Revellers at the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown 2017 can look forward to a greater variety of activities that will be hosted in a much larger celebration area stretching from Marina Bay to Civic District and Singapore River. As the year draws to a close, revellers will be treated to hourly 3D projection façade shows and light and laser displays, culminating in a Midnight Display integrating fireworks with light, laser and flames for the first time.
For the third year running, the façade of The Fullerton Hotel Singapore will be illuminated and animated with a brand new projection display that transforms and highlights the National Monument’s unique architectural features with a spectrum of patterns and colours. From 26 to 31 December, the public can catch the five-minute façade shows at 8pm, 9pm, 10pm and 11pm nightly.
For the first time on New Year’s Eve at Marina Bay, four special fireworks will be introduced before midnight. These fireworks will punctuate a one-minute light, laser and fire display taking place in the centre of the Bay right after each hourly façade show on The Fullerton Hotel Singapore.
A final façade show at 11.54pm will lead in to a special countdown sequence that invites everyone around the Bay to usher in the New Year. The year will then begin with a Midnight Display, which integrates the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown’s iconic eight-minute fireworks display with light, laser and flames – another first for the Countdown. The Display is choreographed to a rearranged version of the song “Glaciers”, written by local instrumental rock band and Esplanade’s Mosaic Associate Artist, In Each Hand A Cutlass. Spectators can witness the four special fireworks making their appearance again, as well as the final and largest burst of fireworks to ring in the New Year.
Mr Joseph Tan, Head, Programme Management (Music & Planning) of The Esplanade Co Ltd said, “In many ways, the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown 2017 represents new beginnings for us – pre-midnight light and laser displays, a refreshed wishing activity, and new elements in the Midnight Display with post-rock music driving the show. The fireworks choreography and projection mapping design reflect this spirit of ‘A New Dawn’ – our chosen artistic theme for the Countdown. They remind us that no matter what 2016 has been like for each of us, the sun will still rise on 2017, illuminating new opportunities and possibilities that we can all hope for and look forward to.”
Buildings around the Bay will join in the celebration with a synchronised showcase of festive lighting at the 15-minute and 30-minute marks from 8:15pm to 11:30pm. The city skyline will be lit with blue, orange and yellow hues to simulate the colour effects of dawn.
The public can see the five-minute themed lighting displays on: • Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, • Marina Bay Sands, • Marina Square, • Maybank Tower, • Millenia Tower, • OCBC Centre, • Ocean Financial Centre, and • Republic Plaza.
For the first time, the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown celebration area will extend beyond Marina Bay to include the Civic District. With the Civic District closed to traffic on New Year’s Eve, the precinct will be transformed into a people-friendly and activity-filled space, connecting Marina Bay to other areas in the city centre to form the largest celebration area the annual countdown event has ever seen.
With the extended celebration area, the public can look forward to even more activities on New Year’s Eve catering to different interests and groups. Music lovers can catch free performances at Celebrate December organised by Esplanade and Music@Empress organised by the National Arts Council, or the ticketed Rock On! 2017 concert featuring local and international artistes; shoppers can visit the Countdown Market or the Marina Waterfront Bazaar to shop for handcrafted goods or collectibles; sports enthusiasts can participate in free workout sessions at GET READY for 2017 with Yoga Seeds or the HPB Fitness Countdown Workout Extravaganza organised by the Health Promotion Board; while families can enjoy a picnic, free movie screenings or the BounceOFF! Fiesta 2016 where selected inflatables at The Promontory will be open to the public for free on that day.
For an even better night out experience, attractions in the celebration area will extend their hours on New Year’s Eve. Gardens by the Bay will extend the lighting hours of its conservatories, Supertrees and the festive Luminarie light sculptures until 1am on New Year’s Day.
At Civic District, National Gallery Singapore, Asian Civilisations Museum and Victoria Theatre & Victoria Concert Hall will remain open until midnight. National Gallery Singapore will hold a series of performances, family-friendly activities and guided tours planned specially for New Year’s Eve, with the Iskandar Jalil: Kembara Tanah Liat exhibition and selected F&B outlets remaining open until midnight.
With the car-free Civic District stitching together the key precincts in the heart of the city, revellers can also extend their night out to the adjacent Singapore River where selected F&B outlets offer New Year’s Eve promotions and hold countdown activities. Refer to Annex A [PDF, 319kb] for the activities at Marina Bay Singapore Countdown 2017 and Annex B [PDF, 203kb] for the list of activities at National Gallery Singapore.
Mr Ng Lang, Chief Executive Officer of URA, said, “We hope to make Marina Bay Singapore Countdown this year a great night out for everyone. The community can be out early in the evening to enjoy the many attractions in the city before coming together at the Bay at midnight to watch the fireworks display and collectively usher in the New Year.”
Visit marinabaycountdown.sg to find out more about Marina Bay Singapore Countdown 2017.