments rather than simply a collection of standalone photo spots. There is the Moonlit Garden Gateway to start, followed by Kuromi Carnival Kingdom, Cinnamoroll Secret Garden Grove, Hello Kitty Starlit Lantern Walk, Hangyodon Moonlit Water Garden and finally, the Pompompurin Mooncake Tea Party.
And yes, it is every bit as photogenic as that sounds. One of the biggest installations is the seven-metre-tall Pompompurin, perched on an oversized mooncake overlooking the southern waterfront. It makes a suitably dramatic finale to the trail and is easily one of those spots where you will see families attempting several versions of the same photo before finally moving on.
The Hello Kitty Starlit Lantern Walk is another lovely section, particularly after dark, with a canopy of glowing lanterns and fairy lights stretching across the connecting bridge. If you can, I would definitely recommend visiting towards the evening. The installations are cute during the day but the lights really bring the entire garden to life once the sun goes down.
The carnival was the clear winner for Divisha
Of course, admiring lanterns only goes so far when you are visiting with a child.
Kuromi Carnival Kingdom was easily one of Divisha’s favourite parts of the experience. There are six Sanrio-themed carnival game booths, alongside a Mini Express Train, photo booth and capsule machines. The carnival operates daily from 5pm to 10pm at the Sky Park. Carnival games cost S$10 per game, while the Mini Express Train is S$10 per ride and includes a set of Sanrio Characters stickers.
Divisha absolutely loved playing the carnival games. For her, this was probably the point where the outing stopped being something Mum wanted photographs of and became something she genuinely did not want to leave.
It also makes the experience feel more interactive for children rather than being purely a walk-through installation. If you are visiting as a family, I would factor in some extra time here because rushing a child past carnival booths featuring Sanrio characters is probably optimistic.
Meeting the Sanrio characters was even more exciting
The other highlight for Divisha was, without question, the Meet & Greet. Selected weekends will feature appearances by Sanrio characters, with sessions scheduled on 29 and 30 August, 5 and 6 September and 19 September 2026. Shoppers who spend at least S$80 in a single receipt can redeem a Meet & Greet Pass, subject to availability and the campaign terms. Only the first 30 qualifying redemptions are available for each session.
I would say this is one part worth planning for if your child has a favourite character. We absolutely loved the experience, and there is something very sweet about watching a child who has seen these characters on screens and merchandise suddenly find one standing right in front of them.
Even if you miss the official meet-and-greet sessions, there are seven two-metre-tall Sanrio character inflatables positioned around VivoCity, so there are plenty of opportunities for photographs throughout the mall.
The retail pop-up may test your self-control
Parents, consider yourselves warned. The Sanrio Retail Pop-Up at East Court, Level 1 is dangerously cute. Open daily from 10am to 10pm until 27 September, it carries official Sanrio merchandise including lifestyle products, accessories and collectibles.
I genuinely loved browsing this section. The merchandise is adorable and there are plenty of things that fall into that very dangerous category of, “We absolutely do not need this, but look how cute it is.” Sanrio fans can also find themed products elsewhere around VivoCity, including collections at Crocs, Daiso Japan, MINISO FRIENDS, OWNDAYS, stryv and UNIQLO.
There is more than Sanrio too
VivoCity has also woven some more traditional Mid-Autumn elements into the celebrations. Families can try the VC20 Lantern Trail & Lantern Riddle Challenge at the Cinnamoroll Secret Garden Grove. Those who successfully complete the challenge can receive a Sanrio sticker set, with rewards limited to the first 50 participants each hour between 5pm and 9pm, while stocks last.
On selected weekends, there is also a VC20 Mooncake Challenge, where participants have 20 seconds to pack as many oversized mooncake plushies as possible. Traditional Ding Ding Candy will also be given away to the first 300 shoppers on selected dates.
Meanwhile, the TANGS Mid-Autumn Fair returns to VivoCity’s Central Court from 25 August to 25 September, with nearly 50 brands offering everything from traditional baked mooncakes and snowskin varieties to teas and festive gift sets.
Is Sanrio Characters Moonlit Garden worth visiting?
For families with young children, particularly little Sanrio fans, I think this makes for a very easy evening outing. What worked for us was that it was not just one giant photo installation. Divisha could meet the characters, play carnival games and wander through the different spaces, while I could happily admire all the ridiculously cute merchandise.
And because the Moonlit Garden itself is spread across VivoCity’s Sky Park, you could easily combine it with dinner or an evening by the waterfront rather than making an entire day of it.
Our suggestion? Come later in the afternoon, browse the retail pop-up first, grab dinner and head upstairs as the lights start coming on. Just be prepared to negotiate how many Sanrio things are allowed to come home with you.
Sanrio Characters Moonlit Garden at VivoCity
Dates: 25 August to 27 September 2026
Time: 10am to 10pm daily
Location: VivoCity Sky Park, Level 3
Kuromi Carnival Kingdom: 5pm to 10pm daily
The Sanrio Characters Moonlit Garden forms part of VivoCity’s 20th anniversary celebrations and runs alongside character meet-and-greets, carnival activities, shopping promotions and the TANGS Mid-Autumn Fair.
