Live show to mark Singapore's 60th birthday will extend from Padang to Marina Bay for first time

The Star

26-05-2025

SINGAPORE: For the first time, the National Day Parade (NDP) live show on Aug 9 will be extended from the Padang to Marina Bay, as part of an 'expanded canvas' to mark Singapore's 60th birthday.
The theme song for the 2025 parade, titled Here We Are, will be performed by homegrown singers Kit Chan and Charlie Lim, as well as vocal group The Island Voices.
Themed Majulah Singapura, NDP 2025 will honour the past 60 years of Singapore's nation-building journey, and call on Singaporeans to celebrate the past and build their collective future together, said the parade's organisers on May 26.
Colonel Chong Shi Hao, chairman of the parade's executive committee and commander of the 3rd Singapore Division, said the theme holds special meaning for many Singaporeans 'to come together, to move forward together, to build our future together'.
He added that it is in line with the mood and the spirit of what the team gathered from Singaporeans.
'We recognise that the world today has changed. We are in uncharted waters, we are facing uncertainty as a nation, given the geopolitics,' said Col Chong at a media briefing.
'All the more we felt that Majulah Singapura is really appropriate for the times, to recognise that all of us, Singaporeans, we are in it together.'
Col Chong said the committee is expanding the celebrations to reach as many Singaporeans as possible.
One key highlight of NDP 2025 is the show's expansion from the Padang to the Marina Bay area. The shows at both locations will be synchronised to create an immersive experience for spectators at the two locations as well as broadcast audiences.
For example, in the pre-parade segment, the inaugural Jump of Unity will feature the Red Lions parachutists descending onto the Padang, as the navy's naval divers jump into the waters at Marina Bay.
The show segment, meanwhile, will combine mass performances at the Padang with building light projections and fireworks across the city, along with a new floating stage for performers at the Bay.
The live show at the Padang will also be broadcast on large LED screens at the Bay, complemented by interactive booths and activities in the area.
Celebrations will continue in the heartland on Aug 10 at five sites islandwide.
The main show on Aug 9 will take place at the Padang, where some 27,000 spectators are expected.
The parade and ceremony segment of the main show will feature the largest number of contingents, with crowd favourites such as the state flag flypast, salute to the nation and presidential gun salute.
The air force will put on a special aerial tribute to commemorate the Republic's 60th year of independence, known as SG60.
Returning to the Padang for the first time since 2019, the mobile column will showcase air, land and maritime assets from the Singapore Armed Forces, Home Team and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.
This segment will also for the first time be integrated with an aerial flypast over the Padang and a maritime display at the Bay.
The show segment will present four acts inspired by the National Anthem. It will feature local artists and performers, including Chan, Lim and music veteran Dick Lee.
The segment will end with a nationwide Majulah Moment, inviting all Singaporeans to recite the Pledge and sing the National Anthem collectively.
At the Bay area, audiences can follow the live NDP show via large LED screens and speakers, while parts of the show will be expanded to the Bay area, including fireworks, an illuminated skyline and water floats.
This will allow around 200,000 more people to enjoy the show, Col Chong said.
The celebrations will also fan out across five other locations around the Bay in the lead-up to and on Aug 9. These are The Promontory@Marina Bay, the Bayfront Event Space next to Marina Bay Sands, The Meadow at Gardens by the Bay, Marina Barrage and the Singapore Sports Hub in Kallang.
More details about these celebrations will be released later.
When asked about the budget for NDP 2025, Col Chong said it is comparable with celebrations from past years.
'We are also working with many partner agencies in engaging Singaporeans and bringing them together as we expand our celebrations,' he said.
'What's important is that as a community, every year, we strive to be as prudent in the use of our resources (and) the budget, while at the same time, trying to achieve our outcomes of engaging Singaporeans and bringing them together.'
The parade theme song, Here We Are, celebrates the enduring Singapore spirit, and the resilience and unity of Singaporeans with an uplifting and heartfelt theme, said the NDP 2025 organisers.
Drawing from a myriad of experiences that have shaped the Singapore story over the past 60 years, the song acknowledges the obstacles Singaporeans have overcome, the challenges that they continue to face, and their hopes for the future.
Lim and songwriter Chok Kerong co-wrote the song, which is produced by Dr Sydney Tan.
Lim said there are two objectives in writing a National Day song.
'The first is to capture the zeitgeist of where we are as a country and what defines us today, and at the same time, to evoke positive feelings and sentiments, bringing communities together to celebrate each for who we are.'
Three key themes were on his mind when he was writing the song - unity, identity and commemoration, he said.
The title of the song was the first thing that came to mind.
'The phrase encapsulates the themes I was working with quite well - here we are with a sense of arrival and identity. It gives a moment for us to reflect on how we can do better, as well as marking a new chapter as we face the future together,' said Lim.
Filmmaker He Shuming directed the music video accompanying the song.
Set in a warm, familiar environment reminiscent of a school hall, the video centres on a 60-member choir that represents all Singaporeans and embodies a shared sense of belonging, the parade organisers said.
'The space is something that is quite important, which is why I thought a school would be something that would connect with Singaporeans,' said He. 'It was connecting with that space first, and then letting the music do its work.'
The clip also features vignettes of Singaporeans overcoming obstacles and celebrating milestones.
Drawing from the National Anthem, the parade's theme Majulah Singapura also emphasises the values of trust, inclusivity and mutual support, encouraging citizens to play their part in Singapore's continued growth and success, said the organisers.
Meanwhile, the NDP 2025 logo fuses '60' and 'GO' as Singapore celebrates SG60.
It also shows five shooting stars that symbolise the nation's ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality.
Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing said the word 'GO' in the logo reminds Singaporeans to always have the drive and spirit to go forward.
Twenty-five individuals from diverse backgrounds across Singapore will create their interpretations of the logo, using the '60' numeral as a canvas to express their vision of the Singapore Dream and their aspirations for the nation.
These logos will be unveiled progressively on the NDP website and social media pages in the run-up to Aug 9.
As with previous NDPs, the festivities will be brought into the neighbourhoods on Aug 10, when residents can gather for carnival and family activities, and watch fireworks, drone shows and stage performances.
Co-organised with the People's Association, the heartland celebrations will take place across five sites.
The mobile column will also make its way to the heartland for the first time since 2020.
More details will be made known later.
In the weeks leading up to Aug 9, there will be a series of public engagement and outreach activities.
From mid-June, Singaporeans and permanent residents can redeem a free national flag per household via the NDP Shop on e-commerce platform Shopee. Flags can be collected for free from more than 3,000 Shopee collection points islandwide.
The flags can be displayed from July to September.
Homegrown brands Love Bonito and The Elly Store, as well as Japanese brand Uniqlo, will also offer specially designed or curated red-and-white National Day apparel.
The #GiveAsOneSG initiative will also make a comeback for a third consecutive year with 60 Days of Giving from June 10 to Aug 10, promoting volunteerism and philanthropy as a way to mark National Day.
Singaporeans can take part in the initiative via the #GiveAsOneSG campaign page on giving.sg. - The Straits Times/ANN