SINGAPORE: It was fireworks, a concert of hope, water fun and even a blossoming of love for some Singaporeans during the New Year countdown, as 2009 arrived with a bang islandwide.

Over at Yishun, the countdown party was attended by some 5,000 people, and joined by Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Mr Lee said: "2009 looks like a very challenging year ahead. We are prepared, I think we are ready, and we are confident. We work together, and we will see through these troubles and we will have a better year in 2010."

Keeping the good times rolling despite the economic downturn were the party revellers at the Marina Barrage, where fireworks lit up the night sky.

Across from the Marina Barrage, the Singapore Flyer was also host to another countdown party. The wheel might have stopped on Wednesday night, but the party went on.

More than 5,000 party revellers enjoyed the "Concert of Hope", which was organised by the Flyer's newest tenant, just three days after the wheel came to a halt.

"After the wheel has stopped, I thought we should do something to create hope. We actually wanted to do a concert in-house here. So we spoke to the Flyer (management) and asked why don't we expand the concert so we can have a free concert for the public to do the countdown," said the director of Love The World bistro, Samuel Seong Koon.

Up on Fort Canning, 170 singles, who are members of a Facebook group called "SDS Love Story", took their gathering offline for the first time. And hopefully, they will see sparks fly in the new 2009.

- CNA/yt