Singapore expects the weekend to be sunnier than ever

The Singapore Grand Prix is ​​only days away and local press reports that tickets are quickly selling out and room rates in good hotels have risen by 50%. All this speaks of great interest in the race, which will be held at the Marina Bay city circuit after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

Singapore is waiting for the arrival of tens of thousands of fans from different countries. The increased focus on the race is also explained by the fact that Max Verstappen can secure a second championship ahead of schedule this weekend. Incidentally, he has not yet managed to win this race, although he has climbed the podium a few times – in 2018 he finished second, in 2019 – third.

But the English-language Today newspaper, speaking in today’s issue of the atmosphere on the eve of the Singapore Grand Prix, rightly notes that the public is drawn not only to racing matters, but also to a truly impressive cultural scene. program, which will be spearheaded by world-renowned bands such as Westlife, Black Eyed Peas and Suede – apart from a long list of smaller stars.

In the menu of the best restaurants, in addition to traditional champagne and caviar, dishes have appeared in the name of which somehow reflect the theme of motorsport, for example, for dinner you can have a certain “Delight under the roar of the engine ”, for brunch – something more modest, which is simply called Fuel Up, ie “Gas station”, for dessert – cake “Pit-stop”.

Since Formula 1 racing is also an opportunity for the business world to hold important rallies and meetings over the weekend, more than two dozen different events will be held in Singapore, including a global conference hosted by Forbes magazine, which brings top executives to the largest companies. .

“This is a signal to the world that Singapore is back to work and that we have not lost our ability to host world-class events and deliver the highest quality,” said Ong Ling Lee, Executive Director of the Singapore Tourism Board.

He did not provide exact statistics on ticket sales, but noted that more tickets have already been sold than in 2019, when 268,000 spectators watched the Grand Prix weekend. Ticket prices start at SGD 98 and go up to almost SGD 10,000, which is how much it costs to watch the race from the Paddock Club.

“From an international perspective, this will be the most exciting event to take place in Singapore since the pandemic. Song Seng Woon, an economist at CIMB Bank, noted. Singapore is organizing a lavish party to lift the restrictions caused by Covid-19. The Formula 1 race will also have an impact on other Asian countries, which are in full swing to restore their former business activity.”

These restrictions have had a very strong impact on the island city-state’s economy: if more than 19 million tourists and business visitors visited it in 2019, there were only 330 thousand last year. But now life is gradually returning to its previous course, and according to the latest statistics in the ranking of the world’s major financial centers, Singapore has already surpassed Hong Kong.

Hotel room rates, especially those close to the highway, have already hit more than S$2,000 a night, but Today also cites an impressive price tag for a special service that’s also in high demand this weekend: The 5-star Fullerton Bay hotel offers a luxurious and multi-room suite for 25 people, which costs S$100,000 per night. It has been specially designed to throw a real luxury party there – for example in honor of Verstappen’s second title.

“Personally I don’t just go to the Grand Prix before the race – I want to see who will be at this party and see if the old atmosphere has really returned. But I have a feeling it will be even more fun than before,” he said. Song Seng Woon.