National Day Parade
Encyclopedia
The Singapore National Day Parade (Abbreviation
: NDP, , ) is a national ceremony
in Singapore
that, as its name implies, includes a parade
on Singapore's National Day
on August 9, in commemoration of Singapore's independence that is usually held at the Padang
(1966 - 1974), the National Stadium
, various decentalized venues all over Singapore or The Float@Marina Bay. The upcoming parade, National Day Parade, 2011
, will be held at The Float@Marina Bay.
in 1966, one year after Singapore
's independence from Malaysia on 9 August 1965.
The first National Day Parade started in the morning at 9:00 A.M. People came as early as 7:00 A.M. in order to get good vantage points. Singapore
's first President
, Mr Yusof bin Ishak
and Singapore's first Prime Minister
, Mr Lee Kuan Yew
, were seated with members of the government at the grandstand on the steps of City Hall
. When the parade began, 6 military contingents (including the Singapore Infantry Regiment, SPDF and the Republic of Singapore Police), a mobile column from the SIR, and various schools and civil contingents marched past City Hall and then into the city streets. Three military bands accompanied the parade inspection and later the march past with military music. The Singapore Fire Brigade also took part in this first parade with its firetrucks included in the mobile column.
By next year, the contingents increased to 76, including those of the then established Singapore Armed Forces, the RSP and more cultural groups. The reason is partly due to the introduction of the National Service program in the military and police forces, and later extended to the Fire Brigade, later called the Singapore Fire Services in the 1970s.
On the August 9, 1970 NDP edition, the Flypast of the State Flag and the Republic of Singapore Air Force Flypast debuted.
The 1971 NDP was the first to include mobile parade floats.
The 1973 parade was held from the afternoon to early evening. The next year, colour broadcasts of the parade on television began.
The 1975 parades, held to celebrate Singapore's 10th year, were for the first time decentralized into 13 parade venues for more public participation. Almost all of them lasted for an hour and all of them even had route marches on the streets.
By the time the NDP was held at the National Stadium (for the first time) in 1976, the NDP Guard of Honour, composed of officers and personnel of the SAF and the Singapore Police Force made its first appearance, followed after the parade proper by the very first evening presentations by various groups, a prelude to future evening NDPs in 1980 and from 1985 onward.
1981's NDP was the very first parade appearance of the then SPF Civil Defense Command, presently the Singapore Civil Defense Force, later combined with the SFS in 1989. (The SCDF of today showed itself for the first time in the 1982 NDP held in the Padang.) They were held in two decentralised venues, Jurong and Queenstown Sports Stadiums for further increase public attendance and participation in the celebrations.
1983 would be the final year that the NDP was held in multiple venues.
The 1984 NDP edition celebrated Singapore's Silver Jubilee of self-governance and included a bigger Mobile Column while NDP 1985 celebrated the nation's 20th year with more participants in the parade segment.
The government set up the e-balloting ticketing system in 2003 in order to tackle the problem of overcrowding. Such ticketing system enables citizens to stand a chance at winning the tickets by registering their e-mail addresses or mobile numbers at the NDP website or phonelines.
, where the declaration of Singapore's independence was held. Since the first parade in 1966, all the way to 1975, the venue was located in this central area to bring the parade closer to the people. In 1976, the parade was held for the first time at the newly completed National Stadium
, where the much larger capacity allowed for more to view the parade live.
Although offering about 60,000 seats in the National Stadium, the demand for tickets remained high. Hence there were several attempts to decentralise the venue to bring the celebration closer to more Singaporeans. From 1975 to 1983, celebrations were alternated between a decentralised event and one centered at the Padang or stadium. From 1984, the parade was held twice at the stadium before being brought back to the Padang. This three year cycle was repeated up to 1994.
From 1995, it was decided that the Padang
would be used as the venue every five years. The Padang, although historically important, posed a greater logistical challenge and also offered fewer seats for spectators. The event and rehearsals also required the closing of surrounding roads. There was a need to construct temporary spectator stands around the field. The site remained, however, the only feasible venue for the mobile column, as the heavy vehicles could not be driven onto the stadium track. The Padang was used as the main performance venue for the 2005 parade, with fringe activities decentralised to Marina South
, Jurong East
, Yishun
and Tampines
.
Arrangements needed review by the early 2000s when plans were made to rebuild the National Stadium. Several alternate locations were mooted, including the utilisation of the Marina Padang, which is physically bigger and less likely to disrupt daily functions in the city.
On 16 October 2005, it was announced that that 2006 NDP would be held at the old stadium for the last time before moving to The Float at Marina Bay http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/173754/1/.html. The 130 metre by 100 metre platform would be used for the next five years until the new stadium is completed. Although offering a seating capacity
of only 27,000, which is less than National Stadium, there is a vast area for 150,000 extra spectators along the Marina Bay waterfront.
Since the 2000s, every year's parade would revolve around a theme which would guide the planning of the parade and show.
With the introduction of an NDP logo for 1998, every NDP logo henceforth would be designed to suit the themes, in particular the foundation theme, of the parade. In addition, a tagline, which was previously known as a slogan, would be added to the logo design. For example, the tagline for NDP 2005 is "The Future is Ours to Make". These taglines are usually taken from previous National Day Rallies for the purpose of rallying the nation together on 9 August to meet the challenges ahead. The tagline "Together We Make The Difference" was introduced in 1999 due to the launch of the Singapore 21 project, and was replaced by "Together, A New Singapore" in 2002 when then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong
proposed the "Remaking Singapore" initiative in the National Day Rally 2001.
In the logo of NDP 2007, Blue has taken over the traditional red to symbolise the water around the Marina Bay area.
However, it is important to note that the themes and taglines are largely different; and it is the theme that the parade or Show segment will be based on.
displays, and other light-hearted performances to entertain the crowd prior to the parade proper, with the added positive effect of encouraging parade-attendees to be seated earlier. Initially introduced on an ad-hoc basis as an informal filler, it has since became an integral part of the parade particularly when live television coverage was extended to this segment in recent years. As audience participation has become a part of the parade, the pre-parade segment also becomes an opportunity for the hosts to lead and rehearse with the audience actions they may have to do when the parade proper begins.
Motivators from TOUCH Community Services were introduced to the pre-parade in 2002 (then called Anchor Talents). TOUCH Community Services has since moved on to mentoring students from the various Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs)
and various Polytechnics since 2003 till date, under the Leadership & Mentoring programme. Colorful costumes and dance moves have been designed for the motivators.
, Singapore Police Force
, Singapore Civil Defence Force
, representatives of the different unions (including members of the National Trades Union Congress) and Ministries as well as students in uniformed groups (such as the National Cadet Corps
, National Police Cadet Corps
, National Civil Defence Cadet Corps
http://www.ncdcc.gov.sg, the Singapore Red Cross, the Boys' and Girls' Brigades, the Scouts Association, the Girl Guides, St. John Ambulance Brigade) and representatives of various Singapore business entities.
Participants are split into two main sections: the Guard-of-Honour contingents and the Supporting Contingents. The four Guard-of-Honour contingents are made up of members from the three arms of the Singapore Armed Forces (the Army, represented by the Best Combat Unit; the Navy; and the Air Force) as well as the Singapore Police Force. All members of these contingents are dressed in their respective ceremonial uniforms, known as the No. 1 uniform. Behind the Guard-of-Honour contingents stand the Regimental Colours Party, where the 35 SAF regimental colours are held by a group of officers, known as ensigns, from the Singapore Armed Forces. The 3 State Colours are in between the Navy and Air Force Guard-of-Honour contingents, and are formed by Escorts(Specialists) and Ensigns (Junior Officers).
The parade traditionally starts with the Parade Regimental Sergeant Major (Parade RSM) forming up the parade on either the Padang, the field of the National Stadium or in front of the Marina Bay grandstand. The command of the parade is handed over to the Parade Commander once the parade has been formed up and properly dressed. Typically, both the Parade RSM and the Parade Commander come from the SAF, and usually hold a minimum rank of Master Warrant Officer, and Lieutenant Colonel respectively. Upon sizing up the parade, the Parade Commander will wait for the arrival of the members of Parliament, members of the Cabinet, the Prime Minister, in that order (the salutes were dropped partially in 2008, and the Prime Minister's salute was dropped the next year). Upon the arrival of each group, the parade will present its salute and present arms, except for the Parliament and Cabinet members, upon which they stand at attention and only the PC salutes them.
Lastly once the President has arrived (after the playing of the Presidential Fanfare by the Fanfare Trumpeters of the SAF), the Parade Commander will call for a full (Presidential) salute, during which the National Anthem will be played accompanied by a fly-past of the State Flag. After that, the Parade Commander will request that the President inspects the parade. During this inspection, the President will be accompanied by the Chief of Defence Force, Contingent Commander of the Army GOH and the Parade Commander. A presidential 21-gun salute is also given to the President during this time. It is customary that the President speaks to some members of the Guard-of-honor contingents as he passes by. After the inspection ends, the President will return to the podium before the Guard-of-honor contingents presents a Feu-de-Joie led by the Parade Commander.
At the end of it (with the GOH contingents now at shoulder arms), the Parade Commander will ask the President for permission for the Parade Marchpast to start.
, there was a City Marchpast where the contingents marched around the Central Business District, with the march ending at the F1 Pit Building. In the National Day Parade, 2010
, the City Marchpast will come back again, and this time the Marina Bay area is the venue for this, with the Marina Padang as the final stop on the march past.
(SAF), Singapore Police Force
and Singapore Civil Defence Force
. The first Mobile Column was organized in 1969 which displayed the then newly acquired armour vehicles of the SAF, the RSP's police vehicles and the SFB's fire trucks. In 1990, after an absence of 6 years (since 1984), the Mobile Column made a comeback as Singapore celebrated its 25th year of independence. Since then, it has been on show during the more important anniversaries of the nation's birthday, such as the 1995, 2000, and 2005 editions held at the Padang. The 2010 NDP will also feature the mobile column including the SAF's newest vehicles such as the Leopard 2A4 main battle tank and other vehicles.
It has its origins in early NDPs as various mass display items put up by community groups or schools to add colour to the otherwise military parade. These items revolved around the themes of racial harmony, ruggedness among youths etc., which are represented by ethnic dances and mass gymnastics displays. This section evolved over the years to become more theatrical, from the massive flashcard displays that complemented the parade in the 1980s to multimedia projections in recent Shows.
Float displays also featured prominently in the Show segments of the 1970s and 1980s where floats were designed to promote government campaigns or highlight the works of various public and private companies. This returned in NDP 2005 as a visual representation of Singapore's past 40 years of nation building, with further reappearances at NDP 2009 and at NDP 2010 to symbolize the mixture of peoples that make up Singapore today.
Parades today, held from dusk to night, end in the climax of fireworks
displays which have become a signature item of National Days. However, in the early parades that were held in the day (from 1965–72) and later afternoon to evening NDP editions from 1973 to 1980 and 1982–84, mass lion and dragon dance displays are actually the parade finale. Lion and dragon dance troupes from various community centres and clan associations would gather on the field to the resonating sound of drumbeats to put on a fiery display that end the parade on an auspicious note. These troupes later became integral parts of the 1985 and the 1988(evening) to 1989(daytime) NDP editions.
In 2003, PIGI (Projecteur d’Images Géantes Informatisées) Projection technology was used, the same technology used for the 2000 Summer Olympics
Opening/Closing Ceremony.
In 2004, the "Biggest LED
Screen" in Singapore, measuring 31m x 7m, consisting of 23 separate panels in width and 7 panels in height was used. This setup is also one of the largest outdoor screens
in the world. In this year, for the first time, public could send national day greetings via SMS
/MMS
that will be shown on this LED screen.
In 2005, "Panoramic Screen and Still Image Projectors" were used. The Panoramic Screen is made up of 26 individual screens each measuring 10m by 6m. Still Image Projectors were used to project the colourful images onto the screen. Also 2 large LED screen, each measuring 8m by 6m, will be used to screen numerous video
s and ‘live
’ feeds .
In 2006, same as 2003 is using PIGI (architectural video mapping) projection technology, at the centre of the stadium, a giant Light Emitting Diode (LED) screen is able to split into six smaller screens to provide a powerful visual impact.
In 2007, "water curtain" - 30 metres high and 90 metres wide, with visual effects provided by six image projectors.
In 2008, "LED Mash" - consisting of thousands of tiny LED lights which will form a gigantic video screen.
In 2009, PiGi projections and LED mesh screens, combined with special lighting effects will deliver multimedia content.
The post parade will normally last for one hour and will end with the Chief of Defence Force, the Chairman of that year's NDP EXCO and the organizers cutting a cake to celebrate with the participants yet another successful National Day Parade. The party is now normally anchored by the SAF Music and Drama Company.
Other National Day songs continue to be featured during the parade, either in the Pre-Parade segment, Parade and Ceremony segment or used as tunes to accompany mass displays. In particular, for the Parade and Ceremony segment, in between the arrivals of Members of Parliament, Cabinet Ministers, the Prime Minister and the President, four songs each of one official language (Tamil, Malay, Mandarin and English) will be performed. In previous years, the final song in English (before the President's arrival) has always been the NDP theme song while in NDP 2008, all the songs performed in the P&C segment (in between arrivals) were all previous NDP theme songs in recent years.
The 2010 P&C songs were three in number, due to the fact that the arrival of the Parliament deputies happened before the parade, and were unique because all the songs sung were in English.
Theme songs were not prominent in the parades of the 1990s until in 1998, with the widely well-received piece "Home" composed by Dick Lee and sung by local celebrity Kit Chan. Due to its popularity, the song was used once again in 2004 when various renditions, including a rock piece by JJ Lin, were made. This is partly to use the platform of the televised national event to increase awareness to new National Day pieces composed for the Sing Singapore Festival held then.
In 2003, however, a significant split took place when the National Day theme song of that year was not the Sing Singapore theme song. Stefanie Sun's "One United People" was used as the NDP theme song to better suit the theme of "A Cohesive Society" while Sean Wang's "A Place in My Heart" was chosen to lead the Sing Singapore 2003 Festival.
Before 2007, the theme songs come in two languages, the lingua franca in Singapore - English as well as Mandarin. To promote the songs, music videos that showcase local landmarks and lifestyle are made and shown on national television a month before National Day; the songs will also be played on local airwaves. Legal MP3 downloads are also available on the NDP website.
Local songbirds that made it big in regional music scenes, such as Kaira Gong, Kit Chan, Stefanie Sun and Tanya Chua have been invited back home to perform various National Day theme songs. The winner of Singapore Idol 2004, Taufik Batisah, was the obvious choice to lead the nation in singing the NDP 2005's theme song "Reach Out For The Skies", alongside singer-actress Rui En.
For NDP 2007, there were two theme songs instead of the usual one.
There was no Chinese versions of the English songs for NDP 2007, 2010 and 2011.
The list of NDP theme songs are as follows:
, drinks and discount vouchers from various participating companies and sponsors; items intended for the use during the parade, such as a theme-designed torchlight and the Singapore flag
. Funpacks bags are designed by students from local polytechnics.
Most of the years, NDP funpacks were packed by selected members of the armed forces. In 2009, they were packed by prisoners through the Yellow Ribbon Project
.
Similarly, sponsorship comes from various public and private organisations to fund this multi million dollar production. This includes local organisations such as the Singapore Pools, Singapore Telecom, as well as multi national companies such as Volkswagen and Nokia. In recent years, sponsorship is divided into three categories depending on the amount of money pledged - Principal, Major and Co-sponsors/partners.
Abbreviation
An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Usually, but not always, it consists of a letter or group of letters taken from the word or phrase...
: NDP, , ) is a national ceremony
Ceremony
A ceremony is an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan origin.-Ceremonial occasions:A ceremony may mark a rite of passage in a human life, marking the significance of, for example:* birth...
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
that, as its name implies, includes a parade
Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
on Singapore's National Day
National Day (Singapore)
The National Day of Singapore is celebrated every year on 9 August, in commemoration of Singapore's independence from Malaysia in 1965. This holiday features a National Day Parade, an address by the Prime Minister of Singapore, and fireworks celebrations....
on August 9, in commemoration of Singapore's independence that is usually held at the Padang
Padang, Singapore
The Padang is an open field located within the Downtown Core of the Central Area in Singapore, at the heart of Singapore's central business district. It was formerly known as the Padang Cricket Ground...
(1966 - 1974), the National Stadium
National Stadium, Singapore
The Singapore National Stadium was located in Kallang. Opened in July 1973, the National Stadium was officially closed on 30 June 2007 and has demolished to make way for the Singapore Sports Hub and New Singapore National Stadium which is expected to open in 2014.The stadium has played host to...
, various decentalized venues all over Singapore or The Float@Marina Bay. The upcoming parade, National Day Parade, 2011
National Day Parade, 2011
National Day Parade 2011, also known as NDP 2011, was a military parade and accompanying creative show that was held on 9 August 2011 to commemorate Singapore's 46th year of independence.-Social media participation:...
, will be held at The Float@Marina Bay.
History
Singapore celebrated its first National DayNational Day (Singapore)
The National Day of Singapore is celebrated every year on 9 August, in commemoration of Singapore's independence from Malaysia in 1965. This holiday features a National Day Parade, an address by the Prime Minister of Singapore, and fireworks celebrations....
in 1966, one year after Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
's independence from Malaysia on 9 August 1965.
The first National Day Parade started in the morning at 9:00 A.M. People came as early as 7:00 A.M. in order to get good vantage points. Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
's first President
President of Singapore
The President of the Republic of Singapore is Singapore's head of state. In a Westminster parliamentary system, as which Singapore governs itself, the prime minister is the head of the government while the position of president is largely ceremonial. Before 1993, the President of Singapore was...
, Mr Yusof bin Ishak
Yusof bin Ishak
Yusof bin Ishak was an eminent Singaporean politician and the first President of Singapore of Minangkabau descent. His portrait appears on the Singapore Portrait Series currency notes introduced in 1999.-Early life:...
and Singapore's first Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
, Mr Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades...
, were seated with members of the government at the grandstand on the steps of City Hall
City hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
. When the parade began, 6 military contingents (including the Singapore Infantry Regiment, SPDF and the Republic of Singapore Police), a mobile column from the SIR, and various schools and civil contingents marched past City Hall and then into the city streets. Three military bands accompanied the parade inspection and later the march past with military music. The Singapore Fire Brigade also took part in this first parade with its firetrucks included in the mobile column.
By next year, the contingents increased to 76, including those of the then established Singapore Armed Forces, the RSP and more cultural groups. The reason is partly due to the introduction of the National Service program in the military and police forces, and later extended to the Fire Brigade, later called the Singapore Fire Services in the 1970s.
On the August 9, 1970 NDP edition, the Flypast of the State Flag and the Republic of Singapore Air Force Flypast debuted.
The 1971 NDP was the first to include mobile parade floats.
The 1973 parade was held from the afternoon to early evening. The next year, colour broadcasts of the parade on television began.
The 1975 parades, held to celebrate Singapore's 10th year, were for the first time decentralized into 13 parade venues for more public participation. Almost all of them lasted for an hour and all of them even had route marches on the streets.
By the time the NDP was held at the National Stadium (for the first time) in 1976, the NDP Guard of Honour, composed of officers and personnel of the SAF and the Singapore Police Force made its first appearance, followed after the parade proper by the very first evening presentations by various groups, a prelude to future evening NDPs in 1980 and from 1985 onward.
1981's NDP was the very first parade appearance of the then SPF Civil Defense Command, presently the Singapore Civil Defense Force, later combined with the SFS in 1989. (The SCDF of today showed itself for the first time in the 1982 NDP held in the Padang.) They were held in two decentralised venues, Jurong and Queenstown Sports Stadiums for further increase public attendance and participation in the celebrations.
1983 would be the final year that the NDP was held in multiple venues.
The 1984 NDP edition celebrated Singapore's Silver Jubilee of self-governance and included a bigger Mobile Column while NDP 1985 celebrated the nation's 20th year with more participants in the parade segment.
The government set up the e-balloting ticketing system in 2003 in order to tackle the problem of overcrowding. Such ticketing system enables citizens to stand a chance at winning the tickets by registering their e-mail addresses or mobile numbers at the NDP website or phonelines.
Venues and themes
The venue of the parade is usually at the historical grounds of the PadangPadang, Singapore
The Padang is an open field located within the Downtown Core of the Central Area in Singapore, at the heart of Singapore's central business district. It was formerly known as the Padang Cricket Ground...
, where the declaration of Singapore's independence was held. Since the first parade in 1966, all the way to 1975, the venue was located in this central area to bring the parade closer to the people. In 1976, the parade was held for the first time at the newly completed National Stadium
National Stadium, Singapore
The Singapore National Stadium was located in Kallang. Opened in July 1973, the National Stadium was officially closed on 30 June 2007 and has demolished to make way for the Singapore Sports Hub and New Singapore National Stadium which is expected to open in 2014.The stadium has played host to...
, where the much larger capacity allowed for more to view the parade live.
Although offering about 60,000 seats in the National Stadium, the demand for tickets remained high. Hence there were several attempts to decentralise the venue to bring the celebration closer to more Singaporeans. From 1975 to 1983, celebrations were alternated between a decentralised event and one centered at the Padang or stadium. From 1984, the parade was held twice at the stadium before being brought back to the Padang. This three year cycle was repeated up to 1994.
From 1995, it was decided that the Padang
Padang, Singapore
The Padang is an open field located within the Downtown Core of the Central Area in Singapore, at the heart of Singapore's central business district. It was formerly known as the Padang Cricket Ground...
would be used as the venue every five years. The Padang, although historically important, posed a greater logistical challenge and also offered fewer seats for spectators. The event and rehearsals also required the closing of surrounding roads. There was a need to construct temporary spectator stands around the field. The site remained, however, the only feasible venue for the mobile column, as the heavy vehicles could not be driven onto the stadium track. The Padang was used as the main performance venue for the 2005 parade, with fringe activities decentralised to Marina South
Marina South
Marina South is a peninsula adjacent to the Central Business District in Singapore, and also the name of an urban planning area in the Central Area of Singapore's Central Region.-History:...
, Jurong East
Jurong East
Jurong East is a neighbourhood in Singapore, bounded by the Pan Island Expressway, a canal and the shoreline of Jurong Lake, Jurong Town Hall Road, the eastern side of Jurong Gardens, Ayer Rajah Expressway, Penjuru Road, West Coast Road, Sungei Pandan and back to the Pan Island Expressway.It is...
, Yishun
Yishun
Yishun, or Nee Soon as it was initially named, is a suburban town in the northern part of Singapore, encompassing the Yishun Planning Area, in the North Region, which includes Yishun New Town and the Nee Soon private residential estate....
and Tampines
Tampines
Tampines is the largest residential area in the city-state of Singapore and is located in the East Region of the main island. The town is so named because in the 1900s a large forest of Tampines trees were there....
.
Arrangements needed review by the early 2000s when plans were made to rebuild the National Stadium. Several alternate locations were mooted, including the utilisation of the Marina Padang, which is physically bigger and less likely to disrupt daily functions in the city.
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of only 27,000, which is less than National Stadium, there is a vast area for 150,000 extra spectators along the Marina Bay waterfront.
Since the 2000s, every year's parade would revolve around a theme which would guide the planning of the parade and show.
| Year | Venue | Theme | Slogan/Tagline | Organiser |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 - 1974 | Padang Padang, Singapore The Padang is an open field located within the Downtown Core of the Central Area in Singapore, at the heart of Singapore's central business district. It was formerly known as the Padang Cricket Ground... |
|||
| 1975 | Decentralised sites | |||
| 1976 | National Stadium National Stadium, Singapore The Singapore National Stadium was located in Kallang. Opened in July 1973, the National Stadium was officially closed on 30 June 2007 and has demolished to make way for the Singapore Sports Hub and New Singapore National Stadium which is expected to open in 2014.The stadium has played host to... |
|||
| 1977 | Decentralised sites | |||
| 1978 | Padang Padang, Singapore The Padang is an open field located within the Downtown Core of the Central Area in Singapore, at the heart of Singapore's central business district. It was formerly known as the Padang Cricket Ground... |
|||
| 1979 | Decentralised sites | |||
| 1980 | National Stadium National Stadium, Singapore The Singapore National Stadium was located in Kallang. Opened in July 1973, the National Stadium was officially closed on 30 June 2007 and has demolished to make way for the Singapore Sports Hub and New Singapore National Stadium which is expected to open in 2014.The stadium has played host to... |
Courtesy - Our Way of Life | ||
| 1981 | Decentralised sites | Energy is Precious - Save It | ||
| 1982 | Padang Padang, Singapore The Padang is an open field located within the Downtown Core of the Central Area in Singapore, at the heart of Singapore's central business district. It was formerly known as the Padang Cricket Ground... |
|||
| 1983 | Decentralised sites | |||
| 1984 | Padang Padang, Singapore The Padang is an open field located within the Downtown Core of the Central Area in Singapore, at the heart of Singapore's central business district. It was formerly known as the Padang Cricket Ground... |
25 Years of Nation Building, 1959–1984 | Reach Out Singapore | |
| 1985 | National Stadium National Stadium, Singapore The Singapore National Stadium was located in Kallang. Opened in July 1973, the National Stadium was officially closed on 30 June 2007 and has demolished to make way for the Singapore Sports Hub and New Singapore National Stadium which is expected to open in 2014.The stadium has played host to... |
|||
| 1986 | National Stadium National Stadium, Singapore The Singapore National Stadium was located in Kallang. Opened in July 1973, the National Stadium was officially closed on 30 June 2007 and has demolished to make way for the Singapore Sports Hub and New Singapore National Stadium which is expected to open in 2014.The stadium has played host to... |
Together...Excellence for Singapore | ||
| 1987 | Padang Padang, Singapore The Padang is an open field located within the Downtown Core of the Central Area in Singapore, at the heart of Singapore's central business district. It was formerly known as the Padang Cricket Ground... |
|||
| 1988 | National Stadium National Stadium, Singapore The Singapore National Stadium was located in Kallang. Opened in July 1973, the National Stadium was officially closed on 30 June 2007 and has demolished to make way for the Singapore Sports Hub and New Singapore National Stadium which is expected to open in 2014.The stadium has played host to... |
Excellence Together, Singapore Forever | ||
| 1989 | National Stadium National Stadium, Singapore The Singapore National Stadium was located in Kallang. Opened in July 1973, the National Stadium was officially closed on 30 June 2007 and has demolished to make way for the Singapore Sports Hub and New Singapore National Stadium which is expected to open in 2014.The stadium has played host to... |
|||
| 1990 | Padang Padang, Singapore The Padang is an open field located within the Downtown Core of the Central Area in Singapore, at the heart of Singapore's central business district. It was formerly known as the Padang Cricket Ground... |
One People, One Nation, One Singapore | 25 Years of Nationhood and Another 25 Years of Achievements | |
| 1991 | National Stadium National Stadium, Singapore The Singapore National Stadium was located in Kallang. Opened in July 1973, the National Stadium was officially closed on 30 June 2007 and has demolished to make way for the Singapore Sports Hub and New Singapore National Stadium which is expected to open in 2014.The stadium has played host to... |
My Singapore | ||
| 1992 | National Stadium National Stadium, Singapore The Singapore National Stadium was located in Kallang. Opened in July 1973, the National Stadium was officially closed on 30 June 2007 and has demolished to make way for the Singapore Sports Hub and New Singapore National Stadium which is expected to open in 2014.The stadium has played host to... |
My Singapore, My Home | Republic of Singapore Air Force | |
| 1993 | Padang Padang, Singapore The Padang is an open field located within the Downtown Core of the Central Area in Singapore, at the heart of Singapore's central business district. It was formerly known as the Padang Cricket Ground... |
Nation on Parade | ||
| 1994 | National Stadium National Stadium, Singapore The Singapore National Stadium was located in Kallang. Opened in July 1973, the National Stadium was officially closed on 30 June 2007 and has demolished to make way for the Singapore Sports Hub and New Singapore National Stadium which is expected to open in 2014.The stadium has played host to... |
|||
| 1995 | Padang Padang, Singapore The Padang is an open field located within the Downtown Core of the Central Area in Singapore, at the heart of Singapore's central business district. It was formerly known as the Padang Cricket Ground... |
30 Years of Nationhood/A Nation in Harmony | ||
| 1996 | National Stadium National Stadium, Singapore The Singapore National Stadium was located in Kallang. Opened in July 1973, the National Stadium was officially closed on 30 June 2007 and has demolished to make way for the Singapore Sports Hub and New Singapore National Stadium which is expected to open in 2014.The stadium has played host to... |
Singapore Combat Engineers | ||
| 1997 | National Stadium National Stadium, Singapore The Singapore National Stadium was located in Kallang. Opened in July 1973, the National Stadium was officially closed on 30 June 2007 and has demolished to make way for the Singapore Sports Hub and New Singapore National Stadium which is expected to open in 2014.The stadium has played host to... |
Our Singapore, Our Future | NDP 1997 Musical Extravanganza | |
| 1998 | National Stadium National Stadium, Singapore The Singapore National Stadium was located in Kallang. Opened in July 1973, the National Stadium was officially closed on 30 June 2007 and has demolished to make way for the Singapore Sports Hub and New Singapore National Stadium which is expected to open in 2014.The stadium has played host to... |
Our Singapore, Our Future | 7 SIB | |
| 1999 | National Stadium National Stadium, Singapore The Singapore National Stadium was located in Kallang. Opened in July 1973, the National Stadium was officially closed on 30 June 2007 and has demolished to make way for the Singapore Sports Hub and New Singapore National Stadium which is expected to open in 2014.The stadium has played host to... |
Our People | Together We Make The Difference | 6 Div |
| 2000 | Padang Padang, Singapore The Padang is an open field located within the Downtown Core of the Central Area in Singapore, at the heart of Singapore's central business district. It was formerly known as the Padang Cricket Ground... |
3 Div | ||
| 2001 | National Stadium National Stadium, Singapore The Singapore National Stadium was located in Kallang. Opened in July 1973, the National Stadium was officially closed on 30 June 2007 and has demolished to make way for the Singapore Sports Hub and New Singapore National Stadium which is expected to open in 2014.The stadium has played host to... |
Knowledge and Creativity | 9 Div | |
| 2002 | National Stadium National Stadium, Singapore The Singapore National Stadium was located in Kallang. Opened in July 1973, the National Stadium was officially closed on 30 June 2007 and has demolished to make way for the Singapore Sports Hub and New Singapore National Stadium which is expected to open in 2014.The stadium has played host to... |
A Caring Nation | Together, A New Singapore | HQ Armour |
| 2003 | National Stadium National Stadium, Singapore The Singapore National Stadium was located in Kallang. Opened in July 1973, the National Stadium was officially closed on 30 June 2007 and has demolished to make way for the Singapore Sports Hub and New Singapore National Stadium which is expected to open in 2014.The stadium has played host to... |
A Cohesive Society | HQ Guards | |
| 2004 | National Stadium National Stadium, Singapore The Singapore National Stadium was located in Kallang. Opened in July 1973, the National Stadium was officially closed on 30 June 2007 and has demolished to make way for the Singapore Sports Hub and New Singapore National Stadium which is expected to open in 2014.The stadium has played host to... |
A Progressive Society | 6 Div | |
| 2005 National Day Parade, 2005 The National Day Parade, 2005 was a national ceremony in Singapore on August 9, 2005 to commemorate Singapore's 40 years of independence.... |
Padang Padang, Singapore The Padang is an open field located within the Downtown Core of the Central Area in Singapore, at the heart of Singapore's central business district. It was formerly known as the Padang Cricket Ground... |
40 Years of Nation Building | The Future is Ours to Make | 3 Div |
| 2006 National Day Parade, 2006 The National Day Parade, 2006 was a national ceremony held on 9 August 2006 at the National Stadium to commemorate Singapore's 41st year of independence. The event will be the last parade to be held at the old stadium, as it will be slated for demolition in 2007. The parade will therefore be... |
National Stadium National Stadium, Singapore The Singapore National Stadium was located in Kallang. Opened in July 1973, the National Stadium was officially closed on 30 June 2007 and has demolished to make way for the Singapore Sports Hub and New Singapore National Stadium which is expected to open in 2014.The stadium has played host to... |
Our Global City, Our Home | Singapore Guards | |
| 2007 National Day Parade, 2007 The National Day Parade 2007 ' was a national ceremony held on 9 August 2007 at the Marina Bay Floating Stadium to commemorate Singapore's 42nd year of independence. For the first time, the event was held in the Marina Bay area.- Venue :... |
Marina Bay | City of Possibilities | Singapore Combat Engineers | |
| 2008 National Day Parade, 2008 The National Day Parade 2008 was a national ceremony held on 9 August 2008 at the Marina Bay Floating Stadium to commemorate Singapore's 43rd year of independence. For the second time, the event was held in the Marina Bay area.-Theme:... |
Marina Bay | Celebrating the Singapore Spirit | HQ Guards | |
| 2009 National Day Parade, 2009 The National Day Parade 2009, also known as NDP 2009, was a national ceremony held on 9 August 2009 at The Float at Marina Bay to commemorate Singapore's 44th year of independence. For the third time, the event was held in the Marina Bay area.-Logo:... |
Marina Bay | Come Together - Reaching Out.Reaching Up | 3 Div | |
| 2010 National Day Parade, 2010 The National Day Parade 2010 was a national ceremony held on 9 August 2010 at the Padang to commemorate Singapore's 45th year of independence.-Logo:... |
Padang Padang, Singapore The Padang is an open field located within the Downtown Core of the Central Area in Singapore, at the heart of Singapore's central business district. It was formerly known as the Padang Cricket Ground... |
Live Our Dreams, Fly Our Flag | HQ Armour | |
| 2011 National Day Parade, 2011 National Day Parade 2011, also known as NDP 2011, was a military parade and accompanying creative show that was held on 9 August 2011 to commemorate Singapore's 46th year of independence.-Social media participation:... |
Marina Bay | Majulah! The Singapore Spirit | Singapore Combat Engineers | |
| 2012 | Singapore Guards |
Logos
Beginning from 1998, a unique logo design was selected to represent NDP on all fronts. Even though there had been logos for some previous years' parades, these were only for years of special commemoration, such as the Silver Jubilee in 1990. For all other years' National Day celebrations, slogans have been used. An example of this is "Our Singapore, Our Future" that was first used in the 1997 celebrations.With the introduction of an NDP logo for 1998, every NDP logo henceforth would be designed to suit the themes, in particular the foundation theme, of the parade. In addition, a tagline, which was previously known as a slogan, would be added to the logo design. For example, the tagline for NDP 2005 is "The Future is Ours to Make". These taglines are usually taken from previous National Day Rallies for the purpose of rallying the nation together on 9 August to meet the challenges ahead. The tagline "Together We Make The Difference" was introduced in 1999 due to the launch of the Singapore 21 project, and was replaced by "Together, A New Singapore" in 2002 when then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong
Goh Chok Tong
Goh Chok Tong is the Senior Minister of Singapore and the chairman of the central bank of Singapore, the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He also served as the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from 28 November 1990 to 12 August 2004, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime...
proposed the "Remaking Singapore" initiative in the National Day Rally 2001.
In the logo of NDP 2007, Blue has taken over the traditional red to symbolise the water around the Marina Bay area.
However, it is important to note that the themes and taglines are largely different; and it is the theme that the parade or Show segment will be based on.
Parade sequence
Although the programme and sequence of the parade do change over the years, several components and the overall flow of the parade have remained intact for the past 4 decades. With the shifting of venues for some editions of the parade, the programme may see slight modifications in order to suit the venue, for instance the Mobile Column, which is only possible both at the Padang site and at Marina Bay.Pre-parade
The pre-parade segment today may include mass-displays, choir performances, school band displays, sky-divingParachuting
Parachuting, also known as skydiving, is the action of exiting an aircraft and returning to earth with the aid of a parachute. It may or may not involve a certain amount of free-fall, a time during which the parachute has not been deployed and the body gradually accelerates to terminal...
displays, and other light-hearted performances to entertain the crowd prior to the parade proper, with the added positive effect of encouraging parade-attendees to be seated earlier. Initially introduced on an ad-hoc basis as an informal filler, it has since became an integral part of the parade particularly when live television coverage was extended to this segment in recent years. As audience participation has become a part of the parade, the pre-parade segment also becomes an opportunity for the hosts to lead and rehearse with the audience actions they may have to do when the parade proper begins.
Motivators from TOUCH Community Services were introduced to the pre-parade in 2002 (then called Anchor Talents). TOUCH Community Services has since moved on to mentoring students from the various Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs)
Institute of Technical Education
The Institute of Technical Education is a post-secondary institution in Singapore that provides pre-employment training to secondary school leavers and continuing education and training to working adults....
and various Polytechnics since 2003 till date, under the Leadership & Mentoring programme. Colorful costumes and dance moves have been designed for the motivators.
Parade and ceremonies
The parade has been a traditional staple of the National Day Parade. Participants of the parade include members of the Singapore Armed ForcesSingapore Armed Forces
The Singapore Armed Forces is the military arm of the Total Defence of the Republic of Singapore; as well as the military component of the Ministry of Defence. The SAF comprises three branches: the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Navy...
, Singapore Police Force
Singapore Police Force
The Singapore Police Force is the main agency tasked with maintaining law and order in the city-state. Formerly known as the Republic of Singapore Police , it has grown from an 11-man organisation to a 38,587 strong force...
, Singapore Civil Defence Force
Singapore Civil Defence Force
The Singapore Civil Defence Force is the main agency in charge of the provision of emergency services in Singapore during peacetime and emergency.A uniformed organisation under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the main role of SCDF is to provide...
, representatives of the different unions (including members of the National Trades Union Congress) and Ministries as well as students in uniformed groups (such as the National Cadet Corps
National Cadet Corps (Singapore)
The National Cadet Corps is a youth organisation in Singapore. As of December 2010, it had a total strength of 19877 members. This consists of 823 Officers, 726 Cadet Officers and 17157 cadets, amongst others.The NCC is represented in 144 Secondary Schools and there are a total 176 School...
, National Police Cadet Corps
National Police Cadet Corps
The National Police Cadet Corps is the largest uniformed group for youths in Singapore in terms of membership. As of 31 March 2004, the organisation has 596 teacher officers and 20,146 student members in 155 secondary schools, 2 polytechnics open units and 2 University Open Units.With the support...
, National Civil Defence Cadet Corps
National Civil Defence Cadet Corps
The National Civil Defence Cadet Corps of Singapore was formed in 2005 and is currently the newest recognized member of the National Uniformed Group...
http://www.ncdcc.gov.sg, the Singapore Red Cross, the Boys' and Girls' Brigades, the Scouts Association, the Girl Guides, St. John Ambulance Brigade) and representatives of various Singapore business entities.
Participants are split into two main sections: the Guard-of-Honour contingents and the Supporting Contingents. The four Guard-of-Honour contingents are made up of members from the three arms of the Singapore Armed Forces (the Army, represented by the Best Combat Unit; the Navy; and the Air Force) as well as the Singapore Police Force. All members of these contingents are dressed in their respective ceremonial uniforms, known as the No. 1 uniform. Behind the Guard-of-Honour contingents stand the Regimental Colours Party, where the 35 SAF regimental colours are held by a group of officers, known as ensigns, from the Singapore Armed Forces. The 3 State Colours are in between the Navy and Air Force Guard-of-Honour contingents, and are formed by Escorts(Specialists) and Ensigns (Junior Officers).
The parade traditionally starts with the Parade Regimental Sergeant Major (Parade RSM) forming up the parade on either the Padang, the field of the National Stadium or in front of the Marina Bay grandstand. The command of the parade is handed over to the Parade Commander once the parade has been formed up and properly dressed. Typically, both the Parade RSM and the Parade Commander come from the SAF, and usually hold a minimum rank of Master Warrant Officer, and Lieutenant Colonel respectively. Upon sizing up the parade, the Parade Commander will wait for the arrival of the members of Parliament, members of the Cabinet, the Prime Minister, in that order (the salutes were dropped partially in 2008, and the Prime Minister's salute was dropped the next year). Upon the arrival of each group, the parade will present its salute and present arms, except for the Parliament and Cabinet members, upon which they stand at attention and only the PC salutes them.
Lastly once the President has arrived (after the playing of the Presidential Fanfare by the Fanfare Trumpeters of the SAF), the Parade Commander will call for a full (Presidential) salute, during which the National Anthem will be played accompanied by a fly-past of the State Flag. After that, the Parade Commander will request that the President inspects the parade. During this inspection, the President will be accompanied by the Chief of Defence Force, Contingent Commander of the Army GOH and the Parade Commander. A presidential 21-gun salute is also given to the President during this time. It is customary that the President speaks to some members of the Guard-of-honor contingents as he passes by. After the inspection ends, the President will return to the podium before the Guard-of-honor contingents presents a Feu-de-Joie led by the Parade Commander.
At the end of it (with the GOH contingents now at shoulder arms), the Parade Commander will ask the President for permission for the Parade Marchpast to start.
Marchpast
The Parade Commander will command the Parade contingents to prepare for the Marchpast, and will then march out of the Parade Grounds. In the National Day Parade, 2009National Day Parade, 2009
The National Day Parade 2009, also known as NDP 2009, was a national ceremony held on 9 August 2009 at The Float at Marina Bay to commemorate Singapore's 44th year of independence. For the third time, the event was held in the Marina Bay area.-Logo:...
, there was a City Marchpast where the contingents marched around the Central Business District, with the march ending at the F1 Pit Building. In the National Day Parade, 2010
National Day Parade, 2010
The National Day Parade 2010 was a national ceremony held on 9 August 2010 at the Padang to commemorate Singapore's 45th year of independence.-Logo:...
, the City Marchpast will come back again, and this time the Marina Bay area is the venue for this, with the Marina Padang as the final stop on the march past.
Mobile column
The Mobile Column is the parade of vehicles and other hardware from the Singapore Armed ForcesSingapore Armed Forces
The Singapore Armed Forces is the military arm of the Total Defence of the Republic of Singapore; as well as the military component of the Ministry of Defence. The SAF comprises three branches: the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Navy...
(SAF), Singapore Police Force
Singapore Police Force
The Singapore Police Force is the main agency tasked with maintaining law and order in the city-state. Formerly known as the Republic of Singapore Police , it has grown from an 11-man organisation to a 38,587 strong force...
and Singapore Civil Defence Force
Singapore Civil Defence Force
The Singapore Civil Defence Force is the main agency in charge of the provision of emergency services in Singapore during peacetime and emergency.A uniformed organisation under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the main role of SCDF is to provide...
. The first Mobile Column was organized in 1969 which displayed the then newly acquired armour vehicles of the SAF, the RSP's police vehicles and the SFB's fire trucks. In 1990, after an absence of 6 years (since 1984), the Mobile Column made a comeback as Singapore celebrated its 25th year of independence. Since then, it has been on show during the more important anniversaries of the nation's birthday, such as the 1995, 2000, and 2005 editions held at the Padang. The 2010 NDP will also feature the mobile column including the SAF's newest vehicles such as the Leopard 2A4 main battle tank and other vehicles.
Flypast
Since 1971, the Republic of Singapore Air Force Flypast has been a regular NDP favorite. The flypast of various military aircraft on the parade shows the country's military air offensive and defensive capabilities.Highlights
The spectacular show segment follows the traditional parade and ceremony, and lasts normally for 45 minutes. Following the theme of the parade that year, the Show will feature three main Acts that culminates in a Grand Finale, that will usually feature the theme song of that year's parade, followed by the much anticipated fireworks display. The entire parade will end in a chorus of voices singing familiar National Day Songs, mass pledge taking and the singing of the National Anthem.It has its origins in early NDPs as various mass display items put up by community groups or schools to add colour to the otherwise military parade. These items revolved around the themes of racial harmony, ruggedness among youths etc., which are represented by ethnic dances and mass gymnastics displays. This section evolved over the years to become more theatrical, from the massive flashcard displays that complemented the parade in the 1980s to multimedia projections in recent Shows.
Float displays also featured prominently in the Show segments of the 1970s and 1980s where floats were designed to promote government campaigns or highlight the works of various public and private companies. This returned in NDP 2005 as a visual representation of Singapore's past 40 years of nation building, with further reappearances at NDP 2009 and at NDP 2010 to symbolize the mixture of peoples that make up Singapore today.
Parades today, held from dusk to night, end in the climax of fireworks
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
displays which have become a signature item of National Days. However, in the early parades that were held in the day (from 1965–72) and later afternoon to evening NDP editions from 1973 to 1980 and 1982–84, mass lion and dragon dance displays are actually the parade finale. Lion and dragon dance troupes from various community centres and clan associations would gather on the field to the resonating sound of drumbeats to put on a fiery display that end the parade on an auspicious note. These troupes later became integral parts of the 1985 and the 1988(evening) to 1989(daytime) NDP editions.
Participating organizations
Though every show would see the participation of an assortment of public and private companies, there are three main anchors taking on each Act. They are the Peoples' Association (which involvement started in 1984, and one of the founding participants), Singapore SOKA Association (which involvement began in 1986, also one of the founding participants) and the Ministry of Education, which would be represented by an individual institution or a cluster of schools. The latter also provides the Combined Schools Band and the Combined School Choirs, another regular part of the NDP itself, and since the 1970s has been part of the national celebrations.Multimedia show
Various types of high-tech multimedia equipment are used during the actual show segment, and they include:In 2003, PIGI (Projecteur d’Images Géantes Informatisées) Projection technology was used, the same technology used for the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
Opening/Closing Ceremony.
In 2004, the "Biggest LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
Screen" in Singapore, measuring 31m x 7m, consisting of 23 separate panels in width and 7 panels in height was used. This setup is also one of the largest outdoor screens
Screens
Screens is the third studio album from Portland, Oregon-based "troublegum" group The Mint Chicks and thus far the only Mint Chicks release not to feature bassist Michael Logie. It was released on March 16, 2009 in New Zealand, The Mint Chicks' homeland on Flying Nun Records...
in the world. In this year, for the first time, public could send national day greetings via SMS
SMS
SMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
/MMS
Multimedia Messaging Service
Multimedia Messaging Service, or MMS, is a standard way to send messages that include multimedia content to and from mobile phones. It extends the core SMS capability that allowed exchange of text messages only up to 160 characters in length.The most popular use is to send photographs from...
that will be shown on this LED screen.
In 2005, "Panoramic Screen and Still Image Projectors" were used. The Panoramic Screen is made up of 26 individual screens each measuring 10m by 6m. Still Image Projectors were used to project the colourful images onto the screen. Also 2 large LED screen, each measuring 8m by 6m, will be used to screen numerous video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
s and ‘live
Live television
Live television refers to a television production broadcast in real-time, as events happen, in the present. From the early days of television until about 1958, live television was used heavily, except for filmed shows such as I Love Lucy and Gunsmoke. Video tape did not exist until 1957...
’ feeds .
In 2006, same as 2003 is using PIGI (architectural video mapping) projection technology, at the centre of the stadium, a giant Light Emitting Diode (LED) screen is able to split into six smaller screens to provide a powerful visual impact.
In 2007, "water curtain" - 30 metres high and 90 metres wide, with visual effects provided by six image projectors.
In 2008, "LED Mash" - consisting of thousands of tiny LED lights which will form a gigantic video screen.
In 2009, PiGi projections and LED mesh screens, combined with special lighting effects will deliver multimedia content.
Post-parade
Post parade parties began in 1997 in a big way when it was televised on TV and featured top celebrity acts. The purposes of the post parade segment are to congratulate and acknowledge the hard work put in by the participants of the parade as well as to provide entertainment to the audience awaiting to leave the Stadium, Padang or Marina Bay.The post parade will normally last for one hour and will end with the Chief of Defence Force, the Chairman of that year's NDP EXCO and the organizers cutting a cake to celebrate with the participants yet another successful National Day Parade. The party is now normally anchored by the SAF Music and Drama Company.
National Day songs
Under the Sing Singapore Festival, which inaugurated in 1984, numerous community songs have been composed. Nonetheless, only few National Day songs which struck a chord among Singaporeans continue to be sung annually in the parade. They are collectively known as the Sing Singapore Medley which comes after the fireworks display during the Grand Finale.Other National Day songs continue to be featured during the parade, either in the Pre-Parade segment, Parade and Ceremony segment or used as tunes to accompany mass displays. In particular, for the Parade and Ceremony segment, in between the arrivals of Members of Parliament, Cabinet Ministers, the Prime Minister and the President, four songs each of one official language (Tamil, Malay, Mandarin and English) will be performed. In previous years, the final song in English (before the President's arrival) has always been the NDP theme song while in NDP 2008, all the songs performed in the P&C segment (in between arrivals) were all previous NDP theme songs in recent years.
The 2010 P&C songs were three in number, due to the fact that the arrival of the Parliament deputies happened before the parade, and were unique because all the songs sung were in English.
Theme songs
NDP Theme songs were first introduced in the mid-1980s, starting with "Count On Me Singapore", performed by Clement Chow at the 1986 Parade. Other songs include "We are Singapore" (1987) and "One People, One Nation, One Singapore" (1990).Theme songs were not prominent in the parades of the 1990s until in 1998, with the widely well-received piece "Home" composed by Dick Lee and sung by local celebrity Kit Chan. Due to its popularity, the song was used once again in 2004 when various renditions, including a rock piece by JJ Lin, were made. This is partly to use the platform of the televised national event to increase awareness to new National Day pieces composed for the Sing Singapore Festival held then.
In 2003, however, a significant split took place when the National Day theme song of that year was not the Sing Singapore theme song. Stefanie Sun's "One United People" was used as the NDP theme song to better suit the theme of "A Cohesive Society" while Sean Wang's "A Place in My Heart" was chosen to lead the Sing Singapore 2003 Festival.
Before 2007, the theme songs come in two languages, the lingua franca in Singapore - English as well as Mandarin. To promote the songs, music videos that showcase local landmarks and lifestyle are made and shown on national television a month before National Day; the songs will also be played on local airwaves. Legal MP3 downloads are also available on the NDP website.
Local songbirds that made it big in regional music scenes, such as Kaira Gong, Kit Chan, Stefanie Sun and Tanya Chua have been invited back home to perform various National Day theme songs. The winner of Singapore Idol 2004, Taufik Batisah, was the obvious choice to lead the nation in singing the NDP 2005's theme song "Reach Out For The Skies", alongside singer-actress Rui En.
For NDP 2007, there were two theme songs instead of the usual one.
There was no Chinese versions of the English songs for NDP 2007, 2010 and 2011.
The list of NDP theme songs are as follows:
| Year | Song | Singers | Chinese Version | Singers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | "Stand Up For Singapore" | |||
| 1985 | ||||
| 1986 | "Count On Me Singapore" | Clement Chow | ||
| 1987 | "We Are Singapore" | |||
| 1988 | ||||
| 1990 | "One People, One Nation, One Singapore" | |||
| 1998 | "Home" | Kit Chan Kit Chan Kit Chan is a Singaporean singer.-Music:She was a member of the pioneer generation of Singaporean singers to successfully break into the international market, marked in particular by her breakthrough into the competitive and highly critical Taiwanese market with her hit Mandarin album Heartache ... |
家 | Kit Chan Kit Chan Kit Chan is a Singaporean singer.-Music:She was a member of the pioneer generation of Singaporean singers to successfully break into the international market, marked in particular by her breakthrough into the competitive and highly critical Taiwanese market with her hit Mandarin album Heartache ... 陈洁仪 |
| 1999 | "Together" | Evelyn Tan & Dreamz FM | 心连心 | Evelyn Tan & Dreamz FM 陈毓云、梦飞船 |
| 2000 | "Shine on Me" | Jai Wahab | 星月 | Mavis Hee Mavis Hee Mavis Hee is a Singaporean singer.She was the second runner-up and also Miss Photogenic and Miss Amity for Singapore's Miss Chinatown Pageant 1992.-Her work:... 许美静 |
| 2001 | "Where I Belong" | Tanya Chua Tanya Chua Tanya Chua is a Golden Melody Award-winning Singaporean singer and songwriter.-Music career:A former business administration student at Singapore Polytechnic, Chua started out singing in English, releasing her first English album, Bored, in 1997... |
属于 | Tanya Chua Tanya Chua Tanya Chua is a Golden Melody Award-winning Singaporean singer and songwriter.-Music career:A former business administration student at Singapore Polytechnic, Chua started out singing in English, releasing her first English album, Bored, in 1997... 蔡健雅 |
| 2002 | "We Will Get There" | Stefanie Sun Stefanie Sun Stefanie Sun was born Sng Ee Tze on 23 July 1978, and known to fans as 13姐 , is a Singaporean singer-songwriter. She has sold over 30 million copies of her albums during the span of her career thus far. She does the majority of her recording, and conducts most of her publicity events, in Taiwan,... |
一起走到 | Stefanie Sun Stefanie Sun Stefanie Sun was born Sng Ee Tze on 23 July 1978, and known to fans as 13姐 , is a Singaporean singer-songwriter. She has sold over 30 million copies of her albums during the span of her career thus far. She does the majority of her recording, and conducts most of her publicity events, in Taiwan,... 孙燕姿 |
| 2003 | "One United People" | 全心全意 | ||
| 2004 | "Home" | Kit Chan Kit Chan Kit Chan is a Singaporean singer.-Music:She was a member of the pioneer generation of Singaporean singers to successfully break into the international market, marked in particular by her breakthrough into the competitive and highly critical Taiwanese market with her hit Mandarin album Heartache ... and JJ Lin JJ Lin JJ Lin is a Singaporean Mandopop Singer-songwriter, Composer and Actor based in Taiwan. JJ Lin is managed by Ocean Butterflies. Lin won Best New Artist for his work on his debut album Music Voyager at the 15th Golden Melody Awards in 2004.... The MTV versions were choral renditions performed by Young Voices, which comprises the Choirs from the Tanjong Katong Girls' School and Tampines Primary School. |
家 | Kit Chan Kit Chan Kit Chan is a Singaporean singer.-Music:She was a member of the pioneer generation of Singaporean singers to successfully break into the international market, marked in particular by her breakthrough into the competitive and highly critical Taiwanese market with her hit Mandarin album Heartache ... and JJ Lin JJ Lin JJ Lin is a Singaporean Mandopop Singer-songwriter, Composer and Actor based in Taiwan. JJ Lin is managed by Ocean Butterflies. Lin won Best New Artist for his work on his debut album Music Voyager at the 15th Golden Melody Awards in 2004.... 陈洁仪、林俊杰 |
| 2005 | "Reach Out For The Skies" | Taufik Batisah Taufik Batisah Muhammad Taufik Bin Batisah, is the winner of the first season of the reality TV series Singapore Idol... and Rui En Rui En Rui En is a Chinese Singaporean singer-actress based in Singapore currently.Rui En was talent-spotted while appearing in SingTel's popular SingTel hi!Card commercial as the iconic "running girl" in 2001. She was offered a general management contract by Artiste Networks, a section of Hype Records... |
勇敢向前飞 | Rui En Rui En Rui En is a Chinese Singaporean singer-actress based in Singapore currently.Rui En was talent-spotted while appearing in SingTel's popular SingTel hi!Card commercial as the iconic "running girl" in 2001. She was offered a general management contract by Artiste Networks, a section of Hype Records... 瑞恩 |
| 2006 | "My Island Home" | Kaira Gong Kaira Gong Kaira Gong , is a Singaporean singer whose family is of Shanghai, China descent. She is signed with Taiwanese HIM International Music, and is best known as the protégé of Taiwanese musician David Tao, as well as the label-mate of pop group S.H.E.... |
幸福的图形 | Kaira Gong Kaira Gong Kaira Gong , is a Singaporean singer whose family is of Shanghai, China descent. She is signed with Taiwanese HIM International Music, and is best known as the protégé of Taiwanese musician David Tao, as well as the label-mate of pop group S.H.E.... 龚诗嘉 |
| 2007 | "There's No Place I'd Rather Be" | Kit Chan Kit Chan Kit Chan is a Singaporean singer.-Music:She was a member of the pioneer generation of Singaporean singers to successfully break into the international market, marked in particular by her breakthrough into the competitive and highly critical Taiwanese market with her hit Mandarin album Heartache ... |
||
| "Will You" | Janani Sridhar, Asha Edmund, Emma Yong, Lily Ann Rahmat, Jai Wahab, Shabir Mohammed, Sebastian Tan, Gani Karim | |||
| 2008 | "Shine For Singapore" | Hady Mirza Hady Mirza Hady Mirza is a Singaporean singer of Bugis descent, with his grandparents hailing from Sulawesi. He is the winner of the second season of the reality TV show Singapore Idol... |
晴空万里 | Joi Chua Joi Chua Joi Chua or Joi Tsai is a Singaporean female singer signed under Play Music.Joi was educated at Raffles Girls' Primary School, Clementi Town Secondary School, and Singapore Polytechnic in Optometry.... 蔡淳佳 |
| 2009 | "What Do You See" | Electrico Electrico Electrico is a pop rock and indie Singaporean band originally formed in Singapore in 1996, which went by the name Electric Company in 1996. This band is still active with the present line-up which includes David Tan, Desmond Goh, William Lim Jr.- Electric Company: 1996-1997 :Electric Company was... |
就在这里 | Kelvin Tan Kelvin Tan Wei Lian Kelvin Tan Wei Lian is a visually impaired Singaporean singer. He is better known as Weilian to his fans.-Early life:... 陈伟联 |
| 2010 | "Song For Singapore" | Corrinne May Corrinne May Corrinne May is a Singaporean singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles.Corrinne composed and performed the theme song for Singapore's National Day 2010, titled "Song for Singapore"... |
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| 2011 | "In a Heartbeat" | Sylvia Ratonel Sylvia Ratonel Sylvia Anne Ratonel is a Singaporean singer and spokesmodel of Euro-Filipino descent. She is most popularly known as the first female finalist in Singapore Idol history as well as being the runner-up of the third season... |
NDP funpack
Funpacks are bags containing goodies which are distributed every year. These goodies include foodFood
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
, drinks and discount vouchers from various participating companies and sponsors; items intended for the use during the parade, such as a theme-designed torchlight and the Singapore flag
Flag of Singapore
The national flag of Singapore was first adopted in 1959, the year Singapore became self-governing within the British Empire. It was reconfirmed as the national flag when the Republic gained independence on 9 August 1965...
. Funpacks bags are designed by students from local polytechnics.
Most of the years, NDP funpacks were packed by selected members of the armed forces. In 2009, they were packed by prisoners through the Yellow Ribbon Project
Yellow Ribbon Project
The Yellow Ribbon Project started in 2004, is a Yellow Ribbon community-based program of the CARE Network in Singapore aimed at reintegrating ex-prisoners into society.-Description:...
.
Organisation and sponsorship
The National Day Parades are organised by the Singapore Armed Forces, with the involvement of a multitude of public and private organisations. Each year's parade will see the formation of an NDP EXCO (Executive Committee) which oversees various aspects of the parade, from the Parade & Ceremony to the Show, from SICUS (Seating, Invitation, Car parking, Ushering and Security) to Website & Publicity. The EXCO is formed by military personnel and is usually headed by the Commander of the organising division. Civilians also sit on the EXCO as representatives of the various public agencies involved.Similarly, sponsorship comes from various public and private organisations to fund this multi million dollar production. This includes local organisations such as the Singapore Pools, Singapore Telecom, as well as multi national companies such as Volkswagen and Nokia. In recent years, sponsorship is divided into three categories depending on the amount of money pledged - Principal, Major and Co-sponsors/partners.
See Also
- National Day Parade, 2005National Day Parade, 2005The National Day Parade, 2005 was a national ceremony in Singapore on August 9, 2005 to commemorate Singapore's 40 years of independence....
- National Day Parade, 2006National Day Parade, 2006The National Day Parade, 2006 was a national ceremony held on 9 August 2006 at the National Stadium to commemorate Singapore's 41st year of independence. The event will be the last parade to be held at the old stadium, as it will be slated for demolition in 2007. The parade will therefore be...
- National Day Parade, 2007National Day Parade, 2007The National Day Parade 2007 ' was a national ceremony held on 9 August 2007 at the Marina Bay Floating Stadium to commemorate Singapore's 42nd year of independence. For the first time, the event was held in the Marina Bay area.- Venue :...
- National Day Parade, 2008National Day Parade, 2008The National Day Parade 2008 was a national ceremony held on 9 August 2008 at the Marina Bay Floating Stadium to commemorate Singapore's 43rd year of independence. For the second time, the event was held in the Marina Bay area.-Theme:...
- National Day Parade, 2009National Day Parade, 2009The National Day Parade 2009, also known as NDP 2009, was a national ceremony held on 9 August 2009 at The Float at Marina Bay to commemorate Singapore's 44th year of independence. For the third time, the event was held in the Marina Bay area.-Logo:...
- National Day Parade, 2010National Day Parade, 2010The National Day Parade 2010 was a national ceremony held on 9 August 2010 at the Padang to commemorate Singapore's 45th year of independence.-Logo:...
- National Day Parade, 2011National Day Parade, 2011National Day Parade 2011, also known as NDP 2011, was a military parade and accompanying creative show that was held on 9 August 2011 to commemorate Singapore's 46th year of independence.-Social media participation:...