CELEBRATE SG50 BY THE BAY

With eight celebration sites around the Marina Bay area, more Singaporeans will be able to celebrate the country's 50th birthday together.

Spectators will be able to catch a live screening of the National Day Parade (NDP) at the Padang on giant LED screens that will be mounted at these sites, which include The Float @ Marina Bay; Marina Bay Sands event plaza; Marina Bay Sands square; The Promontory; Merlion Park; the Esplanade; the Singapore Flyer; and Marina Barrage.

At the same time, they will be able to soak in the atmosphere and get close to the action. These locations offer a great view of the aerial display, mobile column, presidential gun salute, and fireworks.

The largest site is The Float @ Marina Bay, where a pre-parade show will be presented by community groups such as the People's Association (PA). About 700 choir and ukulele performers from the PA will lead the spectators to perform popular community songs.

A segment of the mobile column made up of 28 combat vehicles will also roll past The Float. Local celebrities like Sheikh Haikel, Jack Neo, and the cast of the Ah Boys to Men movies will also put up a post-parade concert for spectators.

Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen, who took a short ride on a Leopard 2SG tank as part of the mobile column and visited performers at a pre-parade show rehearsal earlier this afternoon at The Float, said: "What we are trying to do - because Padang is (of) limited capacity - (is) to spread it out.

"We're expecting 150,000 to 200,000 around the area. And I believe that we're on our way to really making everyone feel that this is something that all of us can participate in."

Colonel Frederick Choo, Chairman of Engagement, Celebrations, and Mobile Column, added: "We felt that, this being a very special year, we needed to leverage on the collective spirit, and (have more) people come together and celebrate.

"When over 200,000 Singaporeans come together in one location, the atmosphere and the spirit will be electrifying."

Around the Bay, street magicians, poi twirlers, drummers and dancers will put up roving performances.

The NDP organisers have developed a free mobile app, called "Celebrate SG50!", to provide information about the many celebratory activities in the Marina Bay area.

During the finale of the parade, the app will display flashing red and white lights. All Singaporeans around the Bay will be encouraged to raise their smartphones in the air to light up the skyline with red and white colours.

Meanwhile, the full-dress rehearsals of the NDP - also known as the NDP National Education (NE) Shows - are in full swing.

About 190 members of the Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence (ACCORD), Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs (GPC-DFA), employers, educators as well as their family members are attending the third NDP NE Show on 25 Jul.

Before the show, Second Minister for Defence Lui Tuck Yew hosted them to an engagement session at the National Gallery.

For more information on NDP 2015, visit http://www.ndp.org.sg/ or download the "Celebrate SG50!" app.

Win NDP 2015 tickets!

Answer this question, and stand a chance to win a pair of tickets to the NDP on 9 Aug at the Padang:

• Name one of the eight NDP celebration sites in the Marina Bay area.

Visit www.mindef.gov.sg/pnr/contest to take part in the contest. Contest closes 29 July, noon.