At the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, music and entertainment have taken a dominant role. As the with the new race, A-list events are ubiquitous in Sin City, an unignorable part of the celebration.
Here are some of the highlights.
DAY FOUR: LETB次元官网网址橲 GO RACING
Streets flood with fans in their race kits. Some are unhappy with the weekB次元官网网址檚 prohibitively expensive events B次元官网网址� including the exclusive live music opportunities. Others are simply excited to be a part of history at this new Las Vegas race. Elizabeth Blackstock, a motorsports report at Jalopnik, explains that in some ways, the entertainment branding opportunities took precedent over the race fans in Las Vegas.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 way more expensive than Monaco,B次元官网网址� Blackstock says of the infamously exclusive and prestigious street race. B次元官网网址淚t feels like Formula One just misunderstood entirely what the audience was going to be here and thought it was going to be this multi-million-dollar playground for ultra rich people. And the sport just isnB次元官网网址檛 big enough for people to want to do that.B次元官网网址�
On Saturday night, for the first time all week, grandstands appeared to be completely full and fans eager to witness the spectacle they waited to see, after a playful DJ set from Anderson .Paak and an animated performance by J Balvin. When the red lights extinguished, it seemed like finally entertainment gave way for racing B次元官网网址� but music was still in the air.
In the evening and on the strip, Shaquille OB次元官网网址橬eal appeared at Club SI, an exclusive event space hosted by Sports Illustrated on the Strip. In a few hours, his son, Myles OB次元官网网址橬eal, will take over DJ duties.
B次元官网网址淚 call it the adrenaline factor,B次元官网网址� Shaq says of why an athlete would want to involve themselves in music. B次元官网网址淪o, 2011, when I retired, I didnB次元官网网址檛 have the adrenaline factor B次元官网网址� the full adrenaline factor,B次元官网网址� he says.
Of performing: B次元官网网址淕et that hour, hour and half, kids jumping up and down, mosh pitting, it makes me feel similar to a playoff game.B次元官网网址�
DAY THREE: EXPANDING F1B次元官网网址橲 HORIZONS
Much has been made about Formula OneB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址� so it should come as no surprise that Puma has named rapper A$AP Rocky the Creative Director of their partnership with F1.
At a panel in the Venetian Hotel, Rocky said car culture has always been inextricably linked, but when it comes to F1, B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 see the urban side or the hip-hop side really glorified or displayed,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 want to kind of introduce that more, make it more prevalent.B次元官网网址� Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, celebrated for his experimental fashion in addition to his incredible racing talent, has worn the designs.
As much as hip-hop and streetwear informs RockyB次元官网网址檚 design language, he says he also pulled directly from F1 history for the collection, like in a beige distressed balaclava. B次元官网网址淚t derived from the image of a racer whose balaclava caught on fire, but he survived. And we kind of wanted to use the mummy look,B次元官网网址� he said. The look was inspired by Austrian F1 driver Niki Lauda, a representative for Puma confirmed. At the 1976 German Grand Prix, Lauda crashed, causing him severe burns after his Ferrari burst into flames. The incident nearly killed him and left him scarred.
At a cafe in the early afternoon, singer/songwriter Chloe Stroll, sister of Aston Martin Formula One driver Lance Stroll, celebrated the release of her new single, B次元官网网址淗omesickB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� and the opportunities an evolving F1 has allowed her.
B次元官网网址淚 love that F1 has become a really cool platform for music as well,B次元官网网址� she said, B次元官网网址淎nd itB次元官网网址檚 given me a massive opportunity.B次元官网网址�
Nowadays, F1 fans will stop her at races and talk to her about her original songs. Online, F1 fans are her most vocal supporters. SheB次元官网网址檚 grateful B次元官网网址� particularly for those who make the distinction between her family and her art. B次元官网网址淔ormula One is undoubtedly something that has impacted my life and my family, but it is not who I am,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淚 think people are able to see, through my social channels and my music, exactly who I am.B次元官网网址�
Elsewhere, the connection between F1 and music is felt through brand partnerships.
In the evening, Major Lazer and A-Trak performed at the T-Mobile Zone at the Sphere between the final practice and qualifying sessions. For the first time this week, there was a particular kind of synergy between both the musical performances and the racing.
DAY TWO: TRACK DAMAGED BUT THE BEAT GOES ON
On Thursday, at a Sinatra-themed restaurant in the lobby of the Encore casino, Colombian reggaetonero emerged in all black leather.
HeB次元官网网址檇 performed the day before at the Las Vegas Grand Prix opening ceremony B次元官网网址� the only artist to perform a song not in English, his Usher-sampling B次元官网网址淒ientes.B次元官网网址� On Saturday, heB次元官网网址檒l close the race weekend with a longer performance, making him the only musician to take the stage at this inaugural Formula One race twice. In many ways, it is fitting: F1 is a global sport, Balvin is a global artist, and music has become with the sport.
B次元官网网址淣o matter where youB次元官网网址檙e from, your language, people just love it, you know?B次元官网网址� he told The Associated Press about his connection to the motorsport. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 really cohesive B次元官网网址� my vision and Formula One.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淥n the business side, itB次元官网网址檚 good exposure,B次元官网网址� he says of why artists are motivated to perform at F1 events. B次元官网网址淥ther things relate to it, but personally, I love fast cars.B次元官网网址�
The sentiment echos something will.i.am told AP in advance of the opening ceremony: B次元官网网址淓very producer, every DJ wants to play F1. Why? Because itB次元官网网址檚 a (expletive) of money they make,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淓very band thatB次元官网网址檚 any band wants to play the mainstage at F1.B次元官网网址�
Las Vegas is the F1 race of the 2023 season B次元官网网址� and the money is felt.
At night, countless concerts overlapped with what was supposed to be the first two Formula One practice sessions B次元官网网址� a loose water valve cover , and the second was delayed two-and-a-half hours for track repairs. Dedicated spectators were removed from viewing areas ahead of the 90-minute session that ended at 4 a.m. local time B次元官网网址� the deadline for F1 to return the roads to Las Vegas commuters.
But for a large population of Vegas tourists, it was as if nothing was amiss. Jack Harlow played an abridged and charming set at a private SiriusXM + Pandora Concert at The Cosmopolitan. (Liberty Media, which owns Formula One, is also the majority owner of SiriusXM.) The Chainsmokers hit the stage at the Wynn. (The luxury club and casino is a founding partner in the Las Vegas Grand Prix.) Tardy Travis Scott performed at Zouk Nightclub located in Resorts World Las Vegas, another partner of this particular race.
For the music fan lucky enough to score an exclusive invite or privileged enough to afford one, it was a remarkable night of all-star performances. For the racing fan B次元官网网址� not so much.
DAY ONE: A MICRO B次元官网网址極LYMPICSB次元官网网址�-INSPIRED OPENING CEREMONY
It was raining in the Las Vegas desert on Wednesday night when Thirty Seconds to Mars emerged atop a giant, custom-built LED platform on the racetrack that, in just over 24 hours, will host the first ever F1 practice session.
For the inaugural Vegas race weekend, the Grand Prix hosted an Opening Ceremony B次元官网网址� not too dissimilar from the star-studded event that launch the . Jared Leto and his brother Shannon Leto wore matching race suits, launching into a medley of 2005B次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淭he Kill,B次元官网网址� their biggest hit,B次元官网网址� and 2023B次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淪tuck,B次元官网网址� their most recent one.
Then, in less than half an hour, there were abridged performances from Keith Urban, Andra Day (with a rich cover of the BeatlesB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淐ome TogetherB次元官网网址�), Kylie MinogueB次元官网网址檚 Bishop Briggs, Journey, Steve Aoki, J Balvin, and will.i.am, each musician appearing atop their own LED platform.
Ti毛sto and John Legend performed together from the roof of the exclusive Paddock Club, where top-tier tickets could set attendees back $40,000. For the audience in the grandstands, tickets ranged from $100-$200.
The event reflects Formula OneB次元官网网址檚 accelerating B次元官网网址� and vice versa.
B次元官网网址淎nyone who hasnB次元官网网址檛 been to an event like this canB次元官网网址檛 conceive of the level everything is at,B次元官网网址� told AP the morning of the performance.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 much closer to an Olympics opening ceremony than anything IB次元官网网址檝e ever seen,B次元官网网址� he added.
For his set, the country star performed B次元官网网址淪omewhere in My Car,B次元官网网址� a clever gesture to the automotive theme B次元官网网址� and promotion for his continued Las Vegas residency.
The eclectic lineup reflects a shift in the F1 audience, which has grown in popularity among young Americans over the last half decade. The inclusion of Grammy- and Oscar-winning actor Day, for example, is a welcomed surprise in a bill stacked with dedicated artists who frequently perform at these events: Ti毛sto, Steve Aoki, and F1 Global Artist in Residence will.i.am among them.
B次元官网网址淭he Formula One world is new to me,B次元官网网址� Day said, adding that the global reach of the sport was the B次元官网网址渂iggest drawB次元官网网址� for her to join the event. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 such a variety of people from all over.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淎t the same time, it is nostalgic for me. It reminds me of being a young girl, and how cars can bring people together. Just like music.B次元官网网址�
For the EDM DJ and Las Vegas resident , the F1 Opening Ceremony is indicative of VegasB次元官网网址� growing appeal. B次元官网网址淚 think of Las Vegas as the entertainment capital of the world,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淎nd to be the entertainment capital of the world, you have to have it all.B次元官网网址�
He also believes that there is a shared energy to F1 and live music.
B次元官网网址淧eople love F1 because of the sound and the energy. People want that adrenaline and excitement B次元官网网址� there is that synergy. And I think a lot of drivers are really big music fans as well,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淚 connected with (Mercedes Driver) Lewis Hamilton almost ten years back. We went to Michael JacksonB次元官网网址檚 studio in Bahrain and hung out there. ThereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of synergies between the drivers and music.B次元官网网址�
Just donB次元官网网址檛 except a musical collaboration between the two anytime soon. It was more of a hang.
And later this week? Between the musical performances from elite talent,
