22 reasons why the coming F1 weekend will be awesome

Rockin’ parties, A-list DJs and diamond giveaways…these are just a few rad reasons why this year’s F1 weekend’s a smash.

1. Amazing concerts

With the official off-track highlight concerts comprising Pharrell Williams (Sep 18), Maroon 5 (Sep 19), Spandau Ballet (Sep 19) and Bon Jovi (Sep 20), the line-up is looking pretty saucy. Spread over next weekend (Sep 18-20), these headliners will be taking over The Padang and Village Stage. And you don’t even need additional tickets—other than the race tickets, that is, which start at $68 for a Friday Zone 4 Walkabout. Purchase them here.

Amber Lounge

2. Celebrity sightings

If you are crazy enough to splash on the $900 price tag for a single ticket, or $31,000 Methusalem Table, Amber Lounge (Sep 19-20), is yours for the taking. It’s the official after party of the F1 Grand Prix, and it’s going to have the highest concentration of star power per square meter over the weekend with names like Gordon Ramsay, Lewis Hamilton and David Beckham. There’s even a fashion show by Ted Baker and Chi Chi von Tang, a new label by Lisa Crosswhite, the founder of online store Gnossem.

3. World-class DJs

With no less than 15 different after parties, you can bet that every major club in town is going to be hosting some sort of lavish post-race bash. 1-Altitude has three nights of festivities, starting with the Johnnie Walker Circuit Party (Sep 18, 10pm), with views of the tracks, no less. There’s also Ce La Vi’s Night Race Weekend, which has tons of DJs like Samantha Ronson, Cassidy and Jose Padilla spinning 57 floors up. But if you haven’t snagged tickets to Amber Lounge, head to Podium Lounge (Sep 18-20), an equally ritzy post-race party with a line-up of DJs like Kristian Nairn, better known as Hodor from Game of Thrones.

4. Crazy raves

Miami’s famous EDM festival heavyweight comes to Singapore for the first-time ever this year. It may be held in a slightly unsexy venue, but Road to Ultra (Sep 19, 10pm) has roped in DJs EDM fans will go absolutely ga-ga for. First off, there’s dubstep darling Skrillex and then there’s EDM-electro DJ Nicky Romero, as well as chart-topping Swedish DJ Alesso. And don’t forget to wear your neon best, funky headgear and country flags. Tickets start at $168 for General Admission.

Bread Street Kitchen

5. MBS’s latest celeb restauarants

If raving isn’t your thing, then maybe being a glutton is. There’s no shortage of celeb chef star power in the bay area and some of the restaurants may even have views of the tracks. Head to enfant terrible Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen for some elevated British food and alfresco tipples heading to the races. Or check out David Thompson’s Thai street food joint Long Chim is your best bet—it’s secluded and super sexy. Not forgetting David Myers’ California-meets-Asia small plates restaurant Adrift, which has great locally-inspired cocktails and uni sandwiches.

6. New reasons to love the neighborhood

F1 weekend always reminds us how much cool stuff there is to do around Marina Bay and City Hall. For example, at Suntec City, gourmet marketplace Pasarbella is set to open any day and the gargantuan mall has stepped up its food game.There’s also a seven-in-one Japanese enclave Eat at Seven , a huge space with seven different restaurants serving sushi and sashimi or straw-grilled skewers of meat. Or head to affordable and homey Italian restaurant Bottura, dishing out Bolognese favorites like pizzas and lasagne.

7. Water-based fun

If you didn’t already know, the greater Marina Bay waters are home to some cool sports centers that allow you to row, sail and paddle board your way out. Passion Wave @ Marina Bay has kayaking, canoeing and bell boating, which is a double-hulled canoe. Renting the facilities starts at $15 for two hours. Unfortunately, you’ll only be allowed to row up to the ECP bridge. If you want to sidle in on the action in Marina Bay, opt for some sailing sessions with DBS Marina Bay Sailing , where you can do two-and-a-half hours of sailing and instruction for $350.

8. Themed dinners galore

If you’re more interested in the food and less so the fast cars, there are a few pop-up dinners happening around town, too. For a hearty meal, head to Artichoke’s Dude! Where’s My Food where Chef Bjorn Shen is whipping up a meat lovers’ meal of bacon cheeseburger gyozas and five-cheese grilled cheese sandwiches. Onj the more traditional front, Candlenut is serving a special menu of their best Peranankan dishes like satay, itek tim and ayam buah keluak until Sep 20.

9. And fancy degustations

Gastronomic modern European restaurant Stellar rolls out a special F1 Sunday brunch ($110 with no alcohol) that involves a seafood spread and lots of Champagne. You’ll get a killer bird’s eye view of the city while sipping on free flow Champagne (additional $148). There’s also a free flow Italian buffet happening at L’Operetta for $88. No track views here, though.

10. Free-flow Champagne everywhere

Catch five glamorous nights of fashion shows, a line-up of 50 DJs, a luxurious ladies night with diamond giveaways over bubbly and a panoramic view of the race track at Sky Grande Prix 2015 held at Angie’s Oyster Bar, Empire, Patio and Sear from Sep 16-20, 6:00pm-3:00am. If party-hopping is on your agenda, pop over to Dom Perignon Presents Luminous FT Dirty Vegas at Attica on Sep 18. There’ll be a neon green light show, a bubble display, dance performances and a showcase by Grammy award-winning DJ Paul Harris of Dirty Vegas—tickets start at $30 including two drinks.

11. Shots and arcade games

RedDot BrewHouse is doing a multi-colored shooter tray special inspired by the colors of race cars, and involving a mix of Blue Curacao, Peppermint, Campari,Jagermeister, Vaccari and Barcardi 151. The special is $35 every evening from Sep 18-20. Speed devils may want to head over to The Mogambo/Hero’s GPSS Competition until Sep 26 for a chance to win a $500 bar tab. It’s a virtual race competition and you’ll have to hold the fastest record at 8pm on Sep 20 to claim the top prize. Need liquid courage? Down the evening’s shot, The Pit Stop, at $10 each.