My family attended the National Day Parade Preview 1 at the National Stadium, and felt that the venue may not be suitable for celebrating Singapore’s birthday.

We were seated in a front row of the green sector, also known as the east zone, and expected a good view of the parade (“Parade segment for NDP 2016 to give spectators immersive experience”; July 16, Channel NewsAsia).

While we could clearly see the Kallang Wave making its round, we could hardly see the performances on the stage and at ground level. We did not get the full picture of the parade, ceremony and various acts.

Our view was blocked by the centre platform (picture). What we could see were performers rushing to and leaving the stage.

The performers were facing the north zone where the VIPs will be seated. Those seated in this area should be able to enjoy a good view of the show. It might be better to do away with the elevated stage for those seated in other areas.

While the stadium can house 55,000 NDP spectators at a cost of S$39.4 million, the Marina Bay floating platform, which seats 30,000 people at a cost of between S$15.7 million and S$17.9 million, appears to be the better venue.

Audiences at the latter venue can enjoy a full view of the parade. Also, owing to the site constraints at the new stadium, some traditions such as the Red Lions’ jump had to be forgone.

While the stadium’s retractable roof provides a comfortable environment, it effectively blocks the view of the fly-past and outdoor fireworks.

However, I commend the organisers for their efforts to adapt the first show to the site’s constraints. The crowd control was excellent, and fun packs were distributed to the various seats to save us time.