First wave of circuit park entertainment announced for 2009 FORMULA 1 SINGTEL SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX

International line-up includes Backstreet Boys and Chaka Khan

At the 2009 FORMULA 1 SINGTEL SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX the entertainment is not restricted to the excitement on the track. Artistes from all over the world are scheduled to perform around the circuit park on the 25th, 26th and 27th of September. FORMULA ONE ticket holders can exclusively enjoy an array of world-class entertainment free of charge, specially selected for their respective zones.

There are eight locations within the Marina Bay Street Circuit designated for entertainment. These include the F1 Village and Paddock Club Lifestyle Area in Zone 1, the Floating Platform in Zone 3, as well as the Padang, Stamford, Esplanade Park and Esplanade Waterfront stages in Zone 4. The entertainment will start as early as 4pm, with performances scheduled to end around midnight. Acts will appear across multiple zones, except Chaka Khan who will be exclusively appearing in the Paddock Club Lifestyle Area and the Zone 1 stage.

Headlined by renowned international artistes Backstreet Boys and Chaka Khan, the entertainment line-up# includes stage performances covering genres such as World, Soul, Pop and Rock. These also include Senegalese legend Youssou N’Dour – listed in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People – who produced the classic “Seven Seconds”, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Mavis Staples and Filipino pop sensation Rivermaya. Los Angeles culture-mashers Ozomatli are also set to energise audiences across the circuit park.

To add to the carnival atmosphere, a variety of roving performers such as local drumming troupes Wicked Aura Batucada, Strikeforce and Australian visual arts group Slack Taxi will also be roaming amongst spectators for a truly memorable weekend. Comedian Austin Flowers, Pavarotti impersonator Tenor Roger Davy and the Brazilian Samba Girls who were such a hit with the crowd last year, have also been brought back.

Singaporeans can also look forward to our very own local acts; jazz singers Alemay Fernandez and Dawn Ho, rock bands London Fog and Electrico as well as award-winning record producer and songwriter, Hanjin.

A second group of artistes will be announced in early July. “This first group of internationally acclaimed artistes is just the tip of the iceberg. Essentially, spectators will be in for a multi-sensory treat. Last year’s eclectic mix was unique to any circuit park and was a huge success. This year, we are topping that with a bigger line-up of artistes for non-stop entertainment throughout the weekend, all included in the ticket price,” said Mr Michael Roche, Executive Director of Singapore GP.

“Ultimately, we want to ensure that spectators at the 2009 FORMULA 1 SINGTEL SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX have a memorable experience. Each ticket is truly value-for-money as you can enjoy on-track action as well as an arts and music festival in one convenient location, over one jam-packed weekend,” added Ms Sarah Martin, Director of Operations of Singapore GP.

The Singapore F1 Grand Prix 2009 is not just races, it also has concerts. source