The National Day Parade (NDP) is an annual celebration of Singapore’s independence and for Singaporeans to celebrate the nation’s birthday.

The first NDPs in the 1960s were important to showcase the young nation’s ambitions and newly found independence, and to foster a strong sense of identity in the people.

In the 1970s, NDPs became an occasion when this young nation could display its military capabilities and technological advancements. NDPs in the 1980s witnessed a surge of confidence as the country enjoyed its economic success and growing international standing.

In the 1990s, NDPs represented Singapore’s coming of age as a modern economic hub. Parades in the new millennium became focussed on remembering our roots while readying ourselves for the future.

Yet, throughout the past 49 years, NDP has always been about the people of Singapore, their diverse cultures and vocations, their shared aspirations for the country as well as their contributions to the extraordinary transformation of Singapore.

As Singapore moves into the next fifty years of NDPs, the parade will continue to be a national platform where Singaporeans come together to celebrate the past, appreciate the present and prepare for the future.