Some countdowns are about chasing the loudest stage or the densest crowd. Countdown 2026 at The Kallang offers something more considered - a precinct-wide celebration where atmosphere, movement and shared moments are as important as the final countdown itself.
This is a celebration designed for everyone - all ages, all energies, all ways of welcoming a new year.
An Atmosphere That Evolves Through the Night
From early evening, The Kallang begins to glow with colour, sound and motion. Rather than centering everything on a single stage, the celebration flows across the precinct, allowing visitors to shape their own experience.
Live music fans gravitate toward the heart of the action, while couples find quieter corners for romantic picnics by the water. Groups of friends gather in open areas and along social decks, soaking in the buzz without feeling compressed. Families arrive early, knowing there’s plenty to enjoy well before midnight.
Across the precinct, family-friendly fringe activities set the tone. From early-evening snapshots to post-fireworks keepsakes, photo spots at the Lawn Bowls and Level 2 of the Water Sports Centre provide easy moments to capture memories, while photo booths at OCBC Square commemorate the day.
From 7.30pm onwards, glam bars pop-up across key locations: OCBC Square offers face painting, face gems and fun tattoos until 12.30am; hair beading is available at the second floor of the Water Sports Centre until 11.30pm; while the National Stadium concession will have fun tattoos and hair beading until 12.30am.
These creative pit stops add flair to the night, creating natural moments to pause, refresh and reconnect between performances.
Anchoring the early evening is the Stage Programme, running from 7.00pm to 10.00pm at OCBC Square and the Water Sports Centre, featuring a vibrant mix of local artistes such as WhyLucas and buskers Evan Goh and RongTin.
OCBC Square will feature a kid-approved puppet show by Explorer Joe, kids sing-alongs with RongTin and WhyLucas, festive parade performances, and a junior beats party. At the Water Sports Centre, everyone can enjoy open-mic performances, along with songs by Evan Goh and RongTin.
These performances bring a more inclusive, community-driven energy to the celebration, ensuring the countdown feels alive across multiple spaces at once. From 10.00pm onwards, the precinct will host a live broadcast of the countdown concert, where the entire Kallang precinct comes together to celebrate and party as one.
A vibrant LED-themed countdown procession featuring fairy wings, Tron dancers, drummers, and ballerinas will weave through walkways and open areas at 8.30pm, adding movement, colour, and surprise - a reminder that the celebration never stays in one place for long.
A Countdown That Extends Beyond the Stadium
At the core of the night is the Countdown 2026 Concert, running from 8.30pm to 1.00am, featuring electrifying performances by local and international artistes. But what defines The Kallang’s countdown is how that experience extends far beyond the stadium.
Live concert satellite screenings bring the full show to OCBC Square and the Water Sports Centre, allowing visitors across the precinct to enjoy the performances on big screens, surrounded by open-air energy. Whether you’re dancing with friends, watching with family, or settling into a relaxed waterfront spot, you remain part of the same shared moment.
The celebration also reaches beyond the precinct itself. The concert will be streamed live on The Kallang’s social platforms, as well as iQIYI TikTok for overseas audiences, connecting local and international viewers to the same countdown, in real time.
A Celebration That Adapts to Every Pace
One of The Kallang’s greatest strengths is space. Wide waterfront walkways, open spaces and thoughtfully planned zones allow people to move comfortably, avoid congestion, or settle into quieter corners when they choose.
For those who prefer a slower, more relaxed way to welcome the New Year, ticketed experiences such as the Countdown 2026 Beach Club offer comfortable settings to gather and unwind. These options suit families, couples and groups who want to focus on conversation and fireworks while watching the countdown concert via live screening, rather than constant movement.
At the same time, high-energy areas remain vibrant for those who want to sing, dance and celebrate late into the night. The experience flexes with different moods and preferences, a rare quality on New Year’s Eve.
The Pièce de Résistance: Fireworks Over the Kallang Basin
As the clock edges closer to midnight, attention shifts skyward. From 9.00pm onwards, the Kallang Basin becomes the stage for the night’s most anticipated moment — a four-part fireworks display designed to unfold in chapters.
The sequence begins with Warm Home: Childlike Dream, easing early spectators into the spectacle. This flows into Love Flourishes and A Symphony of Stars and Moon, building scale and emotion. Finally, as the last minutes of 2025 tick away, A Vibrant 2026! delivers a powerful crescendo that carries the crowd into the New Year.
By starting early and building gradually, the fireworks invite everyone to be part of the celebration - whether you’re heading home before midnight or staying through the final countdown.
A Countdown Rooted in Community
At its heart, Countdown 2026 reflects what The Kallang stands for: a place shaped around community, families and shared experiences.
This is not a countdown designed for a single crowd or a single way of celebrating. It’s a night where grandparents watch fireworks with grandchildren, friends reunite over music, couples steal quiet moments by the water, and strangers count down together under the same sky. Adding a touch of anticipation to the night is The Kallang Pass, a special countdown initiative that turns one moment into a year of possibilities — with one lucky participant receiving a pair of tickets to all concerts, sporting events and live experiences across the precinct in 2026.
As 2026 begins, The Kallang doesn’t just host a celebration - it creates a space where shared moments continue long after the fireworks fade.
And that’s what makes this countdown truly special. To explore the full Countdown 2026 programme, visit our website.
