The Glam Circuit Festival Is Back As F1 Weekend Approaches
As the Grand Prix Season Singapore draws near, the whole country is ushering in the season with a wide range of events and experiences. Among them, the historic quarter of Kampong Gelam has been transformed into festival grounds, hoping to provide an immersive experience to the public in the form of culinary offerings, race-themed activities, local indie acts, and a singing competition, all in preparation for F1 weekend.
Back for its fourth year, One Kampong Gelam (OKG)'s Glam Circuit Festival 2024 promises to usher audiences into the race season. In addition, OKG tapped beneficiaries from the social service organization APSN to make sure that the festival is accessible to enthusiasts and casual fans alike.
"The Glam Circuit Festival 2024 is a celebration that goes beyond the thrill of speed and the charm of our cultural heritage," says Mr Zaki Maarof, Chairman of OKG. "It offers a multitude of experiences that symbolize the diversity and dynamism of the Singapore night race. We are excited to present an event that reflects true to the vibrant and inclusive spirit of Kampong Gelam in such a refreshing way leading up to the race weekend.”
OKG's commitment to sustainability and commitment shines through as it prepares to power the festivities completely via solar energy. For the staging of the 10-day event, it partnered with green energy solutions provider, Gorental.SG. With this comes clean battery generators for all retail booths and selected activities to reduce its overall carbon footprint. The generators emit zero air and noise pollution.
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What to Expect From the Glam Circuit Festival 2024
In a span of two weekends, the Glam Circuit Festival 2024 takes guests on a unique dine-play-groove journey, blending together the thrills of racing and the rich heritage of the district. Here's what to expect from the festivities.
Baghdad Street, Aliwal Street Carpark, and Sultan Gate Park are opening up their 80 food and beverage brands and retail outlets to guests exclusively for the celebration.
Here, festival-goers can indulge in an international array of food, from the kebabs and shawarma from Arabica Kebab to the charcoal burgers at AshesBurnnit and grilled seafood from Noi Kassim BBQ. Notable, too, is Nasi Arab from Nasi Arab Habibi, which offers uniquely flavored croissants from Flamboyant Goons. Meanwhile, vendors like Home Of Seafood and The Original Vadai are serving sushi and fresh Indian vadai.
Immersive motorsport simulation games are scattered all over the festival grounds, as well. At Baghdad Street Carpark, families can go and test their skills at the racing simulator. Complete with stunning graphics and responsive controls, the stations are open to people of all ages.
The Scream Booth, on the other hand, invites participants to earn tokens, free passes, dining vouchers to Cappadocia Turkish and Mediterranean Restaurant, and many more prizes. Walking further down Sultan Gate Road, the Canvas Circuitry hosts a community-driven art project in the life-sized sustainable cardboard race car. The installation encourages kids and parents to collaborate.
The Games Village at the Aliwal Street Carpark is also hosting its version of a local fair for families, with its Ring Toss, Mini Golf Course, Bullseye, Bubble Play Zone, and Velcro games. This village's carnival games are especially geared toward kids, with race-inspired games such as the Water Gun Race and Race Car Bowling. Complementing these are the photobooths and the Pit Stop Mechanic for making racing-themed mementos.
Of course, the event wouldn't be complete without the precinct’s Kampong Gelam Music Festival. Singaporean music acts represent a diverse range of genres for the enjoyment of guests, including Rock, Reggae, Indie-Pop, Malay Fusion Drums, R&B, and Brazilian Percussion. These are meant to reflect Singapore's rich multicultural landscape.
Two stages are set up at Sultan Gate Park and Aliwal Street Carpark that feature homegrown acts. Brazilian Percussion band Bloco Singapura kicked off the festivities last weekend by welcoming Raggae pioneers BUSHMEN, 53A, and R&B Singer-Rapper-Songwriter Zalelo. Other acts, including Malay Fusion Drums band Nadi Singapura, pop punk band Curry The Basil, and soulful buskers like Fyrdauz Macbeth and REX are also expected to perform.
Closing out the week is the second week of a highly anticipated DJ set and singing contest. On September 20, Haji Lane Hang-out will be offering an "after-hours" party, as the area transforms into a vibrant music festival. The public can expect a night race experience boasting various DJ performances.
To officially welcome F1 weekend, OKG unveils Glam Voices 2024, a singing competition where Singaporeans show their range and vocal prowess. An esteemed panel of judges, as well as the audience, will be judging for the grand prize.
While these happen at the Glam Circuit Festival 2024, the performing acts at F1 Weekend are comprised of both new and old stars. These include One Republic, Honne, 30 Seconds to Mars, Kylie Minogue, DJ Guy Lawrence of Disclosure, BabyMonster, the Corrs, and Lenny Kravitz.
The Grand Prix Season Singapore's Glam Circuit Festival 2024 will run until September 22, from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, and from 2:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. from Friday to Sunday. The Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix will be happening from 20 to 22 September 2024.
