This year, you’ll probably be seeing lots of posters, banners and decorations with an “SG60” logo on them. That’s because we are celebrating 60 years of Singapore’s independence this year. There’s so much to celebrate if we may say so ourselves—from freedom, prosperity, harmony, safety, and stability.
Have you recently arrived in Singapore and want to join the SG60 National Day celebrations? They're certainly picking up in momentum as 9 August draws nearer.
You’ve come to the right place. This guide is the best place to start, covering everything you need to know about celebrating National Day on 9 August. Prep your red-and-white outfits, charge up those portable fans and cooling devices, and let’s get celebrating!
National Day is a huge deal in Singapore. It’s perhaps one of the biggest public holidays you’ll experience when you’re here.
Every year, the nation celebrates its independence from Malaysia on 9 August. The occasion is marked as a Public Holiday so that everyone, from the youngest to the oldest, can celebrate!
Public spaces, malls, office buildings, and residential neighbourhoods are decked out in red-and-white lights and decorations. The national flag is unfurled and proudly displayed on the balconies of many homes.
In the weeks leading up to 9 August, there’s plenty to do and see around the island to get into the spirit of things. Think live concerts, themed displays, community activities, and even free admission to museums.
On the day itself, you can catch the National Day Parade on television or head to a vantage point to enjoy the fireworks live.
This year, Singapore celebrates 60 years of independence. It’s a major milestone in our country’s short but colourful history.
SG60 is the national campaign to celebrate this in 2025. “SG’ stands for the common abbreviation of Singapore used both locally and internationally, and “60” is for 60 amazing years.
To mark this milestone celebration, Singapore will celebrate its 60th birthday throughout 2025. There's a year-long SG60-themed programming for all sectors of the community. SG60 programmes aim to connect Singaporeans, partner with each other to build the Singapore they hope to live in, and show care to one another.
The theme for the SG60 celebrations is Building Our Singapore Together. Singapore residents can celebrate our collective nation-building efforts over the years. This is made possible by our shared values of multiculturalism, boldness, resilience, and openness.
National Day is all about the National Day Parade, also known as the biggest party Singapore throws every year on 9 August.
If you can't join the parade, fret not. From mid-July, the entire country gears up for the big day in the weeks leading up to National Day. Everywhere you go, you’ll see lights and banners in national colours—red and white, with the crescent moon and five stars.
Seeing the flags flying high in the weeks leading up to National Day is a rare sight here in Singapore. This is because, up until recently, it was a chargeable offence to display the Singapore flag outside of the National Day period.
You’re also likely to hear the heartwarming tunes of patriotic songs playing at community centres and spaces, and malls. Even when getting into a Private Hire Vehicle (PHVs).
Every year, a theme song is released and added to the repertoire of National Day songs, which span decades to date. Some of the most iconic songs you’ll hear are:
Listen to these for yourself on the official National Day YouTube channel.
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Shops and businesses will also run promotions to commemorate Singapore’s birthday. You'll see plenty of discounts, sales and limited-edition Singapore-themed merchandise or food.
While you won’t be able to watch the National Day Parade live this year, there’s still plenty you can do to celebrate and soak in the patriotic vibes of Singapore’s biggest annual party.
Here are seven things you can do to get into the spirit of celebrating 60 years of tiny-but-mighty Singapore and how far we’ve come.
With an aspirational theme like “Building Our Singapore Together”, how can you not participate in Singapore’s birthday community celebrations?
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The People’s Association (PA) is the national statutory board which oversees all neighbourhood community groups and social organisations. Through their network of Community Centres, Residents’ Networks and Citizens’ Consultative Committees, they've organised a whole year’s worth of community activities to celebrate SG60.
There are also smaller-scale neighbourhood National Day parties going on at the local community clubs in the lead-up to 9 August.
On top of this, there are five sites where you can experience some of the National Day festivities on 10 August. Each site has its own unique celebration theme.
From your heartland neighbourhood, you’ll be able to see first-hand military and police vehicle convoys, live performances and carnival games. You can even catch an impressive array of fireworks to end the evening.
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While you can’t watch the National Day Parade live at the Padang, you can certainly catch the full Parade on livestream from the comfort of your home. It’s available to watch for free on the official National Day YouTube channel, NDPeeps.
You can also catch up on the past years’ National Day Parades on the channel to give you an idea of what you’ll be watching on 9 August!
Singaporeans wear their patriotism on their sleeves to show their love for Singapore on 9 August. Just look around you and you’ll see many people dressed in the national colours of red and white.
Many clothing stores in malls will be hopping onto the National Day bandwagon. You’ll see red and white clothing displayed as well as special sales promotions. Use this as an opportunity to grab some red and white items and wear them again next year.
You can also hang a Singapore flag outside your home balcony, window, or gate to mark National Day.
Only Singapore Residents and Permanent Residents (PRs) are officially allowed to collect a free flag from the Community Centres, Residents’ Networks or the NDP Shop on the Shopee online platform. You can, however, ask a local if they have an extra flag to lend you so you can hang one outside your home, too.
Take note of the following guidelines for displaying the Singapore flag:
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To celebrate National Day, many Singaporean restaurants and eateries offer creative Singapore-inspired dishes. These dishes are often limited-edition creations of local favourite flavours that pop up in July and August. For example:
Even Michelin-starred restaurants are in on the action:
Many other eateries offer generous promotions of 60% in these two months, to celebrate SG60.
We weren’t kidding when we said that eating is one of Singapore’s favourite pastimes.
With 60 years of history, there are plenty of National Day songs for you to learn and enjoy. To be more accurate, the Singapore government only began commissioning National songs with a strong patriotic slant starting from the 1980s. The very first National Day song, Stand Up For Singapore, was released in 1984. This was to encourage nation-building efforts in the early years and to foster a sense of solidarity and shared identity among Singaporeans.
We recommend hopping over to the official National Day Parade YouTube channel, NDPeeps, to browse some of the National Day songs released in the last twenty years in the “NDP Theme Songs” playlist.
Once you’ve gotten acquainted with the patriotic jingles of Singapore, put your newfound knowledge to the test at any of the satellite NDP sites. You can sing along with great gusto as you watch the Parade being livecast on huge screens among fellow Singapore residents.
Tip: Chanting “We are Singapore, we are Singapore, we will stand together, hear the lion roar” will never go wrong!
Here’s where you can catch the livecast Parade on 9 August for free, no tickets or registration required!
There’ll also be other interactive experiences and carnival activities going on to keep the party spirits high. Be sure to head over early to grab a nice spot for the evening. The livecast starts at 5.30 pm, but you can enter anytime before that.
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The Singapore National flag comprises two horizontal sections:
The symbols on the top red section have the following meaning:
Tickets to watch the National Day Parade in Singapore are made available to Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents every year by ballot on the NDP website. You may also choose to apply to watch some of the preview Parades, which are full runs of the actual Parade and include fireworks too.
As an expat, you won’t be eligible to apply for the tickets yourself, but you may be lucky enough to have some local friends who will invite you.
As tickets are limited, there are also several satellite sites for you to catch a livecast of the Parade from, and join fellow Singaporeans who show up in throngs in their red-and-white best.
Heard lots about how the National Day fireworks are a must-watch? Here are some free spots for you to park yourself at to catch the beautiful National Day firework display:
The fireworks typically start to light up the Singapore night sky from 7.30 pm onwards. Grab your phones and prep your cameras if you want to get some gorgeous snaps.
Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents are eligible to redeem a free flag from the Shopee online platform or from their nearest Community Centre or Residents’ Network. As an expat, you can't. You can always ask a local friend if they have a spare flag to lend you so you can show your love for Singapore on her birthday.
Take note of the guidelines to display the Singapore National Flag properly. Please remember to take the Flag down by 30 September.
These small flags are perfect for waving around while at the Satellite sites watching the Parade on livecast! Grab these at supermarkets like NTUC FairPrice and Cold Storage, household stores like Daiso or Japan Home, or online at Shopee or Amazon.
Heard the strains of this year’s National Day song, Here We Are, on the radio lately, and find yourself crooning to the soothing melody?
“Here we are
No matter the weather
Through the storms and changes
Wave your flag in the sun”
Us too! Singapore residents truly look forward to every year’s new National Day song release, adding to the repertoire of patriotic songs that celebrate Singapore. While some Singaporeans bemoan the quality of recent songs and like to proclaim that the best songs were from yesteryear, the new songs are still very much loved and enjoyed by many.
Listen to more National Day songs on the NDPeeps YouTube channel, or on Spotify.
All Singapore government schools celebrate National Day with a National Day concert on 8 August, with an early dismissal on the day. Students and teachers will come together to perform skits, dances, and songs on this day. Everyone is strongly encouraged to go to school in their red-and-white t-shirts.
Yes, 9 August is the National Day Public Holiday.
If it falls on a Saturday, the coming Monday will be a school holiday too. Some companies also declare Monday a holiday after the Sunday celebration. If it falls on a Sunday, the coming Monday is a nationwide Public Holiday too.
No, you may not. Setting off fireworks is prohibited in Singapore under the Dangerous Fireworks Act.
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