Close to 10,000 people involved in this year’s Chingay Parade celebrating culture and creativity
This year’s extravaganza will feature a circular route to create a more immersive experience and increase audience participation.
by Alxis Thng · CNA · JoinRead a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
SINGAPORE: Nearly 10,000 people are involved in this year’s Chingay Parade, including more than 3,000 performers and over 5,000 residents from Singapore’s five districts – Central, North East, North West, South East and South West.
This year's extravaganza, which is themed “Wish”, will take place on Feb 27 and 28 at the F1 Pit Building.
The large-scale community event will celebrate multicultural heritage blended with modern creativity, featuring vibrant costumes and props, elaborate floats and dynamic cultural performances.
DAZZLING EXTRAVAGANZA OF COLOURS
Started in 1973 as a street parade to celebrate the Chinese New Year, Chingay has since evolved into an iconic annual event showcasing Singapore’s rich multi-ethnic and cosmopolitan culture.
For the first time, the parade will feature a circular route with a tiered 360-degree stage that can rise up to 10m at its full height.
Organisers said this year’s event places a stronger emphasis on drawing spectators into the experience, with closer interactions between performers and the crowd.
Among the highlights is a “starry tree of wishes” float comprising 1,500 stars, which its creators say symbolises shared aspirations and hopes.
The float’s lead artist, Ms Cherie Ng, said the building process has taken more than three months, with around 400 to 500 participants coming together to create individual stars and write their wishes on each one.
“We thought it’d be nice for people to pan down their wishes. We have very heartfelt wishes on the float,” she added.
Ms Ng is no stranger to Chingay, having followed in the footsteps of her aunt, who was also a float artist.
“I got started in Chingay when I was still in secondary school,” she recalled.
“My aunt was an artist for one of the very, very big floats. So I came to ‘kaypoh’ (be nosy), so that's how I got started. Then when I graduated, I thought I should join her full-time.”
A TIGHT TURNAROUND
With the festival fast approaching, time is tight. But Ms Ng is not working alone.
Backed by a team with diverse skill sets, members play to their different strengths to bring the float to life. Volunteers have also been pitching in every weekend since November.
Co-artist Lim Jia Ren said his engineering background has been useful as he works closely with contractors and fabricators on the technical aspects of constructing large structures, while ensuring the safe operation of heavy machinery.
Beyond the spectacle, Chingay also serves as a platform for creative experimentation, where traditional art forms are reinterpreted with contemporary design – allowing younger artists to push boundaries while staying rooted in cultural narratives.
Among them is costume designer Tan Jing Xuan, 28, who had only about two weeks to come up with ideas for the costumes.
Despite the tight timeline, she stayed committed to the process – sketching out 10 different ideas, half of which were eventually selected.
Singapore is a city where global influences coexist with deep-rooted traditions, Ms Tan noted.
“(My wish is that) my costumes can reflect the balance between modernity, contemporary (styles), and also traditional heritage."
Sign up for our newsletters
Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app