Long snaking queues form as people collect NDP tickets: ‘Why can’t do digitally like CDC vouchers?’
Collecting tickets for this year’s National Day Parade (NDP) 2026 and its preview shows proved to be a test of patience for some Singaporeans.
The parade will return to the National Stadium for the first time since 2016.
Stomper Lee said she was surprised by the length of the queue after collecting her tickets at Marina Square on June 28 at about 10.30am
“In 2019, I went to collect NDP tickets and there wasn’t much of a queue,” she said. “But this year, the line seems extremely long.
“I collected my tickets within 30 seconds after showing the QR code. The staff scanned it and passed me the tickets.”
Lee said she noticed some people taking longer at the counters and speculated that they did not have their QR codes ready or were collecting tickets on behalf of someone else.
She suggested increasing the number of collection counters or splitting the process into two stages.
“Maybe they can break the collection into two parts,” she said.
“The first is to scan the QR code to verify that the person won the tickets. The second is simply to hand over the tickets.
“Alternatively, one counter can have two staff facilitating instead of just one. The staff seemed very busy, stressed and chaotic.”
Another Stomper, Mumtaz, said her brother spent about two and a half hours in the queue.
“He had to rush home to put a medical device on his son who has sleep apnea,” she said.
“When he asked how much longer he had to wait, he was told different timings throughout the wait — ‘Come back tomorrow’, ‘One hour more’, ‘Two hours more’.”
Mumtaz questioned why physical ticket collection was still necessary.
“If CDC vouchers can be sent through SMS, I don’t see why NDP tickets can’t,” she said.
“Please don’t torture people in this way and get with the 21st century. Be a first-world nation in all aspects.”
TikTok user @eileen_eats_alot also documented the “long snaking queue” in a video she took on June 27 at about 3pm, showing a line winding through Marina Square’s second floor.
She said she waited about one hour and 15 minutes to collect her tickets.
In her video, she advised others: “Come early — I heard no queue in the morning.”
The comments suggested waiting times varied depending on the day and time.
One user wrote: “So long… I went on Friday around 4pm and I thought the queue was long. The queue started outside BHC Chicken but after looking at your video your queue is longer… By the way I only waited 15 mins.”
Another shared: “I went on Saturday too at 11am but took only 10 mins.”
Others, like Mumtaz, questioned why physical ticket collection was still required.
“Why in the technological age still need to spend hours to collect tickets?” one commenter asked.
Another wrote: “Why can’t they send online tickets to people?”
Not everyone minded the wait.
Some joked they would gladly queue if it meant securing tickets.
“I apply so many years still cannot get,” one netizen wrote.
Why physical tickets are still used
In response to a similar question on why physical tickets are used instead of e-tickets, the NDP executive committee said physical tickets are used because they incorporate security features, such as unique hot-stamped designs, to help prevent counterfeiting.
The committee also said physical tickets are technology-independent, allowing for smoother entry by avoiding potential issues such as poor network coverage or mobile phone batteries running flat.
Ticket collection continues this weekend
According to the NDP website, the second weekend of ticket collection is taking place at Marina Square’s Level 2 Linkbridge Atrium from July 3 to 5, between 10.30am and 8.30pm.
Those who have successfully balloted for tickets are reminded to bring along their e-letter containing the QR code required for collection.
The organisers also advise visitors to avoid peak periods, as the collection counters tend to be busiest during lunch and dinner hours. Recommended collection timings are between 10.30am and noon, and 2pm and 5pm.
Stomp has contacted the NDP 2026 executive committee for comment
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