ABU DHABI // Tickets for this year's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix festival are now on sale for as little as Dh365 a day.
Formula One fans will also have more ticket choices, including the new Abu Dhabi Hill, Friday Brunch and Yas Trackside Terrace.
For the first time, general admission ticket holders will be able to sit outside the grandstands, on a grassy hill. The cheapest ticket for this year’s race weekend is a family general admission one-day pass at Dh365 per person based on a family of between three and six.
The cheapest ticket available for one person is the Dh395 general admission.
Both tickets are available only for the Friday, November 1.
The Yas Pass, which allows race fans access to Yas Waterworld and Ferrari World over the Grand Prix weekend and for three days before and after, is also among the packages.
Even the cheapest tickets come with entry to that evening’s music concert. On the Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights of the race weekend, there is a post-race concert at du Arena. This year’s line-up has not been announced.
The new ticket categories increase the number of spectators by 5,000 to 55,000. The extra capacity will be spread across the circuit, including on Abu Dhabi Hill.
Early-bird discounts of 20 per cent apply until May 31, although certain ticket packages, such as those for general admission, are not included.
Widening the range of tickets available will attract a wider range of spectators, said Richard Cregan, chief executive of Yas Marina Circuit.
“Up until now it’s been an all-seated venue. We pride ourselves on that – and still do – that’s our main product. Basically, by demand, we’re looking to open up Abu Dhabi Hill as a general admission area because we feel there are people out there who want to attend and have that kind of atmosphere, where they can sit on the hill and watch the grand prix.”
The area is not covered or seated, said Mr Cregan, but is likely to be popular among fans and is expected to be among the first ticket packages to sell out.
“We feel it’s going to sell. To have a general admission ticket is a first for us and I think it’s going to be very, very popular – especially for people who have never attended the grand prix before and maybe have looked at the ticket and said, ‘Well, I’m not really a big, big fan but I’d like to go and see what it’s like’.
“And because it’s general admission, you can go and have a look at all the other areas. So then hopefully, when people come there, they’ll get bitten by the F1 festival bug and then they’ll go, ‘Actually, I want to come back next year but I want to sit in the stands’.”
The festival, which includes the Yasalam After-Race concert series, begins in October in the lead-up to the main event and is attended by thousands.
Although the music line-up has not yet been announced, fans will not be left wanting, said Mike Fairburn of Flash Entertainment, which runs the concerts.
“Obviously, for us, the priority every year with Yasalam is to continue to improve on every year’s artists,” he said.
“This year we’re very much looking at continuing that policy. I can’t confirm acts right now but we’re working hard to get things in order and we’ll be hoping to make announcements within the next two months.”
Previous shows have been headlined by artists such as Prince, Beyoncé, Paul McCartney and Eminem.
To purchase tickets, visit www.yasmarinacircuit.com or call 800 927. The festival is on November 1, 2 and 3.
[ zalhassani@thenational.ae ]
