Singapore’s National Day (9 August) is approaching again. This year, we’re commemorating 61 years of nation building – with a variety of things to do! From a rundown of the National Day Parade to where to watch the fireworks for free, what to do in August to celebrate and dining deals, we’ve got you covered.
#1 Watch the National Day Parade 2026
The National Day Parade 2026 is happening at the National Stadium. You can watch it on TV or hang around the area. The theme for this year’s parade is “Majulah Singapura, Go Beyond!”. It acts as a call for Singapore citizens to do better for Singapore and Singaporeans, and to show care and concern for one another and our wider community.
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 F-16 fighter jets flypast is scheduled to happen around 6.50pm.
About NDP 2026
This year’s production will be staged on a show platform spanning the length of a football field that’s integrated with aerial elements, stage lifts and multimedia displays. The Show segment unfolds across five chapters with a line-up of performers including pop icon Najip Ali, Mando-pop singer Ric Liu, Carnatic singer Sushma Soma, rising EDM star Jasmine Sokko, multi-talented artist Iman Fandi, and pop-soul singer Gareth Fernandez. Joining them are over 2,000 performers from various organisations, including the People’s Association, MOE schools and SOKA Gakkai Singapore.
There are many firsts in this year’s parade.
One of these is the Parade entry and exit of civilian contingents through the spectator aisles across the National Stadium. This brings the contingents closer to spectators, who become part of the parade. It symbolises Singapore’s journey as one united people with a shared purpose.
In a first for the Parade ceremony, participants from the civilian contingents will be interspersed within the Parade formation. This reinforces how Singapore is strengthened through the collective contributions of individuals, communities and sectors from all walks of life.
Look out too, for the first-ever indoor drone light show at a National Parade, and the largest indoor special effects presentation to date, which is more than two times larger than past displays.
#2 View the National Day Parade 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 the National Stadium without going to a restaurant? Here are some options.
Given their proximity to the show, the Kallang Basin Lookout Deck, Stadium Riverside Walk, Tanjong Rhu Promenade and Kallang Riverside Park will be hotspots for free viewing. The flip side is that these spots will 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.
Don’t mind being a bit further away to avoid the crowd? Catch the fireworks from Helix Bridge or Benjamin Sheares Bridge. Although located further away from the main action, they will provide side facing views of the fireworks over the Kallang side.
#3 Enjoy activities at the National Museum
Wondering what to do on National Day other than watch the fireworks? Once Upon a Tide is a special exhibition running until 9 October, 2026 at the National Museum. It traces Singapore’s evolution over 700 years from a Malay port settlement to a world-renowned global city, through the lens of the country’s rivers and seas. Admission is free for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents.
#4 Discover 61 Singapore landmarks through a nationwide treasure hunt
The Majulah Hunt is a nationwide treasure hunt of 61 specific landmarks, called Discovery. Use the map to discover how each landmark contributes to our nation’s history, and win limited edition August plushies and stickers. The hunt plays out over eight weeks, with the 61st location revealed only in the final week (3 to 10 August).
#5 See a light show designed to Singapore songs
The annual National Day edition of the Garden Rhapsody by the Supertrees at Gardens by the Bay returns for the entire month of August. This year, the lights are designed to Singapore songs reinterpreted and performed by local musicians such as Aisyah Aziz, Joanna Dong, Linying and Rani Singam. There are two shows each night at 7.45pm and 8.45pm, running for approximately 15-minutes each.
#6 Celebrate Singapore’s rich heritage at Bras Basah.Bugis (BBB) precinct
The BBB precinct is running a special lights and digital experience to celebrate National Day 2026. Light Together Bras Basah.Bugis (LTBB) 2026 will illuminate the BBB across five locations from 1 August to 5 September . The illuminations will transform historical buildings and hidden spaces into experiential zones. LTBB is in conjunction with the Singapore Night Festival 2026. More details will be updated on 1 August at heritage.sg/brasbasahbugis.
#7 Discover local mural painter’s Grumpy Cat
If you’ve seen street art on buildings across the island, some of them are by Singaporean visual artist, Yip Yew Chong. Grumpy Cat features in many of his paintings and it has become a standout character on its own. The beloved feline takes centrestage at a free exhibition at the Fullerton Hotel until the end of August. There are 30 original paintings depicting it enjoying local favourites such as laksa, kueh and chilli crab, to wandering through familiar neighbourhoods and playful local scenes. Visitors can also pose for photos with Grumpy Cat at various interactive photo spots. One of which is the ‘Grumpitiam’, inspired by Singapore’s local coffee shops, featuring familiar local favourites such as kopi, kaya toast and chicken rice.
#8 Book your seat for the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) National Day Concert
The SSO National Day Concert 2026 celebrates Singapore’s 61st birthday with a showcase of Singapore’s composers past and present. This year’s composers include veterans Kelly Tang and Tsao Chieh along with young composers Sulwyn Lok and Germaine Goh. The evening concludes with the winning compositions from the NDC 2026 Call for Compositions. The concert will take place on 15 August from 7.30pm to 9pm at the Esplanade Concert Hall.
What to do on National Day – dining deals
Here’s how you can celebrate Singapore’s birthday in true Singaporean fashion – through food! Besides promotions that run only on the National Day weekend of 8 and 9 August, there are also dining deals for the entire month of August 2026. Read on to find out more.
Taste of home
Available only on 5 to 9 August, the Summer Afternoon Tea ($58 to $78) at The Singapore EDITION’s Lobby Bar swaps in a handful of signature bites with local flavours. These include a chilli crab tartlet with oscietra caviar and a pulut hitam and coconut black glutinous rice gelato. Over at FYSH, the monthly Disco Brunch ($168) on 29 August will feature a Singapore Local Delight Station together with the regular offerings. Look out for seafood laksa paella, kueh pie tee, popiah, Singapore chicken rice, grilled wagyu beef satay and more. editionhotels.com/singapore/restaurants-and-bars
Savour a smorgasbord of Singaporean flavours
From 8 to 10 August 2026, Lime Restaurant at Parkroyal Collection Pickering presents a buffet spread that showcases the diverse and rich tapestry of Singaporean cuisine. This includes rojak, nonya chap chy, butterfly pea coconut rice, XO pan-fried carrot cake with lobster meat, satay and more. panpacific.com/en/hotels-and-resorts/pr-collection-pickering/dining/lime.html
Generous brunch servings
Expect generously stacked plates at this leisure weekend brunch at Fat Prince’s Majulah, Habibi! brunch ($61) on 8 and 9 August. The spread includes mezzes, charcoal-grilled kebabs and a spread of Middle Eastern-inspired desserts. fatprincesg.com
Toast to National Day from up high
Celebrate National Day from LeVeL33 with a pre-order-only four-course National Day menu ($138), available only on 8 and 9 August. The eatery’s ContemBrewery cuisine reimagines familiar Singaporean flavours through brewery-inspired touches. These include burrata with curried eggplant chutney, Parker House rolls with beer and honey glaze, and brown butter gula melaka cake. Also available for the whole of August is the Kaya toast stout ($26) that blends stout with rum, kaya jam, lemon and milk. level33.com.sg
Singapore-inspired snacks
Celebrate National Day with A Firangi Love Letter to the Little Red Dot ($68), a one-day brunch at Firangi Superstar showcasing Singapore’s beloved flavours and nostalgic memories, reimagined through a contemporary Indian lens. Diners can expect snacks, sharing-style small plates, a choice of main, a dessert station, National Day-inspired cocktails and zero-proof beverages. firangisuperstar.com
Explore multi-ethnic dishes inspired by traditional recipes
Rempapa by Damian D’Silva at the National Gallery presents comforting local dishes reimagined for the modern palate. The brunch menu (available until 4.30pm) has been refreshed in time for Singapore’s 61st National Day with beef cheek rendang ($17.90), heritage bak kut teh ($16.90), Peranakan laksa ($15.90) and Damian’s chicken curry ($15.90). From 4.30pm to 6.30pm, the tea-time menu introduces new toast flavours of butter-sugar and Nutella flakes alongside the existing kaya and French toast ($2.90 to $6.90) offerings. gilmore.sg/rempapa
Italian dishes infused with Singapore flavours
The culinary team at Italian restaurant MONTI have reimagined local flavours such as gado gado, pandan and coconut through two menus to celebrate Singapore’s 61st birthday. It’s a three-course menu ($168) from 3 to 8 August and a four-course menu on 9 and 10 August. monti.sg
Enjoy old-school snacks and local garden grill-out
From 7 to 9 August, celebrate National Day with the launch of The Lawn, a social community garden space at the Wildseed Bar at The Summerhouse. The space will be transformed into an old school playground with family-friendly nostalgic games, kacang putih and old-school biscuits. There’s also a garden grill-out of à la carte items such as otah skewers and sambal squid. thesummerhouse.sg
Tuck into familiar Singaporean dishes
Redhouse Seafood, one of Singapore’s oldest family-owned restaurants, has rolled out a month-long promotion for August that gives two familiar local dishes a fresh take. The Hainanese French-bred chicken claypot rice ($48) is cooked in rich chicken stock and served alongside Hainanese-style chicken. Meanwhile, the National Day Crab Feast ($88 to $118) includes a kilogram of crab prepared in the restaurant’s signature Nanyang-style, including a rich, savoury-spicy sauce. Accompanying the crab dish are golden mantou or deep-fried wheat flour buns in the shape of little crabs. The dishes are available at different Red House Seafood outlets. redhouseseseafood.com
Taste bunga kantan or torch ginger
Il Giardino’s exclusive National Day menu for the entire month of August focuses on the bunga kantan. Once commonly found in Singapore’s home kitchens, the plant is currently growing in the very gardens that surround the Venetian-inspired cicchetti restaurant at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Taste it in the pesto drizzled on the Stracciatella ($28) appetiser, the salsa verde accompanying the Salmone Reale al Forno ($32) and the crumb finishing of the Panna Cotta al Te Bianco ($16). ilgiardino.sg
Local flavours reimagined for National Day
Since its completion at the peak of Telok Blangah Hill in 1918, the Alkaff Mansion has witnessed many defining moments in Singapore’s history. It’s currently a dining and events destination, and three of its dining outlets are celebrating National Day with special menus.
From 1 to 9 August, contemporary Spanish restaurant UNA presents Presa Iberica a la Brasa ($32) reimagined with “chai boey”, Hokkien homestyle stew with mustard greens. In their version, chargrilled Iberico pork is simmered in an emulsion of dried red chilli, dried tamarind and mustard greens, house-made broth of pancetta and Iberico pork stock. una.sg
Enjoy a languid afternoon at Wildseed Cafe with the National High Tea Set ($68 for two people). Presented in a two-tier stand are savoury and sweet bites inspired by local dishes such as satay chicken kueh pie tee and yam ang ku keh jelly. Also available are à la carte specials such as kopi jelly sundae ($8), a house-made coffee jelly served with vanilla ice cream and condensed milk, and chendol slushie ($14). wildseedcafe.sg
As the sun sets, head to 1918 Heritage Bar for its Spice & Spirits menu, available only for August. The menu pays homage to the mansion’s founding year and its past as a holiday home for spice traders. Rendang, pandan, gula melaka and chendol are incorporated through food and cocktails alike. These include a moreish dish of Baked Cheesy Beef Rendang ($24) and cocktails such as Merlion’s Smoke ($24) that features a pandan-infused dry vermouth, orchid syrup and gula melaka. 1918bar.sg
Get to know the sweet-tangy ambarella fruit or kedondong
Located within The Summerhouse at Seletar Aerospace Park, Botanico is a farm-to-table grill restaurant that’s certified by the Singapore Food Agency. Its menu for National Day celebrations features the ambarella or kedondong. Once common in home gardens and now largely absent from the contemporary table, the fruit’s sweet-tangy flavour adds depth to dishes such as a wood-fired wagyu picanha ($46), garden achar ($13), and grilled kelong snapper ($30). botanico.sg
Try a Greek fish dish, done Singapore-style
Singapore’s only Greek restaurant by the river celebrates the nation’s birthday with sambal psari ($48), a Greek dish infused with Singaporean spices. Also available from 1 August to 30 September is kaya pandan custard puff ($16), a fragrant dessert. zorba.sg
Drink local dishes as cocktails
Yin Bar at The Riverhouse has developed its own local tribute with two National Day cocktails available for the month of August. Oh! My Chendol ($18) transforms the beloved local dessert with rum, while Chikadee Charm ($18) incorporates the essence of chicken rice with vodka. yinyang.sg
Like this article on where to watch the National Day Parade and things to do on 9 August? Check out more things to do in Singapore, or read one of these handy roundups:
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