Singaporeans ring in new year - and SG60 - with fireworks, gratitude and pledges

SINGAPORE – Jubilant celebrations took place across more than 23 locations in Singapore as the country rang in 2025 with fireworks, drone shows, and even a K-pop mass dance event.

While tens of thousands flocked to Marina Bay and the Kallang Basin areas to catch the fireworks display that lit up the skies every Dec 31st, many opted for locations closer to home, at 17 countdown celebrations in the heartlands organised to kick off the Republic’s diamond jubilee, dubbed SG60.

They included social media executive Stephanie Tay, 25, who has a tradition of attending countdown celebrations every year with her husband and son. This year, for the first time, they joined the one at Our Tampines Hub.

She was not disappointed - the Tampines countdown featured live music performances and a skating rink, though families donned rollerblades instead of ice skates and bubbles took the place of snow.

The party was just as lively in Yishun, where a drone show and fireworks dazzled the crowd alongside carnival rides, games, and live performances by local acts such as pop/rock band 53A, bilingual acoustic live band JumpStart, and singers Stephen Zechariah and Huda Ramdzan. 

While drone shows and live music acts wowed the crowds at the various countdowns that dotted the island, many of the venues also had different ways for residents to express their well-wishes and aspirations for the new year.

This was as the countdown also marked the start of a year of events to mark Singapore’s 60th birthday - an occasion not just for celebrations but for Singaporeans to reflect on shared values and to renew their commitment to the nation, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has said.

In Hougang, residents folded paper cranes that contained their wishes, while in Choa Chu Kang community volunteers put up an “SG60 Tapestry of Hope”.

At Tampines, revellers penned pledges on what they would do for Singapore in its anniversary year. By 9.40pm, the four-metre wall at Our Tampines Hub was already filled with hundreds of wishes, including one by a girl named Renee who pledged to be “a kinder student, better daughter and the best sister”.

Software engineer Manoj Bonala, 38, and his wife Priyanka Bonala, 33, who was at the same event with their eight-year-old son, shared their hope that Singaporeans will continue to make the country a better place to live in the years ahead.

In Yishun, residents put up their well-wishes on a tree structure.

Among those who gathered for the countdown event there was Ms Sabariyah Talib, 62, who hoped for more active ageing centre for seniors like her.

Ms Talib, a retired chef, said she appreciated how much the malls and transport system had evolved since Singapore celebrated SG50 in 2015, since those helped her get around more conveniently.

Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, who attended the event at the open field beside the FutsalArena @ Yishun, also had a wish: that his Nee Soon residents come together in the year ahead to build a caring, united, and forward-looking community.

As midnight approached, the buzz kicked up a few notches at the different countdown sites. A playlist of popular K-pop songs played at Tampines Hub, and close to 3,000 residents participated in a K-pop random dance event before fireworks capped off the celebrations.

The dance segment was what drew 16-year-old student Catherine Peh to the countdown, pulling their parents along.

“My younger sister and I wanted to attend the random play dance so my family came. I’m glad I chose to come, instead of just staying at home like I usually do, as the dances are so fun to watch. The atmosphere is also pretty lively and cheerful,” she said.

City centre still drew largest crowds

The biggest crowds were, however, still drawn to Marina Bay. 

By about 9.45pm, the Police had to close off access to the Jubilee Bridge, and the Merlion and Fullerton waterfront areas due to the throngs gathered to catch the 15-minute firework spectacle that marked the finale of a countdown show at the Singapore Sports Hub. 

The Esplanade waterfront area was added to the list at 10.24pm, while access to the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) waterfront area and the Helix Bridge were closed by 11.34pm for the same reason.

When The Straits Times arrived at Marina Bay at about 6.30pm, the path leading to Merlion Park was a flurry of colours, as many in the crowd toted colourful umbrellas and ponchos amid the evening drizzle.

Twenty minutes later, barricades were set up at Merlion Park to bar the crowd from sitting on the steps.

Although the Crowd@MarinaBay tracker showed the crowd had not yet reached its maximum capacity as at 8pm, the sheer number of people sitting along the area meant that incoming visitors had to squeeze through a wall of people as they searched for a spot to wait for the fireworks.

Many came prepared with plastic picnic mats, setting them up along the Fullerton and Merlion waterfronts.

Madam Noor Aisyah, 54, was with her husband to usher in the new year. The Kuala Lumpur native was in Singapore for a short holiday, and had arrived early to secure a spot for herself right next to the Merlion. 

She said she was excited to witness the fireworks display at MBS, having heard about how it lit up the Singapore skyline every year.

Asked if she had any wishes for 2025, she said: “Good health and happiness - those are the two things I want most for the year ahead. 

“I also hope that Singapore and Malaysia continue being good neighbours.”

Also seated on a picnic mat along the waterfront was Ms Rachel Lee and two of her friends. The 29-year-old, who works in human resources, said it was a relatively last-minute decision to spend the tail-end of 2024 at MBS, after seeing the heavy downpour in the late afternoon clear up. 

“Luckily we arrived just before 8pm, so we could still find a spot to park ourselves. Honestly we just came here to soak in the vibes,” she said.

“Celebrating the new year with so many others around makes me feel like we’re all part of one big community, having a shared experience.”

With SG60 approaching in August, she said she hopes to see more support for those taking the paths less trodden.

“We still have a narrow definition of success...but everyone’s journey is different. We should recognise that, and be supportive regardless,” she added.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.