Latest news with #HereWeAre
Vogue Singapore
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Vogue Singapore
The best restaurants in Singapore for stunning views of the National Day fireworks
Getty As Singapore marks its 60th milestone this year, Singaporeans gear up to honour the past six decades of unity and progress, with the National Day fireworks serving as a dazzling highlight of the celebrations. Against Marina Bay's iconic waterfront and the historic Padang, the annual 9 August parade promises pageantry, passion and grandeur celebrating how far we've come, as well as the journey that lies ahead. Centred around this year's official theme song—'Here We Are' by Charlie Lim, Kit Chan, and The Island Voices, the show seeks to interweave nostalgia with vistas of the future. Expect aerial displays, the return of the Mobile Column, and synchronised live performances staged across the Padang and Marina Bay that finish off with the dazzling fireworks show that marks 60 years of our collective story. With Singapore's skyline as the canvas and Marina Bay as the stage, the National Day fireworks have become an annual tradition locals and tourists look forward to. This year, as the city marks its diamond jubilee, the atmosphere promises to be more electric than ever. While the celebrations light up the sky, the views from the city's top dining destinations offer memorable front-row seats. Whether you're craving elegant tasting menus or laid-back dinners with a view, there is no better way to toast to the nation than with a resplendent fireworks display. Thankfully, we've got all things viewing—and dining—sorted. Here is your complete guide to the most chic and scenic restaurant spots for firework-watching in style. From sophisticated fine-dining restaurants to vibrant rooftop bars, this guide features a curated selection that is sure to suit every taste and occasion. Wherever you choose to celebrate, expect impeccable cuisine paired with breathtaking views that will make Singapore's 60th birthday truly unforgettable. Coal roasted beetroot, Davidson plum vinegar, golden trout roe, Courtesy of Kaarla 1 / 7 Kaarla Serving up delectable dishes 51 floors above ground, Kaarla offers more than just a sweeping skyline. Sourcing ingredients from its own rooftop food forest—the highest of its kind in the world—Kaarla beautifully blends hearty Australian flavours with elegant Japanese influences. This National Day, Kaarla presents a five-course dinner that celebrates both land and sea. Expect unique highlights one after the other, starting with Cold-Smoked Hokkaido Scallops with citrus kombucha and olive caviar, followed by Fremantle Octopus served with bonito potato foam. For your main, opt for either a Yuzu Butter–dressed Australian Market Fish or a tender Wagyu Short Rib with tamari jus . It is mandatory to end on a sweet note—and for that Kaarla presents you with a tantalizing Macadamia Mocha Bliss, completed with charcoal tuile and wattleseed crumble. 88 Market St, #51-02, CapitaSpring 048948 Enquiries: 9837 8248 Courtesy of Kinki Restaurant & Bar 2 / 7 Kinki For SG60, Japanese gastrobar Kinki dials celebrations up with a special Flavours of Home menu, where Asian street food gets a playful remix. Think laksa gyoza, otah sando , and a 'KFC' rojak that flips the rules and defies convention. Kinki's rooftop spot is scheduled to come alive on National Day with their signature Bottomless Brunch, where you can enjoy two hours of free-flow food and drinks, just in time for the fireworks to dress up the sky in colour. Finish off the evening with a Chilli Crab Maki and a Singaporean Cocktail Carafe to toast sixty heartfelt years of Singapore. With magnificent views that stretch across the Marina Bay area and a vibe that delicately balances energy and style, Kinki turns National Day into a vibrant celebration—with sushi on standby. 70, #02-02 Collyer Quay, Customs House, 049323 Enquiries: 8363 6697 3 / 7 Cé La Vi At Cé La Vi, the combination of panoramic views and rich flavours steal the show every National Day. For SG60, this iconic rooftop destination brings a flair of boldness to the table with a three-course brunch menu that reimagines local favourites with a global touch. Choose between silky Hokkaido scallops in a spicy nduja beurre blanc or a burrata tomato salad sprinkled with candied curry walnuts and momo mostarda for starters. For mains, local classics are in the spotlight, but with a mouth-watering twist: satay-glazed roast chicken paired with coconut rice, rendang-braised short rib dressed in pickled ginger flower, and laksa-style snapper layered with squid and shrimp oil. The tipples on offer range from saké to craft cocktails like the yuzu-laced Geisha and Silk Roast—a smooth espresso martini kissed with macadamia syrup and chocolate. With DJs on deck, cocktails in hand and fireworks overhead, this is the place where SG60 will feel larger than life itself. 1 Bayfront Avenue Marina Bay Sands, Hotel, Tower 3, 018971 Enquiries: 6508 2188 4 / 7 Skai Perched atop Swissôtel The Stamford, Skai's latest adaptation redefines sky-high dining with a minimalist Nordic-inspired interior, letting the panoramic skyline take centre stage in a polished yet serene setting. Whether you're eyeing a seat at their newly launched Tuna Bar—helmed by Chef Nakao, serving dry-aged cuts flown in from Tokyo—or looking forward to sipping a Golden Hour cocktail while watching the fireworks light up the night sky, Skai delivers elegance at every hour. As for the plate: charred Black Onyx steaks, creamy kabocha pumpkin, and sashimi-grade tuna crudo with ponzu and yuzu kosho are sure to leave your palate and stomach satisfied. If you're looking for some late-night revelry, the Supper Club menu serves up indulgent bites like Wagyu sliders and Iberico yakitori—all under the glimmer of Singapore's city lights. 2 Stamford Rd, Lvl 70 #70-01, Singapore 178882 Enquiries: 6837 3322 5 / 7 Sushisamba Japanese flavours pair themselves with a hint of Brazilian flair and Peruvian passion at Sushisamba, where exotic ingredients dance on the palate in celebration. On National Day, the 57th floor of Capital Tower will transform into a vibrant scene of festivities with a one-day-only Free-Flow Party Brunch. Expect samba dancers, DJ sets and a feast designed for indulgence. From wagyu taquitos to seafood laksa rice and live robata stations featuring sambal prawns, every bite is guaranteed to offer a mix of bold, fresh tastes that culminates in a local twist. The sushi stations feature everything from chilli crab rolls to classic nigiri, while options for dessert bring a local twist: taro cake, gula melaka cheesecake and mango-passionfruit tarts. Stay on for dinner, as fireworks streak across the Marina Bay sky. 168 Robinson Rd, Level 52 Capital Tower, Singapore 068912 Enquiries: 6550 2290 6 / 7 Altro Zafferano Altro Zafferano is where Italian indulgence fuses with local zest. Head Chef Federico Schiraldi puts his spin on Singapore's iconic flavours for this year's SG60 celebration—with three unique menus that merge Italian flair with bold, local flavours. Brunch begins with red prawns on ice, truffled focaccia, and silky burrata—followed by plates like foie gras risotto and a hearty calamarata pasta tossed with tiger prawns and clams. For dinner, guests have an option to choose from two tasting menus: a four-course sunset sitting or a five-course evening experience, specially timed to the fireworks. Laksa-oil scallops, spanner crab tagliolini, and a Wagyu striploin soaked in black pepper jus steal the show—before ending on a sweet and distinctly Singaporean note with pandan tiramisu. 10 Collyer Quay, Level 43, Singapore 049315 Enquiries: 6509 1488 7 / 7 Saint Pierre With soft lighting and elegant waterfront views, Saint Pierre invites you into its intimate world of fine dining. This National Day, the two-Michelin-starred restaurant offers a tasting menu curated with precision thanks to Chef Emmanuel Stroobant, whose cuisine marries French finesse with Asian ingredients. Lunch offers a rich four-course tasting menu featuring delicate canapés—lobster with pomelo, miso shimeji , and teardrop peas with tofu. These are followed by highlights such as Hokkaido hairy crab served with house-made mantou and Omi beef glazed in tamarind and black garlic. A yuzu brown butter financier finishes the meal to celebrate local flavours. 1 Fullerton Road, #02-02B, One Fullerton, 049213 Enquiries: 6438 0887
CNA
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - Is a digital campaign the best way to reach young vapers?
CNA938 Rewind - Marking 60 Years in Song: The Creatives Behind This Year's NDP Anthem 'Here We Are' In 'Made in SG', Melanie Oliveiro speaks with Chok Kerong and He Shuming, two of the many talented creatives behind 'Here We Are', this year's National Day anthem and music video marking Singapore's 60th birthday. They will share their creative journey, how the song and video reflects the nation's spirit of trust, resilience, and togetherness, and what it means to shape a fresh story for Singapore at this milestone moment. They'll also discuss the inspirations behind the lyrics and visuals, the collaborative process, and the reactions that have followed the release.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
NDP 2025: How Benjamin Kheng is whisked from Marina Bay to Padang in 10 minutes by boat, buggy
Find out what's new on ST website and app. SINGAPORE – Just before 8pm on Aug 9, singer Benjamin Kheng would have just finished performing the National Day Parade (NDP) 2024 theme song Not Alone on a floating stage in Marina Bay, near Merlion Park. About 10 minutes later, he will enter the Padang for the 2025 show's finale, after traversing 800m over water, on wheels and by foot. Lieutenant-Colonel Shahreel Rajaratnam, 36, bay show management chairman, said that after Kheng performs a duet with singer Rahimah Rahim, who will be at the Padang, the singer will hop onto a small navy sea boat that will whisk him off to Queen Elizabeth Walk. From there, Kheng – who has a manually-activated flotation device incorporated into his costume for the bay performance – boards a buggy that is a short jog away, and appears at the Padang in time for NDP 2025's finale. Bringing Kheng to the Padang shows that he's 'not alone', LTC Shahreel said, and this closes the narrative arc of the show, where he 'returns home' to be with other performers at the Padang. Among them will be Kit Chan, who will sing Home – NDP 1998's theme – in the 2025 show's fourth and final act. While there is much to coordinate in the bay for NDP 2025, said LTC Shahreel, getting Kheng back to the Padang is the most exciting task, because there are many moving parts. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Woman taken to hospital after car falls into sinkhole on Tanjong Katong Road Singapore Students hide vapes in underwear, toilet roll holders: S'pore schools grapple with vaping scourge Singapore 'I've tried everything': Mum helpless as son's Kpod addiction spirals out of control Singapore Almost half of planned 30,000 HDB flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat Singapore From libraries to living rooms: How reading habits take root in underserved S'pore children Asia Thai-Cambodia clashes spread along frontier as death toll rises Asia Thousands rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur for resignation of PM Anwar 'Ben is popular. He's a hit with the crowd,' the infantry officer added. 'When people around the bay see him, cameras go crazy, people start screaming. So it's always exciting for us – the team working on this.' Chan, 52, said she thought her parade appearance at NDP 2015 would be her last. But she was convinced to return when NDP's music director Sydney Tan let her listen to 2025's theme Here We Are, written by Charlie Lim. Kit Chan and Charlie Lim performing Here We Are during the NDP 2025 preview at the Padang on July 26. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG 'I really liked it, and Charlie also is one of my favourite singer-songwriters from Singapore. So definitely it was easy to say yes,' said Chan, who will also perform Here We Are with Lim in the show's first act. Songs come and go, but Home feels special, as it has become 'owned by the people', she added. 'I may have given birth to it, but it totally belongs to everyone, every Singaporean, and you get the same feeling wherever I perform it, anywhere in the world where there is a Singaporean audience – it's always just a very different feeling, and it's a very joyful feeling.' The audience can also look forward to works by artists with disabilities, adapted into the designs of eight floats – four at the Padang and four floating in the bay. One land float was based on Busy In Spring by mouth painter Aaron Yeo, which features a bee buzzing around in a bed of flowers. A float inspired by mouth painter Aaron Yeo's work Busy In Spring. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Viewers may not notice the fuzziness of a bee atop the float, but set and props designer Quck Zhong Yi made it a point to include details from the artwork, such as the insect's hairs. At a show production tour for the media on July 25, Mr Quck, 45, said that after choosing the eight works, designers studied how to turn the two-dimensional pieces into three-dimensional objects, before running a workshop with the original artists to get their feedback. 'We missed it out, but Aaron told us that his bee was painted with very fine strokes to imitate the fuzziness of the hairs of the bee,' said Mr Quck, an architect. 'With that in mind, we tweaked the design of the props and made sure that the bee is really as fuzzy as he wanted it to be.' Despite the NDP stage at the Padang being around for only about two months, the creative team also took pains to make sure it blends in well with the city's roofscape, said Mr Quck. As such, a colour scheme that centred on terracotta orange was chosen, matching roof tiles on nearby buildings such as the former Supreme Court and Singapore Cricket Club. The NDP 2025 stage at the Padang, seen against other tiled roof buildings in the Civic District. PHOTO: NDP 2025 EXCO Mr Quck noted that inclusiveness was the main consideration in the design of NDP 2025's stage – the fourth he has designed for an NDP. 'We really wanted the audience to feel like they are part of the show,' he said, adding that this was why stages abutting the audience stands were built, to bring performers right in front of those watching at the Padang. Inclusiveness was the main consideration in the design of NDP 2025's stage. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI LTC Derek Tay, 36, the Padang show management chairman, said a team of about 200 people – mostly full-time national servicemen – operate the show's large props and help to coordinate performers' movements. He noted that the show's third and penultimate act requires the most coordination. A technical rehearsal of the show's third act on July 25. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG This includes Kheng and Rahimah's duet, and the release of large balls into the stands while long cloth strips are unfurled from the stands towards the central stage. Ensuring all goes according to plan is a team that includes Ms Petrina Dawn Tan, 36, the show segment's technical cue caller, who gives cues for elements such as lighting, sound, music and videos. (From left) NDP 2025 set and props designer Quck Zhongyi; Padang show management chairman, Lieutenant-Colonel Derek Tay; technical cue caller Petrina Dawn Tan; and bay show management chairman, LTC Shahreel Rajaratnam. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Everything is planned to the second, said Ms Tan, and callers have just seconds to rectify any changes. 'If there is a mistake, as callers, we have to be quick to recover,' she said, adding that she works with a show caller to make contingency plans. 'We have to make a decision in the span of five seconds – otherwise it becomes awkward,' said Ms Tan. From a control room at the Padang where she will sit on Aug 9, callers cue action not just for the show's main stage, but also across Marina Bay. LTC Shahreel said this includes drummers at Marina Bay Sands and One Marina Boulevard, building projections and a water-based stage and floats. Referring to the 'expanded canvas' for NDP 2025 that includes the Padang and Marina Bay, LTC Shahreel said: 'Every element is designed to reach both locations, creating one seamless, singular experience for all, regardless of where you're at.'
Straits Times
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
NDP 2025: Show at Padang to feature largest mobile stage in parade history
The National Day Parade 2025 features creative director Boo Junfeng (centre) and performers such as (from left) Matthew S.T. Sunil, Jennifer Thevajenner, Rahimah Rahim and Benjamin Kheng. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI SINGAPORE – The 2025 National Day Parade (NDP) will feature a 360-degree moving stage that will bring the performances close to the audience at the Padang, the largest mobile stage in NDP history. Measuring 15m in diameter, the three-tiered 20,000kg stage can rise up to 7m high and includes 270 LED screens. There will also be eight additional island stages around the Padang. The facades of buildings in the area, including the Fullerton Hotel and the UOB Plaza One, will also come alive with projections of SG60-themed artworks by local artists such as Sam Lo. Land and water floats designed by artists with disabilities will be featured. NDP 2025, which marks Singapore's 60th year of independence, marks the return of acclaimed home-grown film-maker Boo Junfeng as its creative director. The 41-year-old was also creative director of the 2018 and 2021 editions of the NDP. Audiences can expect to be entertained by 39 home-grown artistes from different generations and genres, as well as over 3,000 performers. These include seasoned names such as Dick Lee, Kit Chan, Rahimah Rahim and Ramli Sarip, as well as contemporary acts ranging from singer-songwriters Charlie Lim and Benjamin Kheng to actor-musician Tosh Zhang and rapper Yung Raja. To reach as many Singaporeans as possible, the live show will extend from the Padang to Marina Bay, another first for the NDP. Another first for the NDP is having performances on a mobile floating stage in Marina Bay mounted on a Republic of Singapore Navy's (RSN) Fast Craft Utility. Kheng will sing on the 9m-long stage with 12 dancers from the Music and Drama Company. A pre-parade segment will open with a musical film, also a first for the NDP, with an original song, Makin' Our Way, directed, written and composed by Kheng. This is followed by the inaugural Jump of Unity, featuring the Red Lions parachutists from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and naval divers from the RSN. A segment called Our Singapore Wish will air videos of Singaporeans sharing their aspirations, with music from the Combined Schools Band. The show is itself is divided into four acts, each inspired by words and lines from the national anthem, Majulah Singapura. Act One will celebrate Singapore's diverse society and features Chan and Lim performing this year's NDP theme song, Here We Are, and a spoken rendition of the national anthem by Ramli and other artistes such as Zhang. Singer-songwriter Charlie Lim performing the NDP 2025 theme song Here We Are during a preview on June 26. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI Act Two, with performances by singer-songwriter Linying and rising singer Heema Izzati, focuses on Singaporeans' personal dreams and collective aspirations. There will also be performances by groups and schools such as Soka Gakkai Singapore and Greendale Secondary, as well as Diverse Abilities Dance Collective of Maya Dance Theatre, who are performing at the NDP for the first time. The performances in the third act, about resilience through family bonds and the community spirit, includes Lee singing NDP 2002 theme song We Will Get There in a floating balloon at the Padang. Act Four shapes the dreams and aspirations of different Singaporeans into a collective national destiny, and includes a synchronised performance of NDP 2021 theme song The Road Ahead by SMU Samba Masala Drummers at the Padang, Extraordinary People at the NTUC building and Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (Minds) at Marina Bay Sands Singapore. The final act culminates in a sing-along of classic NDP anthems such as Stand Up for Singapore (1984), Count On Me Singapore (1986), We Are Singapore (1987) and One People, One Nation, One Singapore (1990), in sync with a fireworks display lighting up the Padang and the Marina Bay. The fireworks show is specially designed to commemorate SG60. Audiences at the Padang and Bay Celebration sites will also get to write their wishes for themselves and for their community on a double-sided placard found in their NDP Packs. These will then be featured at various points throughout the show. There will also be a series of interconnected short films depicting the challenges the nation overcame over the past 60 years, shown throughout the four acts. All 27,000 spectators at the show will wear LED wristbands that will emit a light show in sync with the performances. Water floats on display at Esplanade's Singtel Waterfront Theatre on June 26. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI Boo tells The Straits Times that he hopes that the audience, whether they are watching at the Padang, in the surrounding areas or on television, will reflect on what makes Singapore a home. 'Beyond just being a celebration, I think it's also a point of reflection so that we can contemplate why we love our home, and what we wish for Singapore to become.' Veteran singer Rahimah says that she is proud to do a duet in Act Three with Kheng on his 2024 NDP theme song Not Alone. 'I'm so honoured to be able to do this inter-generational collaboration,' she tells ST. Kheng, who also co-wrote the tune, says Rahimah's singing adds a new layer to the song. 'She's unabashedly herself and (with) that kind of energy she brings, and the warmth, she really grounds everyone in a room, and that shines through so well.' The pair will be physically apart during the duet, as Rahimah will be at the Padang, and Kheng on the floating stage in Marina Bay. Singers Rahimah Rahim and Benjamin Kheng performing 2024 NDP theme song Not Alone during a media preview on June 26. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI Among the many performers are dancers Jennifer Thevajenner and Matthew S.T. Sunil, a married couple who are returning for their seventh NDP performance. The pair of amateur dancers, who have been married for two decades, said that the 2025 performance is special. 'Our segment is under People's Association, and the theme is our resilience and our spirit. So the two songs we are doing are flowing with emotions. We feel very touched when we dance,' said Mr Sunil, 49. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
New Paper
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Paper
'I cry every day, I laugh every day': Singer Kit Chan on coping with her mum's death
Home-grown singer-actress Kit Chan is coping with the loss of her mother, who died in May. The 52-year-old told Chinese-language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao in January that her mother suffered from Alzheimer's disease. "It's been exactly a month since I lost my mum," Chan wrote in English on social media on June 12. "I'm grateful for the chance to be in a foreign city, where I can be away from the all-too-familiar, with a book and coffee, watching the world go by, while all those feelings and emotions we know and do not know intermingle within us, and settle like all things do." Chan uploaded a photo of the book she is reading, Pinang: No More Than Skins (2014), by Chinese author Cai Chongda. "Friends ask me how I'm doing. I say I cry every day, but I also laugh every day," she wrote. "I think this is a good answer, and a good way to live. It would be how my mum would want me to live, just like she did. Always looking for that bright spot, catching the sparkle in the dull and mundane, and always choosing joy over sorrow." The star said she will be busy in July and August and is looking forward to it. She will be performing Here We Are, the theme song for the 2025 National Day Parade, with local singer Charlie Lim as well as vocal group The Island Voices. "Now is a time to be still, and there will be a time to be active," she added. She said ever since she wrote and recorded the song A Time For Everything, released in 2018, the title has been her mantra. "It really sums up life for me," she said. "It is a privilege to live a full life, and that means accepting and embracing all of it - the joys and sorrows, the gains and losses, the pleasure and the pain, and of course, the processes of living and dying."
