SINGAPORE: Visitors going to this year's National Day Istana Open House may, for the first time, round off their time there with an outdoor evening concert on the lawns.The Istana, the official workplace of the President of Singapore, will welcome visitors from 9.30am to 8pm on Sunday (Jul 26).The evening performances will run from 5pm to 7.30pm, with the last entry at 6.45pm. Visitors are encouraged to take along their own mats or field chairs to watch the live performances by Singapore artistes, the President's Office said in a media release on Wednesday (Jul 22).
Taking the stage are singers Amsden Huang and Shazza, as well as bands Fourteen Aces and Soft Boiled Eggs from Project #JalanJalan, which is a youth-led community initiative that creates opportunities for young musicians to perform and develop their talents outside of school.The inaugural concert will cap a full day of activities celebrating Singapore's past, present and future through sports, heritage and community activities, as well as cultural performances.Visitors may take part in inclusive sports such as boccia, seated floorball, virtual archery and drone football, alongside community fitness challenges by Active Health under Sport Singapore (SportSG).Former and current Team Singapore athletes, including footballer Lim Tong Hai, badminton player Derek Wong and gymnast Lim Heem Wei, will make appearances as part of the One Team, One Dream campaign to rally support for fellow athletes. Visitors will also be welcomed to share their hopes for the nation through interactive installations.These will include the National Pledge Digital Wall that commemorates the 60th anniversary of the National Pledge, SportSG's Our Sporting Dreams Wall, and the Towards SG70 time capsule initiative, where the hopes and memories penned by participants will be opened in 2035 when Singapore turns 70.For more hands-on activities under a heritage theme, visitors may make clay versions of colourful food items, or create postcard prints inspired by Singapore's everyday life and heritage. Workshops ranging from relief printing to scent pouch making will also be available.Adding to this year's lineup is the debut of the Istana Stamp Rally, developed with the Singapore Polytechnic. Designed for visitors of all ages, the rally encourages families and friends to explore different corners of the Istana grounds, complete challenges, collect specially designed stamps and redeem exclusive Istana merchandise. Throughout the day from 10am, there will be live performances by homegrown artistes, youth performers, as well as students from LASALLE College of the Arts, the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and several madrasahs.
