What to do on National Day in Singapore + fireworks

Singapore National Day (9 August) is approaching again. This year, we’re commemorating SG60 – 60 years of nation building – with a variety of things to do! In other good news, fireworks will light up the sky in five different heartland locations – which means you don’t have to fight for a good spot at Marina Bay for a view of them! From a rundown of the National Day Parade and where to watch the fireworks for free, to what to do on National Day, we’ve got you covered.

#1 Watch the National Day parade fireworks from JW Marriott Singapore South Beach

The best views of the fireworks from the JW Marriott Singapore South Beach are from the Flow18 Sky Garden or the Premier Marina Bay Rooms.

There’s a special ‘Celebrate SG60: Stay and Wine with Janice Wong Chocolates’ package. Besides daily breakfast for two and $60 in-room dining credits for the stay, there’s also an exclusive Bon Bon and Wine Pairing Flight Experience at Janice Wong. This includes three barrel-shaped bon bons – respectively infused with basil lemon, banana palm sugar and pandan gula melaka – paired with different wines. This package is available until 31 August 2025 on Tuesdays to Saturdays at $519 per room per night.

#2 Get the best view of the National Day parade fireworks from The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore

The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore has arguably the best views of Marina Bay and the fireworks of the National Day Parade 2025. This year, guests who have a number six in their date of birth will receive a complimentary upgrade to the next category when they book the SG60 room package . Those born in 1965 will receive an upgrade to the next room tier.

Besides daily breakfast for two at Colony and guaranteed late check-out until 3pm, guests can expect other mementoes. These include handcrafted ceramic tile coasters commemorating Singapore’s Peranakan heritage, artisanal chocolate pralines inspired by local flavours, a bottle of champagne, and a limited-edition lion plushie dressed in a chef’s uniform paying tribute to Singapore’s vibrant food culture.

#3 SG60 weekend staycation deal at Aloft Singapore Novena

Running through to 31 December 2025, the weekend staycation deal at Aloft Singapore Novena is a full board package – daily breakfast, buffet lunch and buffet dinner for two – only for Singapore Residents. It also includes Shaw movie vouchers for two, which can be used at the Zhongshan Mall, just steps away from the hotel.

#4 Sit down to a Locally Yours Afternoon Tea at The Marmalade Pantry

In celebration of Singapore’s 60th birthday, The Marmalade Pantry presents Locally Yours. This is a limited-time afternoon tea set available from 1 August to 31 October 2025. The set features locally inspired sweet and savoury bites, such as Beef Rendang Waffles, Laksa Yong Tau Pok, Teh Tarik Cupcakes, and Milo Panna Cotta, served with two pots of tea. Priced at $78 for two, the set is available daily from 3pm to 6pm at all outlets for dine-in and takeaway. Also available during August is the SG60 Cupcake Box ($42), which includes six cupcakes in nostalgic local flavours. The box is available for online order only, with a minimum three-day lead time.

#5 Dining at Marina Bay at The Westin Singapore

If you’re a foodie looking for things to do on National Day at Marina Bay, head to The Westin Singapore. The Seafood Buffet Dinner at Seasonal Tastes costs $60 for a group of four, if one diner is born in 1965. Don’t have someone born in 1965? The same buffet dinner is available at $60 per person and includes free-flow soft drinks and one alcoholic beverage. This offer is valid until 31 August, from Mondays to Thursdays.

If you prefer a cheese burger instead, Cook & Brew gastropub has a Stack Up for 60 promotion where your second cheeseburger is only $0.60. This promotion runs until 9 August on Mondays to Saturdays, from 6pm to 10pm.

#6 Watch the National Day Parade 2025

The National Day Parade 2025 is happening at the Padang and Promontory @ Marina Bay. You can watch it on TV or hang around the area. The theme for this year’s parade is “Majulah Singapura”, commemorating Singapore’s 60th year of independence, its national progress and unity.

Keep an eye out for the inaugural “Jump of Unity” before the parade kicks off. The Red Lions will parachute at the Padang while Republic of Singapore Navy divers will land at Marina Bay, making it a symbolic display of unity across land and sea.

The State-Flag flypast, carried by a formation of a Chinook and two Apache helicopters, and 21-gun Salute to the Nation are the key highlights of every National Day Parade. After those, the highly anticipated F16 fighter jets flypast is scheduled to happen around 6.50pm.

To commemorate SG60, there will be a special aerial tribute by the Republic of Singapore Air Force. Additionally, the Mobile Column returns to the Padang since 2019 with a showcase of air, land and maritime assets from the Singapore Armed Forces, Home Team and Maritime Port Authority of Singapore. Expect lively performances, water floats, and a dazzling fireworks and light show across the city skyline to close out the night.

This year, the festivities are expanded to the Marina Bay area. There will be interactive booths, activities and carnival games during the day. The parade will be screened live through large LED screens at the Merlion Park, Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza and the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre. Head to these spots early to secure a good spot by the waterfront. Information regarding activities and details can be found here.

#7 View the Marina Bay fireworks for free

The fireworks display at the end of the National Day Parade will take place on 9 August, between 8.10pm and 8.25pm. Looking for where to watch the fireworks at Marina Bay without going to a restaurant. Here are some options.

Given their proximity to the show, the Helix Bridge, Benjamin Sheares Bridge, the Esplanade, the Marina Bay Sands boardwalk and the Merlion Park are hotspots for free viewing. The flip side is that these spots tend to get crowded. If you’re looking for exciting things to do during National Day in Singapore, arriving early can make all the difference in securing a prime viewing spot.

Another recommended location to catch the fireworks is the Marina Bay Promontory. Enjoy a picnic while taking in views of MBS, the fireworks display and the whole CBD area in its glory. Marina Barrage is also a good picnic spot, with the rooftop garden an excellent place from which to admire the skyline and the fireworks.

Don’t mind being a bit further away to avoid the crowd? Faber Peak is a great vantage point for enjoying the show while leaving the hordes behind. The Bay East Garden at Gardens by the Bay doesn’t have the best accessibility but once you’re there and set up, you can sit back in the natural surroundings and wait for the show to begin.

#8 Enjoy activities at the National Museum

Wondering what to do on National Day other than watch the fireworks? The National Museum has a number of SG60-themed activities that give you a deeper insight into Singapore.

• Watch a live telecast of the National Day Parade on the front lawn, under the museum’s iconic banyan tree. Bring your own mats and have a picnic from 5.30pm onwards.
• Catch the light projection on the museum’s facade, showing from now until National Day itself.
• Rediscover Singapore’s 700-year history through Singapore Odyssea at the Shaw Foundation Glass Rotunda. The new multimedia showcase blends light, art and interactive storytelling for an immersive experience through seascapes and dioramas of key moments that shaped Singapore’s past, present and future. This runs from 8 August onwards.
• Once Upon a Tide is a special exhibition running until 9 October, 2026. It traces Singapore’s evolution from a Malay port settlement to a world-renowned global city, through the lens of the country’s rivers and seas.
• Contribute to a one-of-a-kind Lego mural that aims to become the largest Lego mural ever created in Singapore for the Singapore Book of Records.
• Participate in a Lego Make & Take activity to build your very own mini Lego orchid to take home.
• Contribute to Digital River Stories using your mobile device. The digital colouring artworks will join an ever-evolving interactive digital wall.
• Go on a heritage hunt that highlights pivotal moments in Singapore’s path to independence.
• Engage in activities that spotlight cultural keystones such as the kopi and kaya toast breakfast, and Singlish.
• These activities run from 18 July to 10 August, 2025. Admission is free for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents.

#9 Watch some local shows

A day off on National Day is great for binge-watching your favourite shows. Here are some top ones recommended by our readers and staff. Or check out some Singaporean productions on Netflix such as I Not Stupid, Ah Boys To Men and Growing Up.

#10 Join the Heartland Celebrations

The festivities will continue on 10 August from 4pm to 9pm in the heartlands. According to the NDP website, these will be the locations for this year’s celebrations:

• ⁠Central Singapore District – open field beside Bishan Junction 8
• North East District – open field next to One Punggol
• ⁠North West District – open field next to FutsalArena @ Yishun⁠
• South East District – open field beside Wisma Geylang Serai
• ⁠South West District – Bukit Gombak ActiveSG stadium

At these sites, you can:

• catch the Red Lions descent into the Bishan locati0n at 4pm;
• watch four F-16 fighters fly in a diamond formation over the various locations from 6pm to 6,30pm;
• engage in a variety of family-friendly activities;
• watch performances by community groups;
• participate in games at a carnival; and
• watch fireworks.

#11 Arts in the neighbourhoods

The PAssionArts Festival 2025 will unfold across more than 60 festival villages from July to September 2025. Themed ‘Our Neighbourhood Gems’, residents in each part of Singapore are invited to explore and celebrate the distinctive character of their neighbourhoods. They’ll also come together to create large-scale art installations as part of the Giant Delight SG60 Edition. These will debut at the National Day Heartland Celebrations, on 10 August.

Other highlights planned by the various Community Arts and Culture Clubs include:

• SG60 Concert at Tampines Central on 2 August
• Giant Peranakan shoes and Peranakan-inspired house at Marine Parade on 3 August
• Giant birdcage art installation created by residents and artist Fish Jaffar at Kebun Baru on 10 August
• The Heartland Express community-built installation at Bukit Timah on 16 August
• Seletar-Serangoon Music Festival on 26 July spotlighting pop, rock, jazz and
• Dance groups presented by tertiary schools

#12 Celebrate Singapore’s rich heritage at Bras Basah.Bugis (BBB) precinct

The BBB precinct is running a special edition of National Day Activations (NDAV) to celebrate SG60. This year’s theme, Celebrating Our Island, is a vibrant tribute to Singapore’s rich heritage of food, flora, fauna, place and culture. This NDAV will cast a spotlight on Sungei Beras Bassa, the historic river that once nourished the nutmeg plantations in the precinct and gave it its name. Explore light activations and vibrant experiential zones at the National Museum of Singapore (1 to 9 August), Reflection Pool @ Bras Basah MRT Station, Fortune Centre’s digital billboard, Stamford Walkway, St Joseph’s Church, Ten Square’s digital billboard and The Cathay. More details at heritage.sg/brasbasahbugis.

#13 Build with LEGO until National Day

Running until 9 August in the Stamford Gallery at the National Museum are two Lego activations. The first is Singapore’s largest LEGO mural built with 265,743 LEGO bricks. It depicts a row of nostalgic shophouses echoing the early days of Singapore’s bustling commerce in the 1960s. It’s officially recognised by the Singapore Book of Records, and visitors are invited to add the final bricks to it.

Meanwhile, the nation’s history is told through LEGO creations in the Stories of Singapore: Building Our Heritage, Brick by Brick. The colourful showcase features a large-scale 3D hawker man model, and iconic Singapore landmarks such as the Changi Airport Control Tower and bumboats along the Singapore River. It also features builds of beloved local dishes like Hainanese chicken rice, chilli crab and the famous Singaporean breakfast, kaya butter toast with soft boiled eggs. You can also build your very own mini LEGO Orchid as a commemorative SG60 memento to take home.

Selected highlights will then make their way to the NEX Atrium from 12 to 31 August. There will be a pop-up featuring part of the mural and displays such as the SG60 Minifigure model and the Merlion model. Families can also enjoy hands-on activities including a Dragon Playground Make & Take activity at the weekends.

For more information, visit lego.com/en-sg.

#14 Go on an art trail

Fiidaa Art marks SG60 with 28 Frames, an exhibition of 28 artworks by four Singapore-based contemporary artists, namely, Nicolas Damiens, Jays Phua, Charles Wong and Ling Yang Change. The selected artworks are exhibited in transitional and communal spaces of The Working Capitol at Keong Saik and Ann Siang. Visitors are encouraged to go on a self-guided art trail where they can reflect on identity, place and imagination. Open on weekdays until 30 September.

#15 View Postcard Stories at One Fullerton

If you’re attending the National Day Parade, stop by this pop-up installation at One Fullerton’s Seaview Channel. It features 32 metres of hand-painted murals in hues of old murals. Together, they recreate nostalgic scenes of the precinct, telling vivid stories of Singapore’s evolving landscape. The installation invites visitors to spot familiar present-day icons hidden within unfamiliar, bygone scenes depicted in old postcards.  This is a special collaboration between Singaporean artist Yip Yew Chong and The Fullerton Heritage, which runs until 30 September.

#16 Discover what Singapore Presidents read

Past and present Singapore Presidents have contributed their favourite reads to the first ever Presidential Pop-up Library. Located at Plaza Singapura’s outdoor plaza, there are over 20 selected titles that are available for borrowing as e-books. Find out what is recommended reading from Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, and former Presidents Madam Halimah Yacob and Dr Tony Tan.

#17 Trace the evolution of Singapore pop culture

Discover how diverse groups of immigrants have contributed to a culture that’s distinctly Singaporean through SingaPop! Through five chapters, this multimedia exhibition explores how the varied influences have blended into one shared identity. Visitors can take a nostalgic trip through the eras to see, hear and feel the nation’s cultural heartbeat from the youthful swinging 1960’s to the digital dynamism of 2020’s. The exhibition at the ArtScience Museum runs from 1 August to 28 December, 2025.

#18 Catch the Nanyang Breakfast Club SG60 Exhibition

Step into the delicious world of Singapore’s iconic breakfast at this travelling SG60 exhibition, supported by the National Heritage Board and Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations.

Running across malls, schools and libraries till September 2025 – and wrapping up at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) from September to November 2025 – this interactive showcase celebrates the beloved Nanyang breakfast: kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs and kopi.

Explore the rich multicultural roots of this morning staple, discover how kopitiams became community hubs, and enjoy a nostalgic bite of Singapore’s heritage.

#19 Book your seat for the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) National Day Concert

The 8th SSO National Day Concert celebrates Singapore’s 60th birthday with a showcase of Singapore’s composers and musical artists, including saxophonist Lin Chien-Kwan and violinist Jonathan Ong. The concert will take place on 16 August from 7.30pm to 8.30pm at the Esplanade Concert Hall.

#20 Visit the SG60 Exhibition: 60 Prominent Cultural Figures from the Chinese Community

The Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC), in collaboration with the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCCI) and the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA), has unveiled a year-long SG60 cultural calendar, kicking off with the 60 Prominent Cultural Figures from the Chinese Community exhibition.

Running until 30 November 2025 at SCCC and Singapore Conference Hall, the exhibition honours pioneers across academia, commerce, the arts, and media who made significant contributions to Singapore’s cultural landscape.

#21 Taste the “The Heart of SG60 Culinary Series” at Café Quenino

In honour of Singapore’s 60th birthday, Café Quenino at Artyzen Singapore has launched The Heart of SG60, a six-month culinary series celebrating the nation’s flavours, stories and culinary icons. Running from May to October, this rotating chef-and-brand showcase invites diners to rediscover Singapore’s diverse food culture through collaborative, limited-time menus. June brings a nostalgic twist as heritage bakery Chin Mee Chin – celebrating its 100th anniversary – serves a reimagined Hainanese beef brisket with creamy mash.

#22 Toast to SG60 at The Whisper Room

Also launching 1 August is the third volume of the Afternoon Tea at Lobby Bar. Choose between Shophouse Stories ($60) and Little Red Dot ($88), two curated sets that give classic Singaporean flavours a modern twist – think kaya honeycomb, sambal lobster, and pandan cheesecake.
Check out more things to do in Singapore, or read one of these handy roundups:

Where to go for a local breakfast
Wet markets in Singapore