SINGAPORE — The next two editions of the National Day Parade (NDP) in 2024 and 2025 will be held at the Padang, the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) announced on Friday (Sept 29).
Milestones will be commemorated in both years. Next year coincides with the 40th anniversary of Total Defence, Singapore's national defence concept, while 2025 marks 60 years of independence.
To celebrate the Total Defence anniversary next year, for the first time, a dynamic defence display will be shown at the Padang, said Brigadier-General Low Wilson, chair of the NDP 2024 executive committee.
The display will feature air-land components from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force working hand-in-hand with the community, said BG Low, who is Chief Guards Officer and Commander, 21st Singapore Division.
The dynamic defence display will demonstrate how Singapore's forces respond to threats in an action-packed display using pyrotechnics, he added.
The dynamic defence display and NDP festivities will extend to the Marina Bay area, allowing more Singaporeans to participate in celebrations.
As the day after National Day will be a Saturday, there are also plans for NDP community events and dynamic display assets to make their way into the heartlands to reach even more Singaporeans on Aug 10, 2024.
The following year, in 2025, the NDP will return to the Padang for Singapore's 60th birthday.
The site was chosen for its historical significance, said BG Cai Dexian, chair of the NDP 2025 executive committee and Commander, 3rd Singapore Division
The Padang was the venue for Singapore's first NDP in 1966. It has also hosted the NDP in years with milestone celebrations, such as SG50 in 2015 and Singapore's bicentennial in 2019.
NDP 2025 will follow the concept of "three concentric rings", with the integrated show at the Padang in the centre, expanding out to live celebrations in the Marina Bay area as well as festivities in the heartlands, said BG Cai.
"Selected slices" of the marching contingent and mobile column at NDP 2025 will move around the Marina Bay area to engage more Singaporeans, he added.
Crowd favourites like the Red Lions and aerial displays will continue to be a part of both years' parades.
Last year, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said that he would like the parade to be held at the National Stadium in Singapore Sports Hub in 2024.
Asked why this was not the case, BG Low said his team thought the Padang would be better at providing an immersive experience and hosting the dynamic defence display for NDP 2024.
Separately, he added that his team will also pay attention to engaging stakeholders in the area to minimise disruption caused by preparations for the parade, such as rehearsals.
NDP venues are typically announced one year in advance. As the next two parades are being held at the Padang, announcing the venue for NDP 2025 two years in advance allows his team to understudy the NDP 2024 organisers, said BG Cai.
Talking about the venue early also gives his team an opportunity to be "as inclusive and as consultative as possible", he said.
"We want to be able to cast as wide a net as possible to engage whether it's the public sector, the private sector, civil society or even Singaporeans across the board, and try to take in their views, their suggestions, their feedback about what they would like to see, how they would like to commemorate 60 years of nationhood." CNA
Source from Today Online
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