Singapore turns 60: Padang and Marina Bay dazzle in milestone celebration

The Star

3 days ago

SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): In a grand celebration of Singapore's diamond jubilee, tens of thousands descended on the heart of the city-state on Aug 9 to usher in the Republic's 60th year of independence.
To allow more to soak in the pomp and pageantry of the birthday bash, parade organisers extended the celebrations beyond the Padang to Marina Bay, where about 200,000 gathered.
At the bay, so popular were some spots that Merlion Park and the area in front of One Fullerton were closed by 4.38pm – an hour before the National Day Parade (NDP) kicked off at 5.40pm.
The earlier sweltering heat had given way to a passing drizzle shortly before the parade got under way.
Kicking off the milestone parade, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong made a surprise appearance with his electric guitar in the pre-parade video Makin' Our Way.
Another crowd pleaser came at 5.50pm, when seven naval divers leapt from a H225M medium-lift helicopter, descending about 1,830m into the bay – flippers first.
They were followed about five minutes later by seven Red Lions parachutists, whose much-awaited arrival at the Padang delighted the crowd. Having the naval divers plop into the waters of Marina Bay enabled more people to get up close to the action outside the Padang, where the main parade took place.
Among the 27,000 spectators at the Padang were foreign guests such as Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who were seated close to Singapore's Cabinet ministers in the VIP stand to witness the milestone parade.
Besides the customary 21-gun salute for President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, spectators by the bay were also treated to a maritime vessel display, four water floats, a live performance by singer Benjamin Kheng on a floating stage, as well as vibrant light projections on Fullerton Hotel and UOB Plaza One.
A light projection of the Singapore flag on the facade of The Fullerton Hotel on Aug 9. -- ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
NDP 2025, which involved about 6,000 participants across the pre-parade, parade and ceremony, mobile column and show segments, offered notable firsts.
For the first time in parade history, the parade and ceremony segment featured a Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) guard-of-honour contingent following public feedback.
Six guard-of-honour contingents will be permanent fixtures in the years to come – four from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), one from the Singapore Police Force, and one SCDF contingent.
To commemorate its 10th anniversary, the SAF Volunteer Corps also fielded a full contingent at the parade for the first time.
Eyes were turned skywards and necks craned as the Republic of Singapore Air Force put on eight aerial displays over the course of the night.
It began with the traditional State Flag flypast, and pilots later pulled off a gravity-defying 'bomb burst' manoeuvre, where the jets soared upwards before speeding off in various directions in an enhanced salute to the nation.
Integrating aerial flypasts into the mobile column had never been done until NDP 2025, where 22 aircraft flew over the Padang in four formations in a display of the RSAF's aerial prowess.
While the mobile column demonstrated the Republic's military might, some of the parade's most poignant moments came in its final segment, when Lieutenant-Colonel (NS) Alex Chan emerged in a Leopard 2SG main battle tank with his 10-year-old son Keith.
The crowd later broke into cheers when some SAF and Home Team veterans were introduced – in a nod to the shared commitment to defence across generations.
Among them were 95-year-old retired Second Warrant Officer Booi Seow Kiat, who sailed RSS Panglima, the Republic of Singapore Navy's first ship, and retired Senior Warrant Officer 1 Jimmy Tan, 66, who responded to the Hotel New World collapse in 1986 that killed 33.
It was on this note that the show segment kicked off, with singer-songwriter Charlie Lim and Mandopop star Kit Chan taking the stage to perform the parade's theme song Here We Are.
As with most NDP shows, the artiste line-up was a mix of experienced hands and young talent.
Making their first appearance since NDP 2009 was local indie band Electrico, which performed that year's NDP theme song What Do You See.
Fireworks above the Padang during the National Day Parade on Aug 9. -- ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Also returning to the show after a hiatus was Dick Lee, who last performed at NDP 2020, when an evening indoor concert was held in lieu of the usual outdoor show owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Hoisted up in a basket attached to a floating balloon, he sang We Will Get There – the first National Day song he wrote, which was performed at the 2002 parade.
Representing a younger generation of artistes was singer-songwriter Linying, who performed original composition I Will Walk With You, while songstress Heema Izzati sang Lim's Room At The Table.
Some of the night's loudest cheers were reserved for Aldrich Jai Kishen, 31, one of five Singaporeans whose stories were told in a film screened in segments between the show's four acts.
The film told of how Jai – a youth worker at Boys' Town, where he was a resident – discovered a passion for drumming while in his teens that helped him to overcome a rough childhood.
Jai took to the stage for the show's final act as the film concluded, performing an upbeat remix of Linying's NDP 2021 theme song, The Road Ahead, alongside Electrico vocalist Dave Tan.
Rounding off the show was Chan, who returned to the NDP stage for the first time since 2015 to belt out Home, the classic that she first performed at NDP 1998.
In a dazzling finale to NDP 2025, its theme – Majulah Singapura – were the last words sang as a kaleidoscope of fireworks illuminated the night sky at the close of the National Anthem.
Before long, rain fell over on the Padang again, as President Tharman greeted performers before leaving the parade grounds.
Referring to the return of the drizzle as 'showers of blessing', show host Joakim Gomez said: 'As we close this chapter to SG60, let's move on into the next 60 years together. Relax – we will get there.' -- The Straits Times/ANN