SINGAPORE, June 3 — After two years of scaled-down celebrations due to Covid-19, a near-capacity crowd is expected at this year’s National Day Parade (NDP) to be held at the Marina Bay floating platform, while spectators will also be allowed to gather in the area to watch the fireworks display.

National Education shows and previews will also return, the NDP’s organising committee said in a press release on Thursday (June 2).

Tickets for the main parade on Aug 9, and the previews before that, will open to the public for balloting. This is unlike last year when tickets were only given to Covid-19 frontline workers due to pandemic restrictions.

Details of this year’s balloting will be announced later.

The committee added that they will try to involve as many Singaporeans as possible at the 26,000-seat venue. It also encouraged people to go down to the area to soak in the National Day festivities, which will commemorate Singapore’s 57th year of independence.

To allow more people to take part in the celebrations, there will also be a series of events over the weekend of Aug 6 to 7 at five heartland areas, which will include performances, activities and exhibitions.

People may also watch free-fall jumps by The Red Lions parachute team over two other heartland sites on Aug 7.

More details about the celebrations will be released at a later date, the committee said.

On Aug 9, spectators watching the parade at The Float@Marina Bay will be treated to a combined air, land and sea Total Defence display by the Singapore Armed Forces and Home Team, as well as crowd favourites such as the Red Lions and the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s state flag flypast.

Those at home may catch a glimpse of the state flag and fighter jets flying over residential areas, as well as simultaneous fireworks display at five heartland districts.

Like previous years, the parade will be broadcasted live over television and internet channels.

Speaking to reporters at a media event, Brigadier-General Goh Pei Ming, chairman of the NDP 2022 executive committee, said: "As we move towards living with Covid and large-scale events progressively resume, we want to be able to bring in as many Singaporeans to the float this year... We will try to involve as many Singaporeans attending at the floating platform as possible.”

He added that the committee has "put in place various measures to ensure that performers and spectators are able to take part in the parade safely”, such as requiring all performers to be vaccinated.

For spectators, BG Goh said that the committee will follow the prevailing national Covid-19 regulations.

He also encouraged people to head to the bay area to join in the celebrations but urged the public to "do so with caution and to be responsible”.

The theme for this year’s NDP, "Stronger Together, Majulah!”, calls for Singaporeans "to forge ahead as a united and strong people towards a better future”, the committee said.

The new theme song, titled Stronger Together, is composed by Singaporean music producer Don Richmond and performed by homegrown artist Taufik Batisah.

Speaking to reporters, Taufik — who last sang an NDP theme song in 2005 called Reach out for the Skies — said: "This new song is a celebration to me... It’s an up-tempo song that, I hope, can uplift the mood of many Singaporeans.

"I hope that the lyrics can inspire Singaporeans as much as it inspired me when I sang it — that no matter what hardship you’re going through, we can push through if we put our minds to it.”

This year could also be the last time that the NDP is held at the floating platform, because the venue is slated to be replaced by the upcoming NS Square by 2025. — TODAY