As the only open plain in the area, the Padang was chosen by
William Farquhar as the location of the British encampment in Singapore on 28 January 1819. In 1852, the
Singapore Cricket Club was formed and a clubhouse built on the western edge of the Padang. During the
Second World War, the
Japanese used the Padang as a gathering point for European and
Eurasians before they were marched to internment camps on the island.
Subhas Chandra Bose's
Indian National Army held their parades there in June 1945. Due to its prime location and historical significance, it has been used as a venue for a variety of events. It was the first host of the
Singapore National Day parade (NDP), and has hosted it on a regular cycle (every three years from 1984 to 1994, every five years since) and during years that mark national milestones (such as the
bicentennial of modern Singapore in 2019). From 2023 through 2025, it will host the parade due to the reconstruction of its designated main venue
The Float @ Marina Bay as
NS Square. On 4 November 2018, the Padang hosted the live finals of the
Mandopop reality music competition
SPOP Sing!. On 3 August 2019,
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat announced that the Padang will be gazetted as a
National Monument along with the
Anderson Bridge,
Cavenagh Bridge and the
Elgin Bridge (collectively known as the Singapore River Bridges), due to the historical significance - these include the World War II surrender in 1945, National Day Parade and the signing of the country's formation in the British colony and self-independence. The Preservation of Monuments (Amendment) Act will allow open spaces or the whole of the area to be gazetted as national monuments, such as
Fort Siloso and Padang. On 8 August 2022, it was announced that the Padang would be gazetted as the nation's 75th national monument on 9 August, the 57th anniversary of the Republic's independence. ==Gallery==