Celebrate Singapore with a lineup of National Day content on Mediacorp platforms
Here’s what to look forward to on TV and Mediacorp’s digital platforms this National Day season.
by May Seah · CNA · JoinIt’s almost National Day, and time to celebrate Singapore.
Beyond the annual National Day Message and Parade, there’s also a lineup of celebratory content that will be available across Mediacorp’s network.
There’s the latest edition of the Gardens by the Bay and Mediacorp National Day Concert, as well as a specially curated lineup of local content themed “Singapura Vibes” on digital platforms mewatch and melisten .
Look forward to new content including special episodes of Chinese bite-size lifestyle series #JustSwipeLah, Malay info-ed programme Detik Khas and Tamil variety show Ini Kondattam Aarambam.
NATIONAL DAY MESSAGE 2024, Aug 8 and 9, various timings
Delivered in Singapore’s four official languages, the National Day Message will be available across Mediacorp’s digital streaming platform mewatch, free-to-air TV channels and radio stations.
On free-to-air TV, you can tune in to Channel 5 at 9.30pm, Channel 8 at 8.45pm, Channel U at 11.30pm, Suria at 8.30pm, Vasantham at 9pm and CNA at 6.45pm.
The National Day Message will be delivered in English by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong; in Mandarin by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong; in Malay by Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli; and in Tamil by Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam.
NATIONAL DAY PARADE, Aug 9, 5.50pm
This year’s National Day Parade will be held at the Padang, with the celebrations extending to the Promontory at Marina Bay for the first time, in a special collaboration with NTUC.
Themed “Together, As One United People”, acts will include pre-parade performances by students, local artistes and the Red Lions; a Parade and Ceremony segment with a combined military tattoo by the SAF Band and secondary school bands; and a Volunteer Contingent segment highlighting civic roles; not forgetting key moments such as the State Flag Flypast, the Salute to the Nation, the Presidential Gun Salute and the Feu de Joie.
For the first time, a segment will involve contingents advancing onto the spectator stands. Another debuting segment is the Total Defence 40 (TD40) Dynamic Defence display “Together, We Are Strong”, which will showcase integrated responses to threats through coordinated displays between the Padang and Marina Bay.
A show segment titled “Our People” will celebrate Singapore’s strength and diversity through performances and filmlets.
You can watch the NDP on free-to-air TV channels Channel 5, Channel 8, Channel U, Suria and Vasantham; listen to it on CNA938, Capital 958, Warna 942 and Oli 968, and stream it on Mediacorp Entertainment on YouTube and other digital platforms.
For more information on the National Day Parade 2024, visit NDP’s website.
GARDENS BY THE BAY AND MEDIACORP NATIONAL DAY CONCERT, Aug 17 at 7.30pm
The latest edition of Gardens by the Bay and Mediacorp National Day Concert will take place live on Aug 4 at The Meadow at Gardens by the Bay.
If you can't be there in person, you can always check out the telecast on Channel 5, mewatch and Mediacorp Entertainment on YouTube on Aug 17 starting at 7.30pm.
Themed “Our Home, Our Heart, Our Singapore”, the concert will feature performances by homegrown artistes including Olivia Ong, Shabir, Yung Raja, Taufik Batisah, Sezairi and Benjamin Kheng.
Liu Ling Ling, Rahimah Rahim and John Klass will perform a medley of Singapore folk songs like Singapore Town and Munneru Vaalibaa, while Mediacorp artistes Bonnie Loo, Desmond Ng, Jeremy Chan and JJ Neo will join hands with the talents from Mediacorp’s reality singing competitions Juara Mic Junior and Yaar Antha Star for a performance of K-pop boy band BTS’ catchy track Butter.
Guest of honour President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, alongside Ms Jane Ittogi, will introduce themselves in sign language and lead the audience in the pledge recitation, accompanied by members of the Singapore Association for the Deaf signing along during the finale.
NEW ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMMES, AUG 8 and 9
Catch a special episode of Chinese bite-sized lifestyle series #JustSwipeLah, in which Mediacorp artistes Chantalle Ng, Tasha Low and Desmond Ng take viewers behind the scenes of the Chinese drama Hope Afloat and share about their roles as characters with disabilities who overcome challenges to thrive in their professions.
The episode will also feature a sneak peek into the highly anticipated Chinese drama Emerald Hill, showcasing actress Seow Sin Nee learning the Javanese dance Ronggeng and later performing the dance during the filming of the drama. (Aug 9, 8.35pm on Channel 8.)
Malay series Detik Khas will present a special episode exploring the stories behind streets named after notable figures in the Malay and Muslim community, and their contributions to Singapore’s multicultural heritage. (Aug 8, 8.45pm on Suria; also available on mewatch.)
Tamil breakfast show Ini Kondattam Aarambam, hosted by Mediacorp OLI 968’s DJ Kather and actress Dhivyah Raveen, will feature a culinary segment with actress Shamini Gunasagar and her mother, guest appearances by popular personalities Ebi Shankara and Eswari Gunasagar, and musical acts by singers Vishnu Balaji and Pavitra Nair. (Aug 9, 9am on Vasantham; also available on mewatch.)
Viewers can also catch the Tamil variety gameshow Vidumurai Attagasam Season 2, hosted by Saravanan Ayyavoo and featuring celebrities like Hari Krishnan, Abishek Jay, and Thivya Shalini. (Aug 9, 9.15pm on Vasantham.)
Other offerings include holiday movie specials such as the Chinese comedy Chilli Laugh Story, animated adventure film Throne of Elves and family-friendly film The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water.
SINGAPURA VIBES
Catch a slew of Singapore content on mewatch including Tagalabas, a short film about a young boy balancing his Filipino heritage with life in Singapore; Plesent, the story of a young girl yearning for a closer bond with her father; The Last Bout, set in a 1930s amusement park; Chinese dramas like To Be Loved, Hope Afloat and Cash on Delivery; Malay titles such as Cerita Dia Macam Ni, Snip & Snappy and Runcit; Tamil shows like 1943, Ayya Veedu and Sepoy; and CNA’s On The Red Dot series Family Mysteries and Eat Up.
On melisten, there’s a specially curated playlist Majulah Mix featuring NDP theme songs from previous years; an interview with Benjamin Kheng as he discusses the composing process of the NDP 2024 theme song; and, in conjunction with the Olympic Games Paris 2024, a special BiblioAsia+ episode featuring the inspiring story of Chia Boon Leong, the only Singaporean footballer to play in the Olympics.
For more information, visit mediacorp.sg.