National Day activities
August 9th is right around the corner, and there’s no better way to celebrate our nation’s independence than attending the National Day Parade. But getting tickets can be hard, and you may not have been able to snag any this year. Luckily, there are plenty of National Day activities scattered around the country for you to get into the patriotic spirit and celebrate our island’s independence.
Plus, we’ve categorised them all by location to help you find the ones closest to you.
Table of Contents
- National Day activities
- – Central –
- 1. Bay Discovery Trail
- 2. The Meadow at Gardens by the Bay
- 3. Bay celebration sites
- 4. National Museum celebrations
- 5. National Day in the Sky
- 6. Singapore Flyer’s An Ode to Singapore
- 7. Suntec City’s Together In Jubilee Joy
- – South –
- 8. Singapore Oceanarium
- 9. SingaPop!
- – East –
- 10. Changi Airport SG60 celebrations
- – North –
- 11. Mandai’s Wild about SG60
- – Bonus –
- 12. Celebrate @ Heartland events
| Event | Free/Paid | Pre-ticketing required? | Fireworks? |
| Bay Discovery Trail | Free (Paid attractions) | No | Yes |
| The Meadow @ Gardens by the Bay | Free | No | Yes |
| Gardens by the Bay Orchid Extravanganza | Paid | No | Yes |
| Bay celebration sites | Free | Yes | Yes |
| National Museum celebration | Free | No | No |
| National Day in the Sky | Paid | Yes | Yes |
| Singapore Flyer’s An Ode to Singapore | Paid | Yes | Yes |
| Singapore Oceanarium | Paid | No | No |
| SingaPop! | Paid | No | No |
| Changi Airport SG60 Celebrations | Free | No | No |
| Mandai’s Wild about SG60 | Paid | No | No |
| Celebrate @ Heartlands | Free | Yes | Yes |
– Central –
1. Bay Discovery Trail
Carnival games & activity stations
Image credit: @marinabaysg via Instagram
Soak in the atmosphere around Marina Bay as you embark on the Bay Discovery Trail. It’s an interactive walk that will feature booths and activities along the waterfront. Each zone will have plenty of pre-show entertainment and things to check out. The Activity Stations will feature handicrafts such as henna tattooing and traditional fan painting, as well as traditional games like chapteh, five stones, and gasing.
Participants will receive a Discovery Trail stamp card at each zone, and the first 5,000 who complete the trail can even redeem an NDP pack. No tickets needed, so all Singaporeans and members of the public are welcome to join.
Price: Free entry
Date: 2nd & 9th Aug 2025
Time: 10am-5pm
Venue: Around Clifford Pier and ArtScience Museum
Uncle Ringo Carnival will also be making a comeback as another Bay attraction. Expect games and rides, carnival snacks, and fun for the whole family at this nostalgic attraction.
The open event space will turn into a night bazaar come evening, where visitors can look forward to various food booths. It’s also a great spot to catch the fireworks while having a less expensive meal.
Price: Free entry & various paid attractions
Date: 25th Jul-10th Aug 2025
Time: Mon-Fri 5pm-10pm | Sat-Sun 2pm-10.30pm
Venue: Bayfront Event Space
Plus, look forward to street performances scattered at various locations in the area and the variety of bites at the food market. There’ll be a wide array of offerings from our local culinary culture, with a mix of traditional and modern dishes to try.
Date: 9th Aug 2025
Time: 10am-10pm
Venue: Below Bayfront Avenue (near MBS)
Find out more about the Bay Discovery Trail.
2. The Meadow at Gardens by the Bay
Interactive activities & special orchid display
Image credit: Gardens by the Bay
The celebrations will extend to Gardens by the Bay at The Meadow for SG60, which is 1 of the 5 satellite sites streaming the parade live. There will also be busking performances and a set by Singaporean youth jazz group, The Jazzlings.
Look forward to snack booths serving up local treats, plus nostalgic game zones and photo areas with giant sculptures of our national dishes. Also, if you register beforehand, you’ll be able to grab an NDP fun pack for yourself to bring home.
Price: Free
Date: 9th Aug 2025
Time: 4.15pm-9pm
Venue: The Meadow at Gardens by the Bay
Image credit: Gardens by the Bay
While you’re in the area, swing by the Flower Dome to check out the Orchid Extravaganza event, dedicated to our national flower. There, you’ll be able to admire a myriad of orchid varieties in different sizes, shapes, and colours.
Price: From $8/child | From $12/adult
Dates: 1st-31st Aug 2025
Time: 9am-9pm
Venue: Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay
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3. Bay celebration sites
Live telecast satellite sites
Image credit: NTUC
Alongside The Meadow at Gardens by the Bay, there are 4 other satellite sites for our NDP celebrations – The Promontory, Bayfront Event Space, Marina Barrage, and Singapore Sports Hub.
The former 2 required balloting for tickets, while the latter 2 are non-ticketed, where all members of the public can walk in to join in the festivities. If you have already registered beforehand, you’ll receive an NDP pack.
At these locations, you’ll be able to view the live NDP telecast and see key National Day highlights like the State Flag Flypast and the Jump of Unity by our Navy’s naval divers. Besides that, you can enjoy and participate in various interactive activities unique to each location, like mini golf at The Promontory and pre-parade live performances by various local artists such as ShiGGa Shay and Estelle Fly.
Price: Free
Date: 9th Aug 2025
Time: 2pm-9pm
Venue: Various
4. National Museum celebrations
LEGO-centred exhibition & activities
From now until 9th August, the SG60 National Day Celebrations at the National Museum will include a special facade light-up from 7.30pm until midnight, and their latest exhibition, Once Upon A Tide.
This year for SG60, there will also be the Stories of Singapore: Building Our Heritage, Brick by Brick showcase; it’s an exhibit that blends LEGO bricks and digital installations to depict various iconic Singaporean scenes of history and the present day. You’ll even get to build your own mini LEGO orchid to bring home as a memento of your SG60 museum visit.
The programme also includes plenty of fun activities across all levels of the museum – from heritage treasure hunts and thematic crafting activities to percussion performances and interactive photo booths.
Stories of Singapore: Building Our Heritage, Brick by Brick
Price: Free
Date: Now till 9th Aug 2025
Time: 10am-7pm
Venue: Stamford Gallery, Level 1, National Museum of Singapore
National Museum will also be launching a new permanent exhibition, Singapore Odyssea: A Journey Through Time, which is an interactive, multi-sensorial exhibition detailing 700 years of Singapore’s history. You’ll get to immerse yourself in Singapore’s past, present, and future stories through light and art installations.
Singapore Odyssea: A Journey Through Time
Price: Free entry & various paid activities
Date: From 8th Aug 2025
Time: 10am-7pm
Venue: National Museum of Singapore
Find out more about National Museum’s SG60 Celebrations.
5. National Day in the Sky
Fireworks display from the rooftops
Image credit: Marina Bay Sands
Get closer than ever to the celebrations with National Day in the Sky, where you can witness the ceremonial flypast and the fireworks show from the rooftops of MBS. Atop the Marina Bay Sands SkyPark, you’ll get a bird’s-eye view of the aerial display, the light projections happening across the city skyline, and the NDP livestream from the Padang.
Each ticket purchase will come with a complimentary drink and a special commemorative gift to take home after the NDP show.
Plus, if you’re a Sands LifeStyle member, you can enjoy a $10 discount on ticket prices. Simply log in to the Marina Bay Sands Mobile App, head to “My Offers”, and tap on “National Day in the Sky” to unlock your exclusive ticket rate.
Price: $96/pax
Date: 9th Aug 2025
Time: 5pm-9pm
Venue: Marina Bay Sands SkyPark Observation Deck
Find out more about National Day in the Sky.
6. Singapore Flyer’s An Ode to Singapore
Luxurious Ferris wheel dinner with Singaporean classics
Image credit: Singapore Flyer
Singapore Flyer is having its own celebration in honour of National Day with An Ode to Singapore. Priced at $600 per pair, enjoy a 90-minute 5-course meal at 165 Sky Dining on the giant observation wheel. The menu will feature reimagined Singaporean classics like Bak Kut Teh tortellini and Wagyu Steak with Har Cheong butter, along with a glass of premium champagne each.
Price: $600/couple
Date: 9th Aug 2025
Time: 7pm-8.30pm
Venue: Singapore Flyer
Contact: An Ode to Singapore website
7. Suntec City’s Together In Jubilee Joy
Nostalgic installation inspired by the dragon playground
Image credit: Suntec City
This National Day, Suntec City’s going all out for SG60 with a ton of nostalgic, heartwarming, and super fun activities. The highlight? A massive Eat, Play, Unite! Food Playground Challenge, where kids can slide down a giant Dragon Playground inflatable, dive into a chendol ball pit, and take on quirky hawker-themed games inspired by dishes like chicken rice and prata till 10th August.
You can also leave your mark on a digital mural of 600 wishes by local artist Ah Guo, and enjoy live music by Ben Hum, free ice cream, old-school games, and local brand pop-ups at Suntec Plaza’s outdoor party on 8th and 9th August. On top of all that, there are shopping perks and heritage showcases happening all around the mall.
Dates: Now till 31st August 2025
Venue: Suntec City Atrium, Tower 1 & 2
Contact: Suntec City website
– South –
8. Singapore Oceanarium
Underwater flag presentation
Image credit: Singapore Oceanarium
Our newly renovated Singapore Oceanarium (formerly S.E.A. Aquarium) has opened just in time for the National Day celebrations in August.
At 3.30pm, there will be an Underwater Flag Presentation done at the Open Ocean by the Oceanarium team. Plus, there will also be Singapore-themed attractions, like the Ties That Bind photo exhibition – an exploration of marine life as captured by Singaporean photographers. There’s also the Between Wonder and Waste SG60 exhibition and display, where visitors will learn about how human actions are intertwined with marine life via a unique mural experience.
Price: From $49/adult | $39/child
Date: 9th Aug 2025
Time: 10am-7pm
Venue: Singapore Oceanarium
9. SingaPop!
Pop culture exhibition by Dick Lee
Image adapted from: Marina Bay Sands
Curated by local cultural icon Dick Lee, SingaPop! is a multimedia exhibition celebrating 60 years of Singapore’s pop culture history. Explore 5 different zones in the exhibition, detailing the shared identities of our 4 races and all the things that make us Singaporean, from hawker centres to Singlish.
SingaWho? is a video experience featuring Dick Lee sharing anecdotes about the Singaporean identity, while RojakLane and RojakLand explore how our different communities blend and form our local multicultural identity. Next is SingaStories, a 360° projection display of Singapore’s pop culture evolution, and SingaVoices concludes with a tribute to Dick Lee’s iconic 1998 song Home.
Price: From $25/adult
Date: 2nd Aug-28th Dec 2025
Time: Sun-Thu 10am-7pm | Fri-Sat 10am-9pm
Venue: ArtScience Museum
Contact: SingaPop! website
– East –
10. Changi Airport SG60 celebrations
Jewel Changi Rain Vortex light & music showcase
Image credit: Changi Airport Group
The Changi Airport & Jewel SG60 Celebrations are also now underway, and the iconic Jewel Rain Vortex will be the venue for a special nightly Light & Music Showcase. Look forward to watercolour-style projections of iconic Singaporean landmarks, all set to the special SG60 edition of our beloved national tune Home.
Price: Free
Date: 2nd-31st Aug 2025
Time: 8pm, 9pm, 10pm
Venue: Jewel Changi Airport
Horticultural display at Changi Airport
Image credit: Changi Airport Group
Also, there will be several horticultural displays across the airport. While Terminal 3 features a 270 sqm floral garden with rare orchids, Terminal 2 will have a 6m-tall floral Merlion created using 60 types of plants. Among other floral displays, there will be over 1,200 red and white orchids in bloom at Jewel Changi, including the special hybrid Dendrobium Changi Airport.
Price: Free
Date: 1st-31st Aug 2025
Time: All day
Venue: Various locations in Changi Airport
– North –
11. Mandai’s Wild about SG60
Memories of the past & cute animal inflatables
Image adapted from: Mandai Wildlife Reserve
You can also indulge your inner zoophile and check out Mandai’s Wild about SG60 event. All across the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, scattered around Singapore Zoo, River Wonders, Bird Paradise, and Night Safari, these nostalgic photopoints capture iconic moments of Singapore’s history.
There are also adorable, larger-than-life animal inflatables at the Singapore Zoo, River Wonders, and the Mandai Wildlife WEST Event Lawn. If you head down for a visit, be sure to snap a commemorative picture with them.
Price: From $49/adult | $34/child
Date: Now till 31st Aug 2025
Opening hours: Varies for each attraction
Venue: Mandai Wildlife Reserve
– Bonus –
12. Celebrate @ Heartland events
National Day celebrations in your neighbourhood
Image credit: NDP
NDP will also have Celebrate @ Heartland events, which will be held on 10th August, the day after National Day. This year, there will be festivities in 5 locations: at open fields near Bishan MRT station, One Punggol, FutsalArena @ Yishun, Wisma Geylang Serai, and Bukit Gombak ActiveSG stadium.
Entry is free but ticketed, and each of these sites will enjoy various events such as the Mobile Column army vehicle drive-past and display, live performances, carnival activities, and fireworks and drone shows.
Price: Free
Date: 10th Aug 2025
Time: 4pm-9pm
Venue: Various
Contact: Celebrate @ Heartland website
Check out these National Day activities to show your love for Singapore
Just because you didn’t get tickets for NDP doesn’t mean you can’t join in on the festivities – there’s plenty to do around Singapore in celebration of our nation’s independence. If you don’t want to watch the parade on your TV at home, head on out and check out what it’s like to celebrate NDP somewhere unique this year.
For more NDP reads:
For more bite-sized content on things to do in Singapore, check out @tslnuggets on IG.
Cover image adapted from: Gardens by the Bay
Photography by Adriel Ang.