By Anas Abu Hassan
SINGAPORE, Aug 9 (Bernama) -- Singapore marked its 61st National Day celebrations on Sunday with the return of National Day Parade (NDP) to the National Stadium after a decade, under the theme “Majulah Singapura, Go Beyond!”.
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong joined Cabinet ministers and Members of Parliament at the NDP 2026 ceremony, alongside some 42,000 members of the public who filled the stadium dressed in red and white.
For the first time in the republic’s six-decade history, the Presidential Gun Salute and State Flag Flypast were conducted at Kallang Basin, extending the parade beyond the National Stadium.
A total of four 25-pounder Howitzer guns mounted on a Mobility 3rd Generation (M3G) raft sailed around the basin, bringing the experience closer to thousands more spectators gathered across the wider Kallang precinct.
The traditional 21-Gun salute comprised 151 participants from the 23rd Battalion of the Singapore Artillery and 35th Battalion of Singapore Combat Engineers.
The celebration began at about 6 pm with the parade and ceremony segment, themed “Go Beyond Self”, featuring 32 contingents comprising more than 2,000 participants.
The segment brings together six Guard of Honour (GOH) contingents, 10 contingents from uniformed youth organisations and 16 supporting contingents, as well as the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Colours Party.
The six GOH contingents escorting the SAF Colours Party comprised 72 participants from the Singapore Army, Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS), Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).
Meanwhile, the NDP 2026 show segment, centred around the main theme, featured 36 artistes and more than 2,600 performers, showcasing Singaporeans’ authentic stories, innovative technology and a moving soundtrack.
This year’s show segment also featured seven dancers from diverse backgrounds, including an autistic dancer and a dancer with Down syndrome, underscoring how every Singaporean can contribute to shaping a shared future, regardless of background or ability.
-- BERNAMA