Where to catch the New Year's Eve fireworks for free in Singapore

Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza

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You’ll be right in the thick of it here – if you manage to squeeze among the crowds and ‘tahan’ till midnight. Probably the most popular spot to catch the fireworks, you’ll need to be physically and mentally prepared to attempt this trip but we guarantee you’ll be rewarded with stunning sights of the fireworks.

Helix Bridge

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If you can’t get a good vantage point at the MBS Event Plaza, go past the ArtScience Museum, to the Helix Bridge. It’s a popular spot with photographers – because of the unobstructed view – so go really early and park yourself here if photography is your main aim of the night.

If you can’t find a spot here either, try the Benjamin Sheares Bridge, which is a bit further back but promises good views too.

Esplanade Waterfront

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This is the area in front of Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, and is across Merlion Park and next to The Float @ Marina Bay, which is a ticketed area. While it's usually quieter on most days, we're very sure that the area will be brimming with crowds on New Year's Eve, so if you're planning to head over on the day itself, we recommend going a little earlier to secure your spot.

Merlion Park

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This park gives you front-row seats to the action and you’ll have the beautiful Marina Bay Sands as the backdrop to the fireworks. Jubilee Bridge next to it is also a coveted area. Because of this, Merlion Park gets extremely crowded so only embark on this trip if you have the tenacity to last in a crowded place for hours as you’ll have to get here very early in order to secure a spot with the best views.

Marina Barrage

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It’s a bit detached from where the main action is taking place but you’ll get a panoramic view of the Singapore skyline from here. Plus, the vast grassy area means you can lie back and watch the sky burst into a myriad of colours. Sounds like a great way to ring in the new year, doesn’t it?

Conveniently situated just above Downtown MRT station, this grass patch isn’t huge so you might need to go super early to stake your claim. Even if you don’t get a good spot to see the actual fireworks, you’ll be able to catch their reflections in the buildings at Marina Bay Financial Centre, situated just next to The Lawn.

Bay East Garden

Credit: Gardens By The Bay website

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Located at Gardens by the Bay, you’ll get glorious views of the Marina Bay skyline here. It also doesn’t get as crowded as the immediate areas around Marina Bay so there’s a chance you’ll get some breathing space as you wait for midnight. Bonus: it’ll be easier to get out of this area too, once the celebrations are over.

Not keen to venture out to town? You might be able to catch the fireworks display in your neighbourhood. The People’s Association (PA) have announced that seven locations have set up fireworks displays for those keen to catch fireworks over the heartland on New Year’s Eve.

They are:

– Tampines, Our Tampines Hub Town Square;
– Boon Lay, Block 215 Boon Lay Place hard court;
– Marsiling, Woodlands Stadium;
– Nee Soon, FutsalArena @ Yishun;
– Keat Hong, Keat Hong Square (hard court, Choa Chu Kang Loop);
– MacPherson, hard court outside MacPherson Community Club;
– Marine Parade, Block 46 Marine Crescent hard court.

Stadium Waterfront

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If you want to catch the fireworks in a quieter place, the Stadium Waterfront area at Kallang Wave Mall is where you should go. The area has wonderful views of the city skyline plus it’s near the water too so the colourful fireworks will be a dazzling addition to an already-superb view.

Spending your NYE in Sentosa? You can ring in the new year by the beach as the island resort is setting off its own 10-minute fireworks display at midnight this year, beginning with a 10-minute drone show (starting at 11.50pm).

There are three locations where you can catch the free fireworks display: Central Beach Bazaar, Wings of Time (seating gallery), and the Sentosa Sensoryscape (outside iFly/Beach Station).