SG60 commemorations to kick off with New Year celebrations in city centre, 17 heartland sites

SINGAPORE: Singapore will kick off its SG60 celebrations with islandwide activities starting in December to usher in the new year, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) said on Thursday (Nov 21).

The country marks 60 years of independence in 2025 and ONE Countdown will be the first in a series of events celebrating the milestone, it added.

Various activities, including carnivals, live performances and firework shows have been lined up at city centre locations from Marina Bay, Singapore Sports Hub, Sentosa, Orchard Road and Clarke Quay, as well as 17 heartland sites.

At Marina Bay, the festivities have already started, with a multi-sensorial light show and exhibition at the Bayfront Event Space.

Mediacorp will also hold its annual countdown show, featuring performances by local artistes and fringe activities such as face painting, at the Singapore Sports Hub for the first time.

Those attending the Let's Celebrate 2025 show will be treated to a 15-minute long fireworks display, the longest single fireworks show across all the countdown parties in Singapore, said MCCY.

In the heartlands, residents will be able to take part in a variety of programmes, including carnivals, stage performances, and fireworks or drone shows.

The 17 heartland sites are in Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Bishan, Boon Lay, Bukit Batok, Bukit Panjang, Choa Chu Kang, Hougang, Jalan Besar, MacPherson, Marine Parade, Marsiling, Nee Soon, Punggol West, Tampines, Queenstown and Woodlands.

With celebrations being held at these heartland locations, Singaporeans can "enjoy the festivities with their respective local communities, without having to travel out of their neighbourhoods", said MCCY.

Migrant workers can also partake in the countdown celebrations at six recreation centres - Kranji, Penjuru, Sembawang, Soon Lee, Terusan and Tuas South - and at over 10 dormitories.

Some of the activities at these locations include live performances, carnival games and lucky draw prizes.

"To accommodate the anticipated increase in this year’s festive activities, public transport operators are working on extending transport services," said MCCY, adding that further details will be shared soon.

The full list of events can be found here.

YEAR-LONG SG60 ACTIVITIES

There will be a year-long series of activities to mark the nation's 60th year of independence in 2025, with the theme “Building Our Singapore Together”.

“But SG60 should not just be about celebration. It is and should be an opportunity for all of us to reflect on our shared values, who we are as Singaporeans and what we stand for,” Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who is also finance minister, said in early November.

“It should be an opportunity for us to renew our commitment to Singapore, to do our part to build our shared future together.”