Marina Bay and the Civic District are set to transform into a spectacular countdown celebration venue, decked out in beautiful light projection shows and firework displays, to usher in 2018. With the strong support from a community of partners, the largest countdown celebration in Singapore presented by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) will host a wide variety of activities to cater to people from all walks of life.
From 26 to 31 December, the facade of The Fullerton Hotel Singapore will be transformed into a canvas for light projection displays. Designed to the theme of Marina Bay Singapore Countdown 2018 – “Bay of Hopes and Dreams” – the light projection show will illustrate the journey of the “Fullerton Postmaster Bears” overcoming challenges in a light-hearted storyline. The five-minute facade shows will take place half-hourly from 8pm nightly. In between each light projection show, the public can also look forward to the display of selected New Year wishes on the hotel façade. These wishes were collected from the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown 2018 website since November. Joining in the light projection spectacle for the first time, the Merlion and ArtScience Museum will also see a spectrum of projected patterns and colours dance across their facades. Synchronised with the façade show at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, the light projection shows on the Merlion and ArtScience Museum will be shown from 29 to 31 December. A visual extravaganza awaits the public on New Year’s Eve as they will be treated to one-minute firework displays punctuating each hourly light projection show for the first time. In the minutes leading up to midnight, a final facade show will lead up to a special countdown sequence that invites everyone around the bay to collectively count down to the arrival of the New Year. 2018 will be ushered in by a spectacular six-minute midnight firework display set up in a linear configuration across a larger area of the bay for the first time, bringing the fireworks closer to revellers around the bay for an enhanced viewing experience. Accompanying the fireworks is music specially choreographed by local composer and music producer Mr Bang Wenfu. A synchronised display of festive lighting by buildings around Marina Bay will add to the visual showcase through the night. The five-minute displays of purple, blue and white façade lighting will be shown twice hourly from 8pm until midnight. Refer to Annex A [PDF, 28kb] for the timings of the visual displays.
Besides the crowd-favourite light projections and fireworks, the public can also enjoy a myriad of programmes hosted at four experiential activity hubs across Marina Bay and the Civic District on New Year’s Eve. At The Float @ Marina Bay, revellers can enjoy a fireworks viewing experience, shop for F&B and lifestyle products at the outdoor bazaar, or enjoy a picnic while revelling in the visual displays. Visit the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown 2018 website for ticketing details. Complementing the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown, the Prudential Marina Bay Carnival will welcome revellers from 3pm to 2am with more than 40 rides and games assembled from around the world. Spanning two activity hubs, The Promontory and Bayfront Event Space, the carnival will also play host to live performances by Singapore’s music talents including Falling Feathers, TheLionCityBoy and Jasmine Sokko. Carnival credits can be purchased on-site or via travel website Klook. Visit www.marinabaycarnival.sg for more information. The adjacent Civic District will become a car-free activity hub to enable more people to collectively usher in the New Year. The public can enjoy free outdoor activities such as the Health Promotion Board’s Fitness Countdown Dance Party, a sunset yoga session by Yoga Seeds, group exercises by ActiveSG, music performances by local talents at the National Arts Council’s Music@Empress and movie screenings. There will also be a pop-up bar by Spark Connections at ACM Green where revellers can socialise and make new friends over specially concocted drinks. With a variety of food options at an F&B bazaar, the public can also enjoy picnics and soak in the festive spirit. St Andrew’s Road, Connaught Drive and part of Fullerton Road will be closed to traffic from 4pm on New Year’s Eve until 5am the next morning for activities to take place. Revellers will also be able to enjoy indoor exhibitions with the extended opening hours of galleries at the Civic District. The exhibition galleries at National Gallery Singapore will remain open until as late as 2am, while the Asian Civilisations Museum will remain open until midnight. Admission is free for selected exhibits at both attractions from 10am and 5pm respectively.
While going from one activity hub to another, the public can explore Marina Bay at the same time with the MBSC Charity Trail through trail-based smartphone application “LocoMole”. The trail allows participants to learn more about landmarks in the live-work-play precinct and unlock mystery gifts at numerous hotspots. Participants can also donate to or volunteer at charities adopted by these stakeholders. Refer to Annex B [PDF, 188kb] for the hotspots that participants can explore with the trail. Along the waterfront promenade outside the Red Dot Design Museum, the Market of Artists and Designers will open from 5pm to 2am for the public to indulge in festive shopping with the artisanal products on sale at the marketplace. Across the bay at the Esplanade Concourse and Outdoor Theatre, music lovers can spend their New Year’s Eve at Celebrate December, which will feature a line-up of free performances organised by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. Mr Lim Eng Hwee, Chief Executive Officer of URA, said: “The Marina Bay Singapore Countdown has been a signature countdown event for over a decade, bringing vibrancy to the precinct. Together with our community of partners, we hope the multi-sensory experience this year will continue to fill everyone’s hearts with joy and hope for the New Year. We welcome everyone to join us at the heart of our city to usher in the New Year together.” Refer to Annex C [PDF, 598kb] for the list of activities around Marina Bay and the Civic District. For more information, visit www.marinabaycountdown.sg.