SINGAPORE — For the first time at this year’s National Day Parade (NDP), participants will be given LED wristbands to wear that will light up in tandem with the show's performances.

The automated wristbands will turn on during some of the performances, such that the spectators become part of the acts and collectively create visual displays.

The parade, held at the Padang this year, is expecting 27,000 people in the audience on Aug 9, not including the preview shows.

Supporting the panoramic and synchronised light displays will be 50 light trusses or column structures that surround the spectator stands at the Padang.

About 2,700 performers, decked out in vibrant costumes and accompanied by giant props — including a 6m-tall metallic lion — will be involved in the show segment of the parade.

Themed “Our Singapore”, the show will have a prologue and six acts that tell Singapore’s story from the past to present. 

Colonel Lim Han Yong, chairman of the show committee, said at a media preview on Wednesday (July 3) that the show will not only “look back on our past” but also “look forward to our future and dreams ahead”.

“We will also celebrate our values of unity, resilience and the courage to dream. These values have defined Singaporeans over generations,” he said.

This year’s show attracted more than 2,300 youth participants, which is a higher number than usual. The youngest performer this year is aged six and the oldest is 75.

Apart from NDP favourites such as the Red Lions parachutists, veteran Singaporean singers such as Clement Chow, Rahimah Rahim and Jacintha Abisheganaden will also be there to perform.

The audience will get to sing along to popular NDP tunes such as Stand Up For Singapore, Count On Me Singapore and this year’s National Day theme song, Our Singapore.

Musician and composer Dick Lee, the creative director of this year’s show, said that with advancements in technology, it is “increasingly challenging to meet people’s expectations”.

He has been involved in the NDP show for the sixth time this year and told reporters that it is “always a bit stressful to put up a show”.

“We want (the celebration to feel) the same, because it is familiar, it is reassuring. And I feel that when I try to innovate too many things, I might lose the audience, just in an effort to ‘up’ the game.

“I’m not saying that it’s the same as the others, but it has to have a feeling of familiarity,” he said.

Here is a glimpse into what are being showcased in four of the six acts from the show: 

Act 3: “Our River” celebrates Singapore’s rich multicultural heritage, featuring performers in their ethnic costumes alongside giant puppets, dancing to traditional ethnic music. This act highlights the need to draw strength from diversity.

Act 4: “Our Nation” explores four stories of different Singaporeans who have shown resilience and courage in overcoming fears and adversities. This is to highlight the need for people to come together to surmount challenges and to build an inclusive and caring society. 

There will be 600 youth participants from the Singapore Soka Association performing with drums that will light up in synchrony with the spectators’ LED wristbands. 

Act 5: “Our Dreams” will feature Singaporeans across generations, to show how the dreams of the pioneer generation are realised today. It also explores the important role Singaporeans play today as the “pioneers” of the future. The audience can look forward to a futuristic and spectacular laser show.  

Act 6: “Our Singapore”, the finale of the show, tells how the next generation has a duty to continue building the nation.