NDP 2025: Carnival games, street performances at expanded Marina Bay area celebrations

Straits Times

30-06-2025

These are meant to give the opportunity to as many people as possible to take part in the celebrations marking Singapore's 60th National Day. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
SINGAPORE – Those who have not been successful at securing tickets for the National Day Parade live show at the Padang on Aug 9 will still get the chance to soak in the atmosphere and enjoy various activities around Marina Bay.
These will include carnival festivities, live screenings of the show and interactive experiences scattered throughout the Bay area meant to give the opportunity to as many people as possible to take part in the celebrations marking Singapore's 60th National Day.
Audiences attending the spectacle at Marina Bay can also expect to see the State Flag Flypast and the Jump of Unity – a display during which parachutists from the Republic of Singapore Navy jump and div e into the Bay.
A display of the nation's seaborne assets will also form part of the mobile column in this year's celebration.
Speaking to the media on June 30, Lieutenant Colonel Cephas Ong , chairman of the 2025 Bay celebrations committee, said the activities will let those at the Bay have a front row seat to witness the show segments on the waterfront.
'All of this will make Marina Bay a very bustling area on Aug 2 and 9. The entire event is not ticketed. We welcome Singaporeans and members of the public to join us at the Bay to participate in celebrations,' said LTC Ong.
The NDP committee said celebrations at the Bay area, including at The Promontory, Bayfront Event Space, The Meadow at Gardens by the Bay, Marina Barrage and the Singapore Sports Hub, will offer distinct festivities.
On Aug 9, no ticket will be required to walk into The Meadow at Gardens by the Bay, Marina Barrage and the Singapore Sports Hub to enjoy the celebration.
Tickets are available for ballot for those who want to participate in partner activities with NTUC and Safra at The Promontory and Bayfront Event Space.
Ms Natasha Choy, director of youth development at NTUC, said those at The Promontory can expect to see a line-up of performances by young local talent, including by rapper Shigga Shay and singer Estelle Fly.
Meanwhile, those at Safra's Bayfront Event Space will be treated to a post-parade party. Those with tickets to the space and Safra members will also be able to enjoy discounts at the Uncle Ringo Carnival.
For people who want to enjoy the festivities at Marina Bay, there is the Bay Discovery Trail, a thematic walk spread across three zones that highlight the nation's heritage and multiculturalism through interactive booths and activities.
On Aug 2 and 9, the first 5,000 participants to complete the trail each day will also be rewarded with an NDP pack.
Participants can also look forward to performances along the Bay, including by 11-year-old violinist Anastasha Suchin and singers from the Singapore Institute of Technology's Vocalist Insight.
Anastasha, who will be performing at the DBS foundation outdoor theatre, said she had prepared a medley of songs for the audience.
'I chose the local favourites to remind us of where we started off, because most of them are from quite long ago, and the NDP songs are to show how far we have come from there and how far we have yet to go,' she said.
Anastasha Suchin, who will be performing at the DBS foundation outdoor theatre, said she had prepared a medley of songs for the audience.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Visitors will get the chance to dine at a food market and play games at the Uncle Ringo carnival as part of the experience, and stop at handicraft stations where they can receive henna tattoos.
They can also play chapteh – which has its roots in ancient China – and other traditional games at specialised stations outside the ArtScience Museum.
Mr Benjamin Tan, creative director for the NDP 2025 show, said those at the Bay area will receive a 'complete' experience on Aug 9.
'There will be speakers installed around the entire Bay Area. There will be LED screens, and this is accompanied by a record-breaking multimedia projection on UOB Plaza and Fullerton hotel,' said Mr Tan, adding that they have catered specific segments of the firework show for those at the Bay.
He revealed that the light projection in collaboration with UOB and Fullerton Hotel has already broken three Guinness World Records, including for the brightest, longest and tallest projection on a building globally.
Undergraduates from SIT Vocalist Insight Lucas Lian (right), together with Soo Yi Wei, during the NDP 2025 Media Event 5 on June 30.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Participants will be able to take in the light projections on buildings in the surroundings and be delighted by fireworks, allowing t hose at the Bay area to feel synchronised with the live show at the Padang.
'This integrated celebration allows more Singaporeans to participate in Singapore's 60th National Day celebrations as one united audience across both the Padang and the Bay,' said the NDP organising committee.
Those who are planning to attend the celebrations in the Bay area are advised to arrive early to avoid the crowds, as organisers expect some 200,000 people to participate.
The organisers urge those taking public transport to arrive through Raffles Place, Esplanade, Promenade, Bayfront, Marina Bay, or Downtown MRT stations.
Superintendent Dennis Lim, who is assistant director for the major security events division at the Singapore Police Force, said the expanded celebrations will come with a larger crowd. The authorities are expecting the events at the Bay to pull in some 200,000 people.
'So with more crowds, you can expect that certain areas will need to be closed off for the safety of the public, as well as to maintain the safe capacity of the area,' he said.
Supt Lim added those looking to join the celebrations can use an information portal called Crowd@MarinaBay that will be made available to provide real time crowd levels as well as area closures.
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