About Marina Bay Marina Bay is the heart of Singapore’s city centre and a well-established, vibrant destination for the local community. It provides Singapore with an opportunity for further urban transformation and to attract new investments, visitors and talents. Extending seamlessly from the existing Central Business District, Marina Bay is the focal point that reinforces Singapore’s position as a leading global city. It offers extraordinary potential for growth and development in the heart of the city, an advantage that few other cities can offer, and creates an exciting array of limitless opportunities for locals and foreigners alike, to explore (live), exchange (work) and entertain (play).
About Urban Redevelopment Authority The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is Singapore’s national land use planning and conservation agency. URA’s mission is “to make Singapore a great city to live, work and play”. We strive to create a vibrant and sustainable city of distinction by planning and facilitating Singapore’s physical development in partnership with the community. As the main land sales agent for the State, our multifaceted engagement strategy includes the sale of state land to attract and channel private capital investment to develop sites for meeting our land use needs. As the place manager for Marina Bay, we promote exciting activities within Marina Bay in collaboration with other government agencies and private stakeholders. To create an exciting cityscape, URA also actively promotes architecture and urban design excellence. For more information, please visit us at www.ura.gov.sg.
About Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay Esplanade is Singapore’s national performing arts centre. Its year-round line-up of about 3,000 performances presented by Esplanade, its collaboration partners and hirers include a diverse calendar of ticketed and non-ticketed programmes featuring dance, music, theatre, visual arts and more, making the arts accessible for everyone. The centre works in close partnership with local, regional and international artists to develop artistic capabilities and content, push artistic boundaries and engage audiences. It also develops technical capabilities for the industry nationally.
This architectural icon, with its distinctive twin shells, houses world-class performance spaces complemented by a comprehensive range of professional support services. Its two main venues are the 1,600-seat Concert Hall and a Theatre with a capacity of 2,000. In May 2015, Esplanade was chosen as one of SG Heart Map’s 50 special places.
Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay is operated by The Esplanade Co Ltd, which is a not-for-profit organisation, a registered Charity and an Institution of a Public Character. Visit www.esplanade.com for more information.
Marina Bay Singapore Countdown Image Courtesy of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay
Come celebrate the New Year with a hopeful heart about the endless possibilities that 2016 may bring at the 11th edition of Marina Bay Singapore Countdown. Singaporeans and visitors can look forward to an array of exciting activities at the largest Countdown celebration in Singapore, jointly organised by Esplanade – Theatres by the Bay and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). Revellers can enjoy an eight-minute spectacular firework display, festive lighting of buildings around the bay and a special light projection show on the façade of The Fullerton Hotel.
For the first time, the eight-minute firework display will span the entire Marina Bay. Members of the public can enjoy an even better view of the new formation from more locations around the bay, particularly with the opening of the Jubilee Bridge this year. Designed to embody Singapore’s dauntless spirit to scale new heights, the firework display is also accompanied by a rousing original score composed by young music director Julian Wong.
As part of the festivities, we will also be working with stakeholders to feature a synchronised themed lighting for various buildings around the bay on New Year’s Eve.
Mr Benson Puah, Chief Executive Officer, The Esplanade Co Ltd said, “Last year, we reflected on our journey and celebrated our achievements over the past 50 years. With the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown 2016, we start a new chapter in the Singapore story by coming together as a nation and imagining the possibilities that the future holds. We hope to capture the excitement and anticipation of looking ahead, wishing earnestly and dreaming big. We invite everyone to join us in this spirit and together ring in the New Year amidst joy and festivity in this place we have all come to know and love as home. ”
Mr Ng Lang, Chief Executive Officer of URA, said, “The Marina Bay Singapore Countdown has now firmly established itself as a key event on Singapore’s calendar, where the community comes together to welcome the New Year. This is the first post-SG50 event. Join us to make our collective best wishes for a brighter future for Singapore.”
Since mid-November, members of the public have been penning their hopes and wishes on wishing spheres at 21 wishing stations around the island. They can continue to do so at the Esplanade Courtyard and Esplanade Concourse until 20 December, after which the final batches of wishing spheres will be installed in Marina Bay and lit from 26 to 31 December. This visual installation in the bay will represent the collective wishes of residents and visitors for Singapore’s future. Netizens and Singaporeans overseas can also make virtual wishes at www.marinabaycountdown.sg.
The special projection show on the façade of The Fullerton Hotel Singapore returns this year from 26 to 31 December, at various timings nightly. It will depict the dynamism and vibrancy of the future of Singapore, whilst remaining anchored in images that capture our identity as a nation, from shophouses to HDB flats to lush tropical landscapes. On New Year’s Eve, the public can look forward to the final showcase beginning at 11.55pm that culminates in a countdown sequence to midnight, followed immediately by the firework display.
With the range of ticketed and non-ticketed events around the Bay, the evening promises something for everyone.
These events include:
Refer to Annex A [PDF, 206kb] for the full list of activities.
Orchestrating a meaningful and large-scale event such as the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown is a huge undertaking. Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay and Urban Redevelopment Authority actively partner with the private sector in various ways to bring in special elements for all to enjoy.
This year, DBS and The Fullerton Heritage have returned as Principal Sponsors for the fourth and second time respectively to support our 11th edition. Working towards the shared goal of making Marina Bay a ‘People’s Bay’, DBS has also renewed their sponsorship to support the efforts in organising the next two editions till MBSC 2018.
The Fullerton Hotel has once again come on board to offer their historical façade for the special projection show. An iconic building located in the heart of Singapore’s commercial district, it is fitting that their façade will be the blank canvas to the projection depicting Singapore’s urban journey from the past into the future.
The Marina Bay Singapore Countdown is also generously supported by our Community Partner – the Tote Board Family comprising Tote Board, Singapore Pools and Singapore Turf Club; Main Sponsors – Marina Bay Sands and Singapore Land Authority; Sponsor – Marina Bay Financial Centre; Official Airline Partner – Tiger Airways Singapore Pte Ltd, Outdoor Media Sponsor – Suntec Singapore, and the Singapore Tourism Board.