Over the weekend, Singapore ushered in the new year with a bang.
After two years of pandemic restrictions, about 500,000 people were eager to celebrate 2023’s arrival at Marina Bay.
The crowds swelled drastically throughout the night, with many areas needing to be closed off. As a result, fears of a crowd crush, similar to what occurred in Itaewon last year, arose.
However, those who attended the event praised the police for their effective crowd control, preventing such a situation from occurring.
Here’s the lowdown on what happened that night.
On 31 Dec 2021, thousands of partygoers were at Marina Bay for the annual countdown event, Marina Bay Singapore stated in a Facebook post.
Gathering at locations such as the Esplanade and the waterfront by Fullerton Hotel, the crowds grew in size by the time 2023 rolled around.
A TikToker was able to capture the severity of the situation in a video, where many attendees rushed to the MRT station after the event.
He bemoaned that there was only one escalator available at the exit.
However, a few netizens pointed out that alternative routes were available.
A first-time visitor of the event also noted that the crowd was kept constantly moving to prevent the occurrence of a crowd crush.
Another TikToker similarly praised the Singapore Police Force (SPF) for their management. While the crowd had seemed significant, measures in place were effective.
One of this included closing access to certain areas to manage the congestion.
The NYE countdown event heralded the return of full-scale celebrations for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
Thousands gathered at the Esplanade Bridge all the way to Merlion Park, eager to catch a glimpse of the fireworks at the count of midnight.
And they did not disappoint — 2023 arrived with a truly magnificent display over six heartland locations, including the one at Marina Bay.
Courtesy of Star Island, the show captivated thousands of revellers, ushering in the new year with style.
Mediacorp’s Let’s Celebrate 2023 countdown concert also returned, featuring performances by local icons such as Shila Amzah and Glenn Yong.
It was certainly a night to remember. MS News wishes all our readers a happy 2023 ahead.
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Featured image adapted from TikTok and TikTok.
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