Scalpers are offering the highly sought-after tickets - given out for free - at online auction sites like eBay and mocca.com.

Prices have hit $120 for a pair of tickets to the actual show on Aug 9 and the preview on Aug 2, with the average quotes hovering at around $90.

While scalping the tickets is not illegal, it is frowned on by parade organisers, who gave out the 54,000 NDP tickets during an electronic ballot earlier this month. Its spokesman said: 'We strongly urge Singaporeans not to buy or sell the tickets.'

eBay's vice-president (emerging markets) Dan Neary said: 'We will be glad to work with the NDP organisers or the authorities to resolve the matter of NDP tickets being resold.' The Straits Times understands that some online auctions of NDP tickets were stopped last year.