NDP returns to National Stadium; Red Lions, aerial display and mobile column will be missed

The National Day Parade (NDP) will return to the National Stadium this year, including debuting its first microdrama series and three new songs as part of the celebrations.

NDP 2026 is set to be "the largest civilian participation in the parade and ceremony segment in over a decade", said the chairman of the NDP 2026 Executive Committee Brigadier-General (BG) Lim Han Yong.

The National Stadium was last used as a National Day Parade venue in 2016.

This year’s theme is 'Majulah Singapura, Go Beyond!'

It embodies the collective Singapore Spirit and enduring aspirations to keep moving forward and progress, with the call to action to do better for Singapore and Singaporeans, and to show care and concern for one another.

@asiaone Themed "Majulah Singapura, Go Beyond!", this year's National Day Parade (NDP) will make its return to the National Stadium. Here's what Singaporeans can look out for. #sgnews #Singapore #NDP #NDP2026 #SG61 ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

NDP 2026 highlights

In the lead up to NDP 2026, Singaporeans will be treated to the first NDP microdrama 'Heartbeats' starring Iman Fandi and Yung Raja.

The six short episodes, with episodes one and two to be available from May 21 on NDPeeps Instagram and Facebook accounts from 3pm, follow a shy woman’s journey as she overcomes personal challenges to find her voice at an NDP heartlands concert.

@asiaone The National Day Parade celebrations this year will include a microdrama titled Heartbeats starring Iman Fandi and Yung Raja. What do writer Kaylene Tan and director K. Rajagopal hope to celebrate through the series? #sgnews #Singapore #NDP #microdrama ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

For the first time, Singaporeans will have access to the musical soundtrack of NDP 2026 via the Go Beyond: NDP 2026 Album.

For a start, three new songs — 'Giants', 'Sparkle' and 'You’ll Be Okay' will debut on the NDPeeps YouTube channel on May 21, and the NDPeeps Spotify channel on May 22, while the music videos will be released on NDPeeps YouTube channel in the following weeks.

'Giants' is also performed by Iman Fandi, daughter of football legend Fandi Ahmad, who first participated in NDP 2023.

"I'll be able to carry the Singapore flag with pride, and that's all I want to do," shared Iman, 26, who described the rare opportunity to participate as an honour.

@asiaone Actress, singer and model Iman Fandi shared her thoughts about singing Giants, one of three NDP songs this year, and playing the lead character in the NDP microdrama Heartbeats. #sgnews #Singapore #NDP #NDP2026 #SG61 ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

As for the show segment on Aug 9, the production will be staged on a platform spanning the length of a football field and integrated with aerial elements, stage lifts and multimedia displays spanning five chapters.

It will also showcase NDP’s first indoor drone light show, complemented by the largest indoor special effects presentation to date, which is more than two times larger than past displays.

In another first, the Presidential Gun Salute on Mobility 3rd Generation (M3G) military raft, a self-propelled amphibious bridging vehicle, will be fired at the Kallang Basin.

No Red Lions in the sky

Meanwhile, crowd favourites like the Red Lions, aerial display and mobile column will not be part of NDP 2026.

Safety and operational concerns in an "enclosed environment" have been cited for the absence of the Red Lions.

In 2025, two parachute teams landed at separate venues at the NDP in the Jump of Unity for the first time. 

A team of naval divers leapt from a H225M medium-lift helicopter, before deploying their parachutes and landing together in the waters off Marina Bay, while a team of seven Red Lions descended from a transport aircraft in aerial formation.

According to BG Lim, the Red Lions will always have "a special place in Singaporeans' hearts" and this year's decision "should not preclude their participation in future editions of National Day parade".

He added: "Performing National Day at the new venue really gives us a lot of opportunity to do something fresh and something different, and therefore this year we can bring about new elements, such as the indoor drone shows and aerial performers, and especially design a set design that's breathtaking for spectators."

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helmy.saat@asiaone.com