NDP 2020: Where to catch the fireworks and other heartland events on National Day
Dazzling display of fireworks at the 2019 National Day Parade. (Photo: Try Sutrisno Foo)
SINGAPORE: National Day Parade 2020 (NDP 2020) organisers announced on Thursday (Aug 6) 10 locations where the fireworks will be launched, advising residents living in the nearby estates to stay home and enjoy the display.
The locations are: Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Buona Vista, Jurong Lake Gardens, Marina Reservoir, Punggol, Sembawang, Tampines, Woodlands and Yew Tee.
While the other eight sites will remain open, Jurong Lake Gardens and Marina Reservoir sites will be closed to the public, to avoid large crowds gathering at the venues.
"The way we designed the ten sites is to maximise home viewership," said Military Expert 6 Ben Tan, chairman of the NDP 2020 Fireworks Committee.
"So we hope that this will encourage Singaporeans to stay at home to enjoy the fireworks. Either through their homes or the live broadcast."
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The fireworks will start at around 8.20pm, after the Pledge Moment, and will last for about five minutes. They will reach a maximum height of about 220m, or 62 storeys high, and will have an effective visible range of 1km to 8km.
This means that, for instance, residents in neighbouring estates in Clementi and Boon Lay will be able to see the fireworks launched over Jurong Lake Gardens.
The organisers said they have also taken safety measures to ensure that the fireworks display runs smoothly.
Other than sourcing fireworks from established suppliers with a proven track record, the NDP 2020 committee has set out sufficient safety distances from the site, while using a lightning protection system to prevent lightning risks, said ME6 Tan.
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MORNING: RED LIONS, STATE FLAG FLYPAST, MOBILE COLUMN AND MARITIME SAILPAST
The Red Lions, an NDP crowd favourite, will land at two heartland locations on Aug 9 - the open field along Toh Guan Road near Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and the open field along Sengkang East Road near Sengkang General Hospital.
This will happen at about 9am, weather conditions permitting.
Two Chinook helicopters will fly a state flag each via an eastern and western route from 10.30am to about 11.25am.
Six F-15SG fighter jets will fly in a delta formation across Singapore in four passes from 10.45am to 11.15am, as part of the Roar of Unity. They will start at the Padang and end at Paya Lebar Airbase.
The mobile column will also take five routes through Singapore, from 10am to 1pm.
The north and northeast routes will cover areas like Yishun, Sengkang and Tampines, the south and southeast routes include Bishan, Queenstown, Paya Lebar and Marine Parade, while the western route stretches over Jurong West and Yew Tee.
Approximate timings to catch a glimpse of the mobile column can be found on the NDP website.
The north route will start at Khatib at 10am, the northeast route at Seletar at 10am, the southeast route at Simei at 10.15am, the south route at Clementi at 9.40am and the west route at Jurong West at 10.15am.
A fourth event - the Maritime Sailpast - will run from 10.50am to 11.15am. It can be viewed from the Marina Barrage and the Marina South Pier.
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CLOSURES AND RESTRICTED ACTIVITIES
From 8.55am to 11.30am, all aerial activities in the temporary restricted areas should cease. This includes kite-flying, hoisting of captive balloons and flying of unmanned aircraft including drones.
Some other venue closures include the Esplanade Park and Empress Place from 7am to 9pm, the Bayfront Event Space, Merlion Jetty, Merlion Park, the Jubilee Bridge and the One Fullerton Waterfront Promenade from 5pm to 9pm.
More details on NDP 2020 activities and public closures can be found on the NDP website, the Marina Barrage website, the National Parks Board website and the Singapore Police Force website.
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article mentioned that fireworks will be launched at Choa Chu Kang and Yio Chu Kang. This has since been corrected.
