Less Spectacle, More Stories: Here's What Will Happen At The NDP2020 Evening Show

For the first time ever, the National Day Parade will be held indoors. And instead of having tens of thousands of live spectators, the audience will contain only 150 invited guests. The number of performers has also been reduced to 87 (from 3000). 

NDP Evening Show Creative Director Royston Tan said: "We had hoped to capture the very real and relatable experiences of Singaporeans this year. 2020 has not been rosy, but amidst the struggle, there have been incredible acts of kindness, resilience, and unity, which we want to share with the rest of Singapore."

So yeah, it's a smaller event. The NDP2020 Evening Show might be less of a spectacle than usual, but that doesn't mean it won't be spectacular. In light of national sentiment around COVID-19, the show will celebrate the triumphs and sacrifices of ordinary Singaporeans by interspersing short films among the performances. Plus, the whole show will be optimised for home viewing and will include some heartwarming interactive segments that you can do from the comfort of your living room. 

Here are some moments you can look forward to: 

1. Small group performances

Performances will be raw, uplifting, and sincere, featuring talents like Nathan Hartono (performing this year's NDP theme song, Everything I Am), as well as Jaz Loh Wan Zhen, whose violin-playing went viral while she was serving her stay-home notice at Rasa Sentosa. Rapper Abangsapau, who lost his father during the Circuit Breaker, will perform an original track with his mother, Farhana binte Ibrahim, while other homegrown talents like Charlie Lim, ShiGGa Shay, and THELIONCITYBOY will also pay tribute to our nation's resilience. 

2. 31 stories of inspiring Singaporeans

Audiences can look forward to short films featuring ordinary Singaporeans who did extraordinary things amidst a crisis. These include the story of Johann Bin Annuar, whose team at Engineering Good collected and refurbished over 2,800 laptops for needy students who were going through Home-Based Learning. Make sure you prepare tissue! 

3. NDP Virtual Choir

The NDP Virtual Choir, which was launched in June 2020, will make its television debut on August 9. While the committee received several thousand submissions, if you look carefully, you might see yourself on TV in a special performance of We Are Singapore. Those watching from home are welcome to sing along to this, as well as to other nostalgic National Day songs that will be performed in the show. 

4. A unifying finale

Toward the end of the Evening Show (at 8:20pm), all Singaporeans will be called to recite the nation's pledge together. The SIngapore Civil Defence Force Public Warning System will sound island-wide to encourage all SIngaporeans to join in. Afterward, there will be fireworks, then you can join the Light Up Moment by sticking the red torch sticker from your Singapore Together Pack onto your mobile phone and waving it out the window as a gesture of appreciation to all our frontliners, essential workers, and everyday heroes. 

5. Safe distancing
If you have any concerns about the safety of the performances, rest assured that strict safe distancing measures have been implemented in the weeks leading up to the show. All performers, as well as members of the management crew, were required to take two separate COVID-19 swab tests, while performers have also been split into smaller groups during rehearsals to prevent mixing. 

There's so much more we could reveal after today's media briefing, but well, #spoilers. See you on the 9th!

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