Majulah Singapura! Last Saturday, we had our chance to experience National Day Parade (NDP) 2016 preview in National Stadium. This got to be my third time experiencing NDP and it’s the first for Nicole. We were so happy when we balloted successfully for the tickets! NDP 2016’s theme is “Building our Singapore of Tomorrow”. The main idea of this theme is to unite and empower Singaporeans in the next chapter of nation building, to build our nation and future collectively.
NDP 2016 Logo – A heart with four shades of red to represent our diversity, the different races and religions in Singapore, living together in harmony.
We arrived at around 5:00PM at Stadium MRT and made our way to National Stadium with the help of the ground signs and ushers. The place was already crowded with people when we reached!. Our entrance is at Gate 17 (level 600s) and we were seated in the RED sector. If you are thinking that the stadium may be hot and stuffy, you are wrong! We can even feel the air condition from our seats.
Tips / Hacks For NDP 2016
- Go early in order to reserve better seats.
- Remember to get your LED wristbands at the gates. This LED wristbands will light up automatically during ACT 3 of the NDP show.
- When heading back, Stadium MRT will be packed. Remember Kallang MRT / Mountbatten MRT is nearby too.
- If you wanted to catch the fireworks display, you can make your way out the stadium around 7:50PM. You will be missing the finale though.
- You can catch the display at Aston/Burger King in Kallang Wave Mall.
The first highlight of NDP is the dignified Parade & Ceremony (P&C) segment. During the national anthem, numerous flags will be unfurled by the audience. The purpose of involving the audience is to symbolises that everyone play an important role in building the nation together.
As the sky darkens, the NDP show starts with the performance of Badang & The Singapore Stone (ACT 1). This act is based on the history of Singapore Stone which was showcased in National Museum.
ACT 2: Our Four Civilisations showcases Chinese, Indians, Malays Westerns groups which were our forefathers of Singapore.
Next, is Act 3: Dare to Dream. During this performance, the LED wristbands, which were distributed at the gates, will light up automatically to create a universe of rainbow colored lights in the dark stadium. There is a shiny “Unicorn” galloping around the stadium.
PM Lee Hsien Loong – Singapore to a unicorn, a special animal, no other in the world.
Kids will love this Act the most! Personally, I think this is a great idea with involvement from the audience to create the spectacular view.
In Act 4: Ingenuity, 720 participants, dressed in LED costumes, will dance to the energetic music and light display. There are also nine-bots and unmanned drones. In this segment, there is an aerial performance by Singapore Armed Forces Music and Drama Company. A nine-bot rider actually fell down during the ACT, I hope he is all right!
Act 5: Building Our Singapore of Tomorrow features enormous sky buildings which are around six storeys high. The buildings looks spectacular when it glows in the dark stadium.
The final Act 6: Our Home, Our People involves 420 performers from Singapore Soka Association. They are wearing specially design triangle shaped dresses which will be flipped during the performance to create different display of images.
At the finale of the NDP show, 53A will performance the 2016 NDP theme song, Tomorrow’s Here.
The Fireworks Display
Well, one of the bad thing of having NDP in national stadium is that the view of fireworks display will be blocked. At around 8:10PM, we decided to make our way out the stadium to enjoy the fireworks. That’s what we are waiting for!
We were late. Halfway out the stadium, the fireworks display already started. But better late than never! We did managed to capture some of the fireworks. Check out below.
The Goodies Bags
When you arrived in the stadium you can find the goodies bag on the seats. This year SG51 goodies bag is a red/white plastic backpack. There’s a green tea flavoured Hello Panda! I do find the plastic backpack pretty useful – Going to use the bag for my swimming sessions.
Some Live Videos We Took
Overall, it’s a nice experience for us. Feel great to spend our saturday night singing national anthem, saying the pledge and witnessing the growth of Singapore. Majulah Singapura! Always proud to be a Singaporean.
Ahh so lucky! Will be watching the parade from my TV.
haha! This year’s outdoor fireworks are being blocked if you are watching live @ stadium. 🙁