Fireworks from 5pm, inspiring film to feature at this year’s NDP
A showcase of a performance for the upcoming National Day Parade.
SINGAPORE — The nation's birthday bash is set to kick off with a blast of colour, with daytime fireworks to feature for the first time at this year's National Day Parade (NDP) on Aug 9.
Audiences can expect an amalgamation of multi-coloured smoke and fireworks beginning at about 5pm and a new five-star display that will appear during the grand finale as the national anthem is played.
This year's show, held at the Marina Bay floating platform, will comprise three acts in addition to the pre-parade and grand finale segments.
Naval combat divers will make their debut at this year's show. During the pre-parade segment, eight of them decked in combat gear will jump from 6,000 feet and land in the waters around Marina Bay.
Concurrently, crowd favourites the Red Lions will execute a wingsuit jump for the first time. The 10-man team will jump from a height of 12,500 feet — the highest the Singapore Armed Forces' parachute team has jumped for the NDP. After landing, the combat divers and Red Lions will perform a combined salute.
Other new elements include an 18-vessel water procession, which will sail around Marina Bay during the second act of the show. In a nod to Singapore's heritage, some of the floats have been modelled after iconic playgrounds in Singapore, such as the dragon playground in Toa Payoh and dove playground in Dakota Crescent.
Describing this year's show as "engaging, exciting and emotive", chairman of the NDP show committee Goh Pei Ming said on Wednesday (July 4) that this year's show also aims to "connect emotionally", with a film "showcasing the inspirational stories of everyday Singaporeans".
The 10-minute film will feature the real-life stories of five citizens and their struggles, and will be shown at different points of the three acts. Filmmaker and creative director of this year's parade, Mr Boo Junfeng, had pitched the idea for the film to "tell stories that inspire".
The five characters span different eras — a Samsui woman in the 1940s, an aspiring female athlete in 1950s, a struggling student in the 1970s, a visually impaired busker in the 2000s and a young social entrepreneur in this decade.
Said Mr Boo: "I was trying to look for a different starting point. Rather than looking at (the parade) as a spectacle, I wanted it to be intimate … (to tell) experiences that inspire. It wasn't just about trying to put together something spectacular, but something that resonates."
Organisers also announced on Wednesday that more than 3,300 participants will be performing in this year's NDP, with a record 600 students from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE).
The participants include 435 individuals from Touch Community Services, 717 students from government schools, 653 from the Singapore Soka Association and 482 from the People's Association.
Among the list of participants is 93 year-old violinist Julai Tan and 83-year-old former sprint queen Mary Klass. The youngest performer is seven-year-old Emily Tay from Marymount Convent School (Primary).
Colonel Goh said preparations for the NDP show started in end-2017, but the bulk of performers began preparations from January this year.
ITE College Central student Samson Solomon Sim, 17, will be performing a Malay dance, which he picked up as part of his co-curricular activity in school.
"It really broadened my perspective … that's when my understanding of the Malay culture really expanded," said the first-year floristry student who has performed at the NDP for the past five years.
ITE College Central student Samson Solomon Sim, 17, will be performing at this year's NDP. Photo: Koh Mui Fong/TODAY
"It's an honour (to be) performing in front of thousands and representing my school," he said. "Also, the people that you get to meet along the way, the good vibes created, (make me) want to see my friends again."
The audience will also get a chance to participate through a placard challenge. With a foldable placard printed with the words "I am…", they can add words and phrases to describe themselves. The audience will also be directed to form a message "We are Singapore" using the placards.
