Featuring the FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, Ferrari Challenge Asia Pacific and Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, the event will also see performances by some of the world’s best entertainers, including Calvin Harris, Ariana Grande, The Chainsmokers, OneRepublic, Seal, Duran Duran, George The Poet, Lianne La Havas and more.

The benefit of visiting Singapore for the 2017 FORMULA 1 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX, even if you aren’t an avid racing fan, is that the event galvanises the city hosting it.

Just as the roar of a lion sets nerves tingling in the jungle, the snarl of FORMULA 1 engines sends the Lion City into party mode.

Because Singapore has so much to offer visitors in a relatively small area that is easy to get around, it is the perfect place for race fans to bring partners who have little interest in the action on the track.

It also means you can build a spectacular holiday around the race carnival and come away with a wealth of memories and experiences.

Here is a taste of what Singapore has to offer besides the thrills and spectacle at the home of FORMULA 1 night racing.

BAY WATCH

Marina Bay is Grand Prix central in September. The FORMULA 1 cars rocket around the district’s street circuit, adding sound and fury to an already-spectacular urban wonderland. The whole Marina Bay area has been transformed from a nondescript body of water at the entrance of the Singapore River to a precinct that is home to some of Singapore’s most iconic hotels, skyscrapers, and attractions.

Chief among them is the $5.3 billion Marina Bay Sands complex. Many of the great things to do and see in the area revolve around this epic building and resort, including its gaming, dining and shopping options and SkyPark observation deck.

Marina Bay is also home to the spectacular ArtScience Museum, with its iconic lotus-flower design making it the Sydney Opera House of Asia. Close by is the Gardens by the Bay, with its incredible Supertree sculptures and seashell-shaped greenhouses.

EXPLORE THE NIGHT-LIFE

Singapore is one of the safest cities in the world ... and one of the most happening. It is at its best at night. It has a vibrant nightclub scene, exciting restaurants and bars (including Singapore’s iconic rooftop destination, CÉ LA VI, at the top of Marina Bay Sands Hotel, see sg.celavi.com), renowned cuisine, grand hotels, casinos and hawker centres. The entertainment possibilities are limited only by your stamina.

When race fever hits town, the party animals hit Clarke Quay. Its mind-boggling roster of venues on the riverfront is the perfect place to catch up with friends after the race, make new ones, relax with a quiet drink or dance the night away.

A great way to soak in the atmosphere is to join the Singapore Pub Crawl. Start your four-hour Grand Prix Season Singapore Pub Crawl by enjoying your first of the 10 complimentary shots (10 shots to commemorate 10 years of night racing in Singapore) at a popular local bar.

After your first pit stop, you’ll head out to a string of 3 bars touted as some of Singapore’s best. You get to walk along the famous Singapore River and view the city’s river skyline. Enjoy exclusive drink deals all night and feel the tempo crank up as the night progresses. With four bars down, there’s only one place to head next — a nightclub! Enjoy VIP entry to one of the city’s hippest dance spots and throw yourself into the fun, you’ve got free admission and skip-the-line access (tickets from S$35, find out more at grandprixpubcrawl.peatix.com).

RECOVER AT THE BEACH

Sentosa Island is many things to many people, but one thing for sure is you won’t be able to enjoy it all in just one visit. It is one of Asia’s most popular tourist destinations, visited by some 20 million people a year. It is a mix of history, leisure, adventure and magic, right on Singapore’s doorstep, featuring 2km of sheltered beaches, more than a dozen hotels, a couple of golf courses, an old fort and so many activities they are too numerous to mention here. Highlights are the Universal Studios Singapore theme park; the Megazip Adventure Park; the Kidzania indoor theme park for the young ones; a wave park for surfers; a Segway Eco Adventure ride along the beaches; or simply on the Tanjong Beach Club and FOC Sentosa, beach bars where you can kick back and relax with a cocktail in hand. Sentosa Island is a place where you can chill out or go fullbore. Why not do both?

LIGHTEN UP

Singapore boasts some spectacular light shows and taking the time to see them will make any evening memorable. Three particularly are worth mentioning. The Spectra light and water show along the Marina Bay promenade is a must-see, featuring lasers, fountains, music and projected images. The Garden Rhapsody featuring the amazing forest of giant metal trees at Gardens by the Bay is a 15-minute show with an ending you’ll never forget. And at Sentosa, a visit to the island is rewarded by the touching and beautiful Crane Dance light show, a mesmerising mix of sound, light, water and animatronics.

ETHNIC MIX FOR THE SENSES

There are pockets of cultural diversity to be found all over Singapore, making it a great city to explore. Visitors looking for a change from the ultra-modern sophistication of the central areas can venture into ethnic enclaves such as Chinatown and Little India, which offer glimpses of classic colonial facades and a feast for the senses. Those two areas are well known for their colour, food, street hawkers and exotic aromas, but they are by no means the only ones. Arab Street injects some Middle Eastern personality into the urban scene, and there are areas that have become distinctive because of their Thai, Indonesian, Burmese and Filipino influences. Singapore, true to its cultural roots, is a haven for culinary delights, from the cheapest Michelin-starred street food to globally acclaimed gourmet establishments. For a taste of everything under one roof, head to a hawker centre or on Boon Tat Street where the CBD street transforms into a food haven where you’ll discover eating here is serious business.

YIN AND YANG

The ancient Chinese philosophical concept of Yin Yang holds that two opposites form a whole — night and day, male and female, positive and negative etc. There must be balance between the two for harmony.

Singapore is the urban embodiment of Yin Yang. It has light and shade, tranquillity and excitement, relaxation and adventure. Too much of one and not enough of the other would throw the city out of balance. The same goes for its people. Here are three examples of how you can achieve Yin Yang during your stay in Singapore: