We celebrate SG60 this year, and my, look how far Singapore has come. 60 years of independence, of nationhood, and of growth. Just ask any baby boomer who has seen the country really grow from kampung to metropolis. And it’s not just people who have brought us this far – it’s the buildings too.
Some still stand, while others have made way for new structures, marking the passage of our 60 years. One of these is our National Stadium – now a part of the Singapore Sports Hub – a building that has witnessed highs, lows, and everything in between from the beginning of its storied past.
Image credit: Simone Lam via Facebook
Technically, the idea of a National Stadium was born way before Singapore gained independence in 1965. It came about post-World War 2, when a respectable sporting stadium that could host national and international events seemed like it would help the nation build a sense of national pride.
The search for a suitable site took us through the 1950s, before the Kallang Park location was chosen due to its proximity to other sports facilities such as the Badminton Hall on Guillemard Road.
Image credit: Simone Lam via Facebook
However, it wasn’t until post-1965 that these plans took a grander turn – thanks to Minister for Culture and Social Affairs Othman Wok, who argued that this stadium needed to be a legit Olympic-sized one. As the President of the Singapore Olympics and Sports Council, he believed that we needed a proper facility to attract global interest, and even Singaporeans, to be more invested in sports.
With 8 running lanes, a full-sized football field, and air-conditioned squash courts, and the capacity to fit 50,800 people, this National Stadium was top of its class when it opened in 1973, hosting the legendary Muhammad Ali, who fought a 5-round exhibition bout there, that very year.
Fun fact: the National Stadium was built not just with the blood and sweat of our forefathers, but also the financial “help” of many a Singaporean through Singapore Pools – a large part of its funding was courtesy of proceeds from lottery games, the Singapore Sweep, and TOTO. So yes, most of us can probably say the stadium was “my grandfather build one”.
As with all things, The Grand Old Dame of Kallang aged as Singapore’s needs grew, and so redeveloping the National Stadium became necessary in time.
Image credit: Singapore Sports Hub
Instead of the single structure that it was before, the Singapore Sports Hub today comprises a total of 9 venues: the National Stadium, Singapore Indoor Stadium, OCBC Arena, OCBC Aquatic Centre, Water Sports Centre, Kallang Wave Mall, the Singapore Sports Museum, as well as the Kallang Tennis Hub and Kallang Football Hub – a massive integrated venue for all kinds of international sport and entertainment, a sports museum, and even commercial spaces with retail and dining options.
One element that makes the new stadium so versatile is its retractable tier of seats, which allow the pitch to accommodate all sorts of events from football and rugby to concerts and community events, making it truly a space for one and all.
Image credit: Skyscanner
The Singapore Sports Hub, with its brand new National Stadium, continues to be a source of pride for Singapore, with a 312m-wide, free-spanning dome that you won’t find anywhere else in the world, and a retractable roof embedded with 20,000 LED lights that can turn it into a gigantic screen visible from both within and outside the stadium.
Complementing all that is a world-first bowl cooling system, pumping cool air at 23°C from underneath all of the seats and using less than 15% of the energy that would have been required to air-condition the entire 55,000-seater arena.
Image credit: Singapore Sports Hub
In spite of everything that’s new at the Singapore Sports Hub, the old National Stadium still lives on IRL – the timber seats from the former stadium were preserved, and have been re-made into 14 unique installations that can be found around the Singapore Sports Hub.
Where the former stadium was a place for sports and entertainment, the Singapore Sports Hub carries on that spirit in a repackaged, and upgraded form – with spaces for anyone and everyone to enjoy, bringing communities together in its shared space.
Image credit: Singapore Sports Hub
The lead-up to 9th August 2025 has been one full of festivities, and the Singapore Sports Hub is celebrating it with a big, big bang in the form of Majulah Fiesta 2025 – a weekend of activities for everyone.
Starting 8th August, there’s AL!VE Artisans Market, on The Lawn at Kallang Wave Mall, featuring more than 20 brands both local and international.
Then, on Singapore’s 60th, everyone’s invited to the Majulah Fiesta Fitness Party, before the live screening of NDP2025. Watch the flypast of Chinooks with thousands of other spectators, and be dazzled by the finale fireworks display over the Kallang Basin.
P.S. You can even get your hands on this year’s NDP Pack – sign up on the Majulah Fiesta website, or head down to the Sports Hub early. There will be a whole line-up of live music at the Majulah Music Hub, co-presented with the Music Drama Company, dance performances and games running from 1pm-9.30pm that day, so nobody will be left bored.
Even your furry companions won’t be left out, with the Good Pet Fair | Kampong Edition that’ll keep the party going till 10th August. There’ll be more than 70 booths at the 100PLUS Promenade with exclusive merch, and your doggy pals can take part in Flyball for dogs, a relay race that tests their speed and agility. Besides workshops, and talks for pet owners including one on physiotherapy for your canine friends, you can also speak to representatives from local animal welfare groups, who will be exhibiting at the fair. And dress your pets up to impress, because there’s a Best Dressed Pets Parade, with prizes to be won.
The Singapore Sports Hub hosts sporting events and concerts throughout the year, and upcoming ones include the FIBA Intercontinental Cup, Blackpink, and Jacky Cheung. There are also community activities like Harmony Fest 2025, year-end countdown celebrations, and daily experience sports sessions that are free for all. It is truly a shared space for people of all ages, interests, and communities. She has many more years ahead – memory-making, milestone-achieving years – that will continue to see generations of Singaporeans through the decades to come.
This post was brought to you by Singapore Sports Hub.
Cover image adapted from: Light Circles, Roots
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