Home » 6 Things You Should Know About The National Day Parade 2019 in Singapore!
6 Things You Should Know About The National Day Parade 2019 in Singapore!
It’s time to celebrate Singapore’s 54 years of independence!
01 August 2019
You’ve probably seen the preparations for the National Day Parade (NDP) at the Padang downtown.
Here’s what you need to know about this annual affair besides the massive visual displays and fireworks.
1. Where it all started…
The NDP will be held on August 9 at the Padang this year instead of The Float @ Marina Bay or National Stadium. A number of key events in Singapore’s history took place at the Padang and as Singapore celebrates its Bicentennial in 2019, the NDP will reflect on the country’s progress from its past to present.
NDP 2019 will be staged as a spectacular integrated show, comprising a total of six acts that will relate to this year’s theme, ‘Our Singapore’. About 15,000 participants, volunteers and personnel behind the scenes and on stage are involved in the whole set-up this year. Wow!
For the first time, the Singapore Air Force’s Multi-Role Tanker Transport will be participating in the NDP aerial display, happening during the Parade and Ceremony segment.
Also, look out for the return of the mobile column (50 years after its first appearance in 1969) with new assets such as the Singapore Army’s Next-Generation Armoured Fighting Vehicle. The mobile column will also be visiting five heartland neighbuorhoods on August 10. Catch them at Bishan, Geylang Serai, Jurong East, Punggol, and Woodlands!
4. Message from the masses
During the show segment of the parade, audience can look forward to a kaleidoscopic display put together by 400 dancers featuring traditional ethnic dances to showcase Singapore’s vibrant multi-cultural society. You can also expect to hear stories of different Singaporeans through the medium of film interspersed with a spirited dance item by 600 youths.
The attendees have a big part to play in the show too! The spectator stands at the Padang are surrounded by 50 light trusses to provide a more immersive experience and each spectator will get an LED wristband that will light up in unison with certain parts of the show.
There will also be a special nostalgic segment during the parade, titled “Our Bicentennial”, that will feature eight floats representing organisations from the 1800s that contributed to building various aspects of Singaporean society. And they still continue to be relevant today!
And of course, the NDP will not be complete without a live performance of the theme song (and other familiar National Day songs) before ending the show with a rousing grand finale against the backdrop of an awesome display of fireworks!
Are you excited yet? You can watch the NDP 2019 on the local television channels or stream it on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/user/NDPeeps) or Toggle (https://video.toggle.sg/en/ndp2019).
