The NDP will be taking place on August 21 and will be a half-physical and half-virtual show
This story was published on July 1, 2021, and updated on August 19, 2021.
National Day may be over but our parade, which was postponed in light of the Covid-19 restrictions that were in place on August 9 is most certainly not. In fact, our big parade will be taking place this weekend on August 21 and we finally have news about how this year’s parade will be held.
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This year, the parade will be returning to the Marina Bay floating platform as a centralised and in-person event. The show will be integrating virtual performance and will take place in four different acts.
Additionally, the National Day Rally will be pushed and will be taking place on August 29, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Despite the postponement and changes, the upcoming NDP will still be going on with all the energy and spirit that it usually has. Read on for an idea of how our festivities will look this year.
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1. The show will have virtual segments
Last year, as a result of the pandemic, our NDP was held in a decentralised format. There were many heartland activities such as fireworks around the island and mobile columns that rolled through neighbourhoods.
This time, the show will incorporate physical elements as well as animated short films and performances that have been pre-recorded in places such as Jewel Changi Airport, the National University of Singapore, Marina Barrage and Yio Chu Kang Stadium. This was done to reduce physical contact among performers.
The show, which will be hosted by Joakim Gomez, Eswari Gunasagar, Fauzie Laily, and Patricia Mok, will highlight stories of Singaporeans from the past and present and will aim to showcase the Singapore spirit and to remind people of how they have remained resilient despite the challenges that have come.
When asked why the parade was being held with live performers and spectators despite the fact that we are still facing Covid-19 cases and clusters, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said at a SAF day speech on June 28 that part of the reason “is learning to live with the disease, an endemic disease”.
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