Over Half a Million Expected at Marina Bay Area on NYE

With New Year’s Eve festivities back on rotation this year, it is expected that 500,000 people will be going to the Marina Bay celebration areas on Dec. 31, according to estimates by the Strait Times.

Most programs took a two-year break due to pandemic restrictions but are going all out this year. Meanwhile, the crowd is expected to fill up all the major thoroughfares and usual party hot spots in Marina Bay.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF), already expecting a surge of revellers, will be deploying 700 officers around the area. They will also enlist SPF drones and several “Enhanced Mobicam,” or police cameras equipped with electronic signage and speakers, around the city to further monitor crowd levels during the festivities.

Top of mind for the authorities is to avoid a major incident like what happened in Itaewon in Korea, where as many as 150,000 people packed in narrow streets that ended up in a crush and resulted to 150 dead. SPF officers will regulate the flow of people within the vicinity of Marina Bay, and when certain areas are nearing the limit, they will shut down entry and re-entry to ensure the safety of visitors.

Certain traffic arrangements, including road closures, will be in effect on specific periods during the event.

People can check the Crowd@MarinaBay map at this link (no longer updated as of July 2023), which will be live at 6 PM on Dec. 31, before proceeding to the area. It is a government-led real-time crowd monitoring program to help anyone planning to attend the festivities.