Stop Your Engines: The Singapore Grand Prix 2020 Is Officially Cancelled

It is going to be a long time till we see crowds like this again (Credit: F1 Singapore Facebook page)

With the mass cancellation of events worldwide and on home soil, the topic of whether the Singapore Grand Prix will take place this year has been an elephant in the room. Given that early bird tickets were still on sale on its official website, it was presumed for months that the high-octane event was raring to go in spite of the COVID-19 crisis. Now, it’s been officially given the red light.

Not this year (Credit: F1 Singapore Facebook page)

In a press announcement, it’s been revealed that the organisers have finally made the call (the right one, in my opinion) to pull the plug on the event scheduled for 20 September 2020. Organisers elaborated that they were unable to proceed with the race due to prohibitions imposed on access and construction of the event venue. A decision endorsed by the Singapore Tourism Board, this is the first time the night race has been cancelled in 12 years since its debut in 2008.

Performances are usually packed throughout the various stages surrounding the race tracks (Credit: F1 Singapore Facebook page)

For music fans, this is undoubtedly a huge blow as it is the time of the year when big names swing by, with past headliners including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gwen Stefani, The Killers, Kylie Minogue, Pet Shop Boys and even Queen + Adam Lambert. This is usually a booming time for clubs in Singapore as well, as many often throw F1-themed parties or generate additional revenue from the influx of international visitors. The cancellation of the Singapore Grand Prix this year brings all of this to a screeching halt.

Organisers, however, have assured that F1 fans will still have something to look forward to in the event’s absence, with a schedule of programmes in the coming months to engage fans and promote the sport. Details of this are scant at the moment, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that some of these include concepts that benefit the music scene.