Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix Concerts, September 2013

There is one particular chicane, Turn 10 to be exact, nicknamed the “Singapore Sling” that has been modified for this year’s 2013 Formula One Singtel Singapore Grand Prix. Initial tests on a circuit simulator show that this will chip off almost a second off the quickest lap last year*, which could only mean one thing. Even quicker cars zooming through that particular sling, resulting in a track that is even faster! It seems the theme could very well be to “one up last year” because just as the lap times are gonna be quicker this year, we have, not three but four days (Friday til Monday!) of spectacular entertainment featured for this year’s edition of Formula One SingTel Singapore Grand Prix.

The Killers were one of the firsts to confirm their involvement in this year’s Formula One Singtel Singapore Grand Prix, dating back to as early as March. This announcement was certainly received warmly and with much buzz as this region has been waiting anxiously for The Killers to perform. They were slated to play Singapore back in 2010 but had to cancel unfortunately due to unforeseen family emergencies. Well, the wait is over now, three years, a number of solo albums and one new The Killers album later, they are ready to finally take center stage at the Padang Stage right after Qualifying.

If only the V8 engines (sadly, no longer V8s by next year) in a Formula One car could rev up at the speed of how fast certain Kpop acts are able to sell out a show in Singapore. There is no doubt about the power of Kpop music that has swept across the world, the Formula One circus no less. Big Bang’s Friday appearance will certainly be in the delight of many fans that have been in a post-gig withdrawal symptom since last year’s sold out Singapore Big Bang shows. Some of the members are no strangers as they were also featured as part of the line up for the 2011  Formula One SingTel Singapore Grand Prix.

As with the usual “80s revival” theme, this year, we have Tom Jones and charity king Bob Geldof grace the circuit. It will certainly be a welcomed hearing for sore ears when both veterans belt out great Grammy Award winning tunes. Expect plenty of nostalgia and unintentional 80s dance moves to be featured when the best of the best show them youngins’ how to put on a show.

As the one artist that has to follow up after an entertaining race, Rihanna would have some pretty big shoes to fill as Katy Perry successfully scorched through a Formula-One-inspired stage after last year’s race. There is absolutely no reason to worry though, because Rihanna is sure to put on quite a show to get the crowd going as the curtain closes (unofficially).

The past few years have surely been a rather tumultuous yet successful period for teenager Jusin Bieber. As the official closing act to the star studded line up, the Biebs will perform on a special one-night only show on Monday right after Owl City. Adam Young’s work on remixes as well as collaborations have expanded so widely that it seems his insomniac days may just get longer. Music from Owl City is certainly the perfect fit to the impeccable timing of kicking things off as the weekend winds down.

In this mini write up, do forgive us for featuring just a handful of these main acts. The amount of acts featured in this edition are extraordinary – more than twenty international acts will be performing over the glitzy and glamorous weekend. Sometimes, with the abundance of acts that will promise to entertain you the whole weekend, it is quick to forget that the Singapore Grand Prix is in itself a very special race due to the nature of it being held at night. Being in Singapore during the Formula One season is just a great eye-opening experience as the city bumbles to life up to the early wee hours of the morning as drivers, engineers and crew alike all set their body clock and remain at the European timezone. Enjoy the electrifying atmosphere with every overtaking manoeuvre, enjoy the like-minded crowd and most importantly, enjoy the great unique sounds that will only be featured over that extended weekend!

* Purely an estimation for projected lap times. Raw data will only start rolling in after Free Practice 1.