Gear up to party like it is 2019 again with the biggest F1 concerts in town
Formula One concerts, last staged in 2019 and on hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, are finally making their big comeback.
With more than 40 music acts performing over multiple stages all over the Marina Bay Street Circuit from Sept 30 to Oct 2, the Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2022 returns to being synonymous with arguably the biggest music event of the year.
Before the pandemic, the Padang Stage within the Circuit Park hosted some of Singapore’s largest concerts, with crowds of up to 65,000 people.
Like in previous instalments, the entertainment line-up of acts playing this year is a mixed bag that includes some of the most prominent artistes of the last three decades.
Apart from crowd-pleasing headliners with mass appeal such as American groups Green Day and Black Eyed Peas, there is also American DJ-producer Marshmello for the electronic dance music (EDM) crowd; Australian singer The Kid Laroi for fans of current and contemporary pop; English band Suede for Britpop lovers; and American R&B duo TLC for evergreen pop fans.
“We curate the entertainment to hopefully provide something for everyone,” says Singapore GP executive director Adam Firth. He notes that the F1 audience hails from a “very wide mix of age and backgrounds” and that, on average, about 40 per cent of them are visiting from overseas.
He adds that half of the artistes performing across the nine stages and doing roaming performances all over the Circuit Park are made up of home-grown talent, an “important objective”. These range from percussion troupe Bloco Singapura and rapper Shigga Shay to singer-songwriter Inch and DJ A/K/A Sounds.
Mr Firth says the biggest hurdle for the organisers this time round was to secure the overseas performers after capacity restrictions and other safe management measures were eased for events with mass audiences earlier this year.
“Most international acts plan their touring routes well over a year ahead, so with shorter notice, it is challenging to find space within existing tour schedules to fit fixed dates. We are already starting our conversations for 2023.”
Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2022
Where: Marina Bay Street Circuit
When: Sept 30 to Oct 2, various timings
Admission: All tickets, which start at $98 for the Friday night walkabout and Bay Grandstand tickets, will allow access to the Padang Stage. Go to https://str.sg/wrkA for more information
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