How Singapore’s F1 Grand Prix Became The ‘Coachella of Asia’
Categoria: Musica
"No other festival in Asia possesses comparable buying power or influence" as the Singapore GP, WME's Brett Murrihy says.
Por Billboard | 29/10/2026
SINGAPORE — With its combination of speed, glamor, artistry and science, Formula 1 is a spectacle that travels at a speed and sound nothing else can match. It was Red Bull’s Max Verstappen who bagged the 2026 Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix earlier this month with a pole-to-checkered flag win, an historic deed for the flying Dutchman who finally conquered a race that had eluded him for a decade . If Verstappen was the king of the track, The Killers, Janet Jackson, Split Enz, JJ Lin and Lana Del Rey were the stars of the live show, a music festival that pumps away when the racing pauses. With its flashy street circuit and three-day live music festival, the Singapore GP has a speed and sound quite unlike any other race on the calendar. Established in 2008, senior music industry executives are now calling it the premier annual music festival in Asia. Billboard was there to catch the action Oct. 9-11, both on track and across the event’s 11 live entertainment stages. Neil and Tim Finn of Split Enz perform at the 2026 Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix. Jared Rezel/Singapore GP Pte Ltd Coachella of Asia Concert promoters pray for sunshine. The team behind the Singapore GP’s music festival did just that, and their prayers were mostly answered. Slippery conditions for a Formula One Grand Prix aren’t just a bummer, they can be downright dangerous. When these rockets on wheels fly around bends and top speeds of 230 mph on the straight, grip is paramount. Neil Finn performed with Crowded House at the Singapore F1 GP last year, and returned this time with the reunited art-rock legends Split Enz. Finn always brings the weather with him, not a talent that’s ideal for these circumstances. So, for the Enz’ opening night set at the Wharf stage, in Zone 1, the New Zealand songsmith sent out a message of good luck “to all the drivers and all the teams. Let’s hope they go real fast. And stay real safe.” Singapore in October is hot and humid, even through the evening. And this year, hazy, thanks to a bushfire crisis in neighboring Indonesia. Gloomy reports from the BBC on the eve of showtime warned that due to poor visibility and air quality, restrictions might be placed on the entertainment. Promoting live entertainment, there’s never a dull moment. Mother Nature didn’t go and spoil the fun. Rain fell prior to the Sprint Race, Saturday, Oct. 10, which meant for some adjustment to the start times of the following stage lineup, but the event and entertainment proceeded as planned, organizers say. The weekend action occupies downtown Singapore and is within walking distance of roughly 25,000 hotel beds. It’s partly for this reason that international visitors account for half the GP’s 100,000-person daily attendance. There’s no doubt that the sport of F1 is the main drawcard. But in Singapore, the music program is no passenger. “Singapore GP has become one of the most significant events in the region, often referred to internally at