Speech by Minister Chee Hong Tat at the Opening Ceremony of i Light Singapore 2025
May 29, 2025
A very good evening, everyone. I am delighted to join you to celebrate the opening of the 11th edition of i Light Singapore. i Light Singapore was first launched by URA in 2010 to mark the opening of Marina Bay.
Since then, with the strong support of our partners, talented artists and the public, i Light Singapore has grown in scale and established itself as a signature Marina Bay event. It has made our city more distinctive with creative and sustainable art installations.
Last year, the festival drew more than two million visitors, which is a wonderful testament to its popularity.
This year’s festival is especially meaningful because we are coming together as a nation to celebrate SG60, Singapore’s 60th birthday. It is therefore very appropriate that the theme for this year’s festival is “To Gather”, as this event is about bringing people of all ages and backgrounds to come together to forge new memories and to celebrate our collective aspirations for a sustainable, shared future.
Marina Bay: a People’s Bay
Now as we commemorate SG60, it is a good time to look back on how Marina Bay has transformed into the vibrant and attractive urban precinct it is today.
Our vision for Marina Bay started as early as the 1970s, when our pioneer generation of leaders and planners foresaw the need to expand the city centre to support and sustain Singapore’s long-term growth as a global business and financial hub.
The plans were set in motion, to reclaim some 360 hectares of prime waterfront land around a new waterbody that is seamlessly connected to the existing city centre.
Our founding Prime Minister, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, took a keen interest in the project and played a key role in supporting the team to translate the bold vision into reality. I recall that when I was serving as Mr Lee’s Principal Private Secretary from 2008 to 2011, this was one of the places that he would like to visit regularly.
Today, Marina Bay is a dynamic and modern hub anchored on sustainable infrastructure with attractions and also mixed-use developments. It forms part of Singapore’s iconic skyline that is recognised over the world. And every time we have Formula 1, Marina Bay is also one of the areas that is featured and seen by many people from around the world.
Most importantly, it has transformed into a People’s Bay, with vibrant community spaces for all Singaporeans to enjoy.
Importance of Long-Term Planning: DMP 2025
The transformation of Marina Bay is a story of long-term planning and also meticulous implementation. It is the story of the foresight of those who came before us, who dared to dream and who have laid the foundations for a better Singapore.
This very same principle of stewardship – of planning ahead, thinking beyond our own immediate needs, and balancing the needs of our current and future generations – this is what we want to continue to embody, as we chart Singapore’s future growth and development.
Hence, every ten years, we will review the Long-Term Plan that guides the development of Singapore, mapping out strategic land uses and infrastructure needs over the next 50 years.
Yes, 50 years. This is how far we plan ahead, so that we are ready for the future. Not every country is able to do this. We can, because our people have supported and worked with the Government to provide political stability which creates an environment that allows long-term planning and encourages long-term investments.
Having journeyed with Singaporeans in the Long-Term Plan Review in 2021, we have since built on these shared conversations and aspirations, and mapped out detailed land use plans for the next 10 to 15 years in the Draft Master Plan.
I am happy to share that we will launch URA’s Draft Master Plan 2025 Exhibition on 25th June. I invite everyone to view the exhibition, to see how we are planning for a more liveable, inclusive, and endearing home, a home that all of us can be proud of.
Fostering Connections Through Art, Light, Sounds, and Sustainability
Placemaking initiatives, like i Light Singapore, can gather people from all walks of life and bring our public spaces, like Marina Bay, to life.
It reflects our ongoing partnerships with the private sector and community groups, to transform public spaces into vibrant, inclusive and meaningful experiences that strengthen our community identity and foster a sense of shared ownership of our city.
In doing so, businesses in these areas benefit from the increased footfall, while Singaporeans and visitors alike enjoy the improvements to the physical spaces. So placemaking, when it is executed well, is a win-win strategy for all.
Today’s i Light Singapore is testament to how our placemaking efforts over the years have borne fruit. This year’s festival returns to South Beach, and for the first time, to new satellite sites at Raffles Place and Singapore River, reaching out to even more people and benefitting even more businesses.
Artists from Singapore and around the world continue to inspire visitors with beautiful, interactive and innovative light art installations, complemented by a range of exciting activities, and of course, good food. For example, we have the installation of “Bridge of 1,000 Dreams” and this has transformed Cavenagh Bridge across the Singapore River with illuminated bamboo sticks, that reflect the dreams and visions of Singaporeans.
The success of URA’s placemaking efforts like i Light Singapore, and the festival village GastroBeats, where we are at right now, would not have been possible without the close collaboration among our dedicated partners.
With 17 installations and a wide range of activities, visitors can look forward to immersive experiences filled with captivating art, light and sounds, as well as unique waterfront experiences. The i Light river cruise shuttle service connects the Bayfront South Jetty, Clifford Pier Jetty and Raffles Place Jetty, inviting visitors to explore the Bay from new perspectives. Glow PAddle, a night paddling expedition organised by the People’s Association’s PAssion Wave, is also making a comeback, adding a different experience to the festival while encouraging outdoor recreation and a deeper connection with our city’s waterfront.
The festival also celebrates our collective aspirations for a sustainable, shared future. For example, the installation “Take a Walk through the Meadow with Me” by Megan Tan and Tan Shao Xuan repurposed acrylic waste discarded by fabrication studios and workshops into 300 illuminated flowers.
Conclusion
Let me conclude my speech. i Light Singapore 2025 is more than a visual spectacle. It is a reminder of what we can achieve when we come together with a shared commitment to build a brighter, more sustainable future.
The development of our city is not just about constructing buildings and infrastructure, but also about connecting people and places, and creating spaces where Singaporeans live, work and play. It is about enhancing our living environment and improving lives. At the heart of it all, it is about our people.
As I take on this new portfolio at MND – I started this week, so this is my first week, still a lot to learn but it is a very interesting portfolio, but I have a great team of colleagues in the MND Family, so I am looking forwards to this. It is a very challenging task, but it is also very meaningful job. I hope to continue to engage and collaborate with all of you – our stakeholders and partners – to transform even more of our public spaces into vibrant and impactful experiences that brighten our lives, strengthen our community identity and foster a sense of shared ownership of this beautiful city we call home.
I wish everyone an enjoyable evening ahead. Thank you very much.