SINGAPORE – The Marina Bay floating platform glowed in red and white on Saturday evening (July 23) as Singaporeans gathered for the first National Day Parade (NDP) preview, marking the countdown to the grand celebration on August 9.

With a fully vaccinated audience encouraged to wear masks, nearly 25,000 attendees joyfully embraced this full-scale preview, a significant return after two years of scaled-back, decentralized festivities due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Cheers erupted as the crowd waved flags and showed their enthusiasm for the performances and military displays, with hosts Sonia Chew, Joakim Gomez, Siti Khalijah, and Rishi Budhrani energizing the atmosphere.

This year’s highlights included a tribute to national servicemen, celebrating the 55th anniversary of national service. The audience reveled in traditional favorites, such as the aerobatic maneuvers performed by F-16 fighter jets and thrilling parachute displays by the Red Lions. Additionally, a Total Defence Display showcased security operations conducted by the Singapore Armed Forces and Home Team.

In a historic first for the NDP, special forces from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) executed a hostage rescue demonstration from a “hijacked” public transport bus, adding an exciting twist to the evening’s program.

Minister of Defence Ng Eng Hen was present to review the parade.

Among the crowd was 75-year-old logistics manager Othman Ayob, who attended the event with his wife, son, daughter-in-law, and grandchild. This marked their sixth viewing of the parade, but their first at the Marina Bay floating platform.

Othman reminisced, “In the 1980s, my wife and I would queue overnight to get tickets to watch the show at the stadium. But this is special since it’s the last time the show will be here.”

Next year’s National Day Parade will take place at the Padang, making this the final event held at the floating platform.

Saturday’s show was the first of two full-scale previews leading up to the NDP, returning to its traditional, centralized format with ticket balloting. This year’s segment, directed by first-time creative director and theatre veteran Adrian Pang, will reflect Singapore’s resilience throughout the pandemic.

Dental nurse Barakatneisa Shahul Hamid, 44, attending with her family, expressed her joy at witnessing the NDP live again. She remarked, “There’s a better atmosphere compared to watching on television. We’re especially excited for the fireworks and the Red Lions.”