Tickets to Singapore Grand Prix nearly sold out, but fewer spectators expected in 2023
Tickets to the Singapore Grand Prix continue to be a hot item with the Sept 15-17 race almost sold out, although 52,000 fewer spectators are expected due to the closure of the Bay grandstand.
Race promoters Singapore GP anounced on Tuesday that 16 out of 23 categories for the 14th edition of the Formula One night race are sold out, while nearly all hospitality packages have been taken up.
Some 250,000 spectators are expected over the three days – a 17 per cent drop from the record turnout of 302,000 in 2022. This is due to the closure of the 27,000-seater Bay grandstand as part of redevelopment of The Float at Marina Bay. The new site is expected to be ready by end-2026.
Singapore GP executive director Adam Firth said: “We were prepared that we would temporarily lose our biggest grandstand when we saw the redevelopment plans for the facility a few years ago and have been hard at work to actively identify potential sites for new viewing opportunities.
“We were always aware that we will not be able to completely replace the inventory, especially given the limitations of a street circuit. Fortunately, we were able to overcome the challenges and recoup 10,000 tickets with several exciting new options for our fans.
“We are delighted to have such a fantastic response to the six new grandstands introduced earlier this year, and look forward to build on this momentum...”
The marquee event is a highlight in Singapore’s sporting calendar, with the 2022 edition – the first after a two-year hiatus owing to the pandemic – seeing its biggest turnout since the inaugural race in 2008. But there was a cloud over the future of the race following announcements in July that Transport Minister S. Iswaran and tycoon Ong Beng Seng were being investigated by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).
Both men are known to be key figures in making the Republic’s pitch to become a part of the Formula One circuit, with Ong owning the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix.
But the Singapore Tourism Board’s executive director for sports and wellness Ong Ling Lee said that preparations for the race would continue as planned despite the ongoing corruption probe.
The 2023 event will also feature entertainment acts such as American band Kings Of Leon and British acts Culture Club, Groove Armada and Madness, as well as American rapper-singer Post Malone and English pop star Robbie Williams.
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