Debated in Parliament on 8 Jan 2018.
Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth why the Sports Hub has not been designated to be the default location for National Day Parades in future.
The National Day Parade (NDP) has been held in several locations over the years, such as the Padang, the Float@Marina Bay and the National Stadium. While the Float@Marina Bay (Float) had been intended as a temporary NDP venue when the National Stadium was being redeveloped, it has become popular among Singaporeans over the years for its backdrop of the city skyline and unobstructed views of show segments, such as the Red Lions, aerial display and fireworks finale.
It was announced last October that the Float will be redeveloped into National Service (NS) Square, to commemorate NS and serve as the primary venue for the NDP going forward. That does not preclude the use of the Sports Hub and the Padang as sites for NDP.
This arrangement allows the Singapore Sports Hub to focus on developing a year-round calendar of events, such as the International Champions Cup (ICC), while providing flexibility to host the NDP in selected years. This is in line with the vision of our Sports Hub as an integrated sports, entertainment and lifestyle hub for the community and our athletes.
PAPERCUTS