NDP 2020 evening show to be held at Star Vista, performance scale reduced to 80-100 people

Whether Singaporeans can watch the show live is contingent on Covid-19 guidelines.

Matthias Ang | May 20, 2020, 12:00 PM

For this year's National Day Parade (NDP), the evening show will be held at The Star Performing Arts Centre.

Singaporeans can therefore expect to see "more intimate and small-scale performances" on television and online, the chairman of the NDP executive committee, Brigadier-General Frederick Choo, stated.

In giving an estimate of the numbers for the performance, Choo stated that it will be about 80 to 100 people — a reduction of over 95 per cent from NDP 2019 which saw 2,600 performers in total at the Padang.

Final line-up is still being worked out but more local talent will be featured

Choo also pointed out that the length of the performances will be shorter unlike previous instances where the acts would last for 10-12 minutes.

As such, while the final line-up is still being worked on, more local talents will be featured in the line-up, along with the Home Team and SAF Music and Drama Company.

However, large representations of volunteers from the People's Association, SOKA and the Ministry of Education will not be involved.

While there are no word on what will be in the funpack yet, Choo stated that it will contain items that allow Singaporeans to interact with the show.

There will be enough funpacks for every Singaporean and PR household, which is an estimate of about 1.2 to 1.3 million households.

Whether Singaporeans can watch the show live is contingent on  Covid-19 guidelines

In response to a question about whether a live audience will be featured for the evening show, Choo added that this was contingent on Covid-19 guidelines which the committee was "watching very closely."

Choo elaborated that for the moment, the committee was operating on the assumption that the show will be broadcasted live with no spectators.

However, should there be an audience, safe distancing measures and other Covid-19 guidelines will be adhered to.

Rehearsals to only start after CB ends

As for rehearsals for the parade in general, Choo stated that these will only start once the circuit breaker is lifted.

Choo then added:

"And because of that, all the rehearsals will build up towards to the ninth of August. And that means that this year, we will not have any of the national education shows, neither the preview shows to be ticketed to Singaporeans. It will be the ninth of August National Day show."

Top image collage left image from NDP2020 Media Relations Committee, right image from Star Performing Arts Centre Facebook