National Day Parade 2026 is set to transform the National Stadium into one enormous stage on 9 August, bringing together 36 artistes and more than 2,600 performers for Singapore’s 61st birthday.
Returning to the venue for the first time in a decade, this year’s show is framed around the theme Majulah Singapura, Go Beyond!. Across its pre-parade programme and six chapters, audiences can expect everything from electro-pop and Karnatik music to vintage Singapore tunes, beloved television themes and stadium-sized singalongs.
Hosting the evening are Joakim Gomez, Hafidz Rahman, Udaya Soundari, Xixi Lim and Gurmit Singh. William Xavier, affectionately known as Mr X, returns as the “Voice of NDP”. He will be joined by first-time NDP announcer Joanna François.
The celebration also arrives with the first Go Beyond: NDP 2026 Album, which brings together original compositions and reimagined favourites. Spanning uplifting anthems, heartfelt ballads, contemporary pop and electronic music, its songs form part of the show’s journey through Singapore’s heritage, shared memories and hopes for the future.
Pre-Parade
Before the parade officially begins, the hosts will welcome audiences back to the National Stadium with a series of singalongs and warm-up activities.
The programme includes a rehearsal of ‘Giants’, written by weish and performed by Iman Fandi, followed by the ‘Singapore Town–Tapau’ medley. Audiences can also expect quizzes, an introduction to this year’s NDP Pack and a segment marking the 60th anniversary of the National Pledge.
As NDP goes live, the cinematic Flag Relay film will follow the National Flag through Singapore’s heartlands and familiar locations. The action will then move from screen to stadium as the flag enters the venue for a live relay.
Athletes and para-athletes from Team Singapore will carry the flag around the stage alongside student-athletes from the Singapore Sports School. The relay will feature prominent sporting figures including Paralympic swimmer Yip Pin Xiu, kitefoiler Max Maeder and indoor skydiver Kai Minejima-Lee.
Chapter One: Go Beyond Self
The Go Beyond Self chapter places the spotlight on the Parade and Ceremony, which will feature 32 contingents and the largest civilian parade participation in more than a decade.
The proceedings will begin with the entry of the Guard of Honour, Colours Party and Combined Band. The Guard of Honour comprises contingents from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Digital and Intelligence Service, Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force.
The Combined Band brings together musicians from the Singapore Armed Forces Central Band, Singapore Police Force Band, Singapore National Cadet Corps Command Band and National Police Cadet Corps Band.
Collectively, the parade’s contingents will represent all six pillars of Total Defence, reflecting the role that Singaporeans play in keeping the country strong.
Key ceremonial moments include the State Flag Flypast, Feu De Joie and the 21-Gun Presidential Gun Salute. For the first time, the salute will be fired afloat at Kallang Basin.
Chapter Two: Go Beyond the Ordinary
The Go Beyond the Ordinary chapter begins with the SAF Band carrying the show out of the ceremonial proceedings through a stirring musical transition. Its performance will be accompanied by a high-energy routine from Martial House.
At the centre of the chapter is the People’s Parade, a colourful procession celebrating everyday Singaporeans whose service, passion and dedication have made a difference to those around them.
Eighteen floats will move through the performance space, representing six foundational values: Protect, Provide, Create, Build, Care and Justice.
Following a humorous skit involving the hosts, the chapter will conclude with a musical face-off between Ric Liu and the Shiok Sistas. The two sides will trade local tunes in a friendly competition, with spectators invited to join in using their voices and thundersticks.
Also appearing in the chapter are Jackie Pereira, Jalyn Han, Alin Mosbit and Annetha Ayyavoo.
The production will feature performers from Unity Secondary School, Beatty Secondary , Edgefield Secondary School, Tampines Meridian Junior College and St Andrew’s Junior College.
Chapter Three: Go Beyond Our Size
The Go Beyond Our Size chapter shifts from the high-energy mood of the People’s Parade into a more reflective exploration of Singapore’s maritime heritage, cultural roots and connections with the world.
It begins with a cinematic film about the nation’s relationship with the sea, followed by Asnida Daud performing ‘Aok Diko’, meaning “Yes, Of Course”. Sung in the Orang Laut dialect, the piece explores coastal identity, belonging and Singapore’s connection to its waters.
Asnida will be accompanied by a multi-ethnic group of drummers and 700 performers from Soka Gakkai Singapore. Larger-than-life puppets depicting native animals, including the tapir and mousedeer, will bring local folklore and biodiversity into the stadium.
Sushma Soma will follow with a Karnatik ode to Singapore. Marine-animal puppets and trading ships will move through the performance space, transforming the stadium floor into an underwater and seafaring spectacle.
Electronic duo NADA will then bring Singapore’s musical past into conversation with the present, fusing nostalgic local sounds with contemporary electronic beats. The act will be represented by Safuan Johari.
For the chapter’s finale, Asnida, Sushma and NADA will unite for ‘Song for Singapore’. The multi-ethnic drummers will return to join the artistes and Soka Gakkai performers for the musical conclusion.
Rizman Putra is also part of the chapter’s artiste lineup. Its performing partners include Damaru Singapore, the Eurasian Drum Ensemble, Nadi Singapura and ZingO Festival Drum Group.
Chapter Four: Go Beyond Time
The Go Beyond Time chapter turns the National Stadium into a television time machine, revisiting the programmes, songs, personalities and campaigns that have shaped Singapore’s popular culture.
The chapter begins with a short film depicting the five hosts as children in a 1960s kampong, encountering television for the first time.
Joakim Gomez will then perform an excerpt from ‘A World of Tomorrows’, followed by Hafidz Rahman dancing to the opening theme from Mat Yoyo.
Gurmit Singh will step back into the unmistakable yellow boots of Phua Chu Kang, while Xixi Lim will perform ‘Moonlight in the City’, or ‘城里的月光’. Udaya Soundari will close the main sequence with the theme from the Vasantham police drama Vettai.
Najip Ali will add another blast from the past with ‘Ren-tak Oonik’.
More than 300 performers from the People’s Association will bring the chapter to life alongside the Music and Drama Company, Singapore Airlines staff and mascots inspired by memorable national campaigns.
Together, the performances form a playful channel-surf through the television memories and cultural touchpoints that have connected generations of Singaporeans.
Chapter Five: Go Beyond Our Limits
The Go Beyond Our Limits chapter launches NDP into the future with electronic music, aerial choreography and the parade’s first indoor drone light show.
It opens with a kinetic typography film featuring words associated with Singapore’s culture. The chapter then shifts into high gear as Jasmine Sokko descends onto the stage alongside two aerialists while performing ‘You’ll Be Okay’.
Three hundred drones will move in synchrony with the performers 30 metres above the ground, combining music, technology and movement in one of the evening’s biggest visual spectacles.
The electronic momentum will continue with Han Oh and ‘Zero G-Roll’. Seven dancers will rise through stage lifts for a tightly synchronised routine matching the track’s electronic pulse.
Ranging from eight to 29 years old, the group includes an autistic dancer and a dancer with Down syndrome. The performers also represent Singapore’s four major ethnic groups.
Singer-songwriter Sky Shen will bring the chapter to a close with ‘March On With Me’, accompanied by six vocalists from the Music and Drama Company and dancers from Ministry of Education schools.
The performance will provide a reflective transition into the final chapter of the show.
Chapter Six: Go Beyond, Together
The concluding Go Beyond, Together chapter brings the evening’s music, sporting spirit and message of collective progress together.
It begins with Roar!, a short documentary centred on the stories of four sports coaches and the perseverance of Singapore’s sporting community.
The film will lead into Iman Fandi’s performance of ‘Giants’ alongside the 61-member The People’s Choir. Sixty-one coaches and athletes will also take the stage, connecting the song’s message of lifting one another up with the determination of Singapore’s sporting community.
The mood will then shift from reflective to celebratory as Gareth Fernandez, Dru Chen and The People’s Choir perform ‘Sparkle’, an upbeat singalong centred on individuality, confidence and togetherness.
Irene Jansen will also appear as part of the finale chapter’s artiste lineup.
The show will then move into the Majulah Moment, when Singaporeans will be invited to recite the National Pledge and sing the National Anthem.
Finally, DJ LENERD will lead a stadium-wide singalong featuring rearranged National Day songs, bringing the evening to an exuberant close.
Across its six chapters, NDP 2026 presents Singapore not through one definitive musical style, but through a chorus of traditions, generations and communities.
From Asnida Daud’s exploration of Orang Laut identity and Sushma Soma’s Karnatik performance to Jasmine Sokko’s aerial electro-pop spectacle and Iman Fandi’s stadium-sized rendition of ‘Giants’, this year’s show is shaping up to be both a celebration of how far Singapore has come and an invitation to imagine where it might go next.
Click here for more information on how to watch NDP 2026 in-person or at home.
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