Last year so many billionaires, oil barons, sheikhs and celebrities descended on Las Vegas for the city’s inaugural Formula 1 Grand Prix that the private airport at Harry Reid International ran out of space to park the jets. That forced some wealthy jetsetters to (gasp) leave their planes at auxiliary airports in North Las Vegas or Henderson. Well, at least it was half the price to park.
The Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix returns for an encore November 21 to 23, and with that type of money in town you know there are going to be some extravagant parties. After all, with cars whizzing past at 210mph it’s all about the spectacle—and by that we mean the food and the entertainment.
Yes, there are reasonably priced grandstand seats ($99 to $165), trackside watch parties at restaurants and bars and the opportunity to see the race from above by helicopter but our focus here—mostly out of curiosity but with a little bit of jealousy—is to dive into the most exclusive high-end parties. Break out as many credit cards as you can, here they are.
Bellagio Fountain Club
The optimal spot to catch the race has to be from the Bellagio Fountain Club. It’s an iconic location in its own right. Add in the fact that it provides front-row seats to the winner’s stage, private indoor and rooftop hospitality decks to watch the race, pop-up performances and unlimited food and drinks, and this VIP experience ($12,500 for three days) might be a bargain. Headlining chefs include Masaharu Morimoto, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Michael Mina, Mario Carbone, David Chang, Alain Ducasse and Wolfgang Puck. The Tao Group also has a Skydeck at the BFG activation November 22 and 23 with an unobstructed race view, VIP bottle service, dining and performances from Chris Lake on Friday and Alesso and Armin van Buuren on Saturday. For tickets and tables ($5,000-$20,000) visit: TGH Skydeck.
Gordon Ramsay’s F1 Garage
Want to meet and hang out with Gordon Ramsay? It’s going to cost you $35,000. On the food side, the three-day, Ramsay-hosted event will feature guest chefs and live-cooking stations (Thursday), a pop-up of Ramsay’s London-based Lucky Cat (Friday) when guests will be able to sample selections such as confit duck leg bao, uni toast and crispy pork belly, followed by highlights from the U.K. on Saturday. (Think Yorkshire pudding, pan-roasted Atlantic cod, blood sausage, Scotch quail eggs and salmon Wellington.) This experience includes a Paddock Pass so guests will have behind-the-scenes access to the working areas of the race teams, track and pit lane tours and access to a LIV nightclub pop-up and other entertainment.
Papi Steak F1 Garage
Anyone who has been to Papi Steak knows the steakhouse is as much about the party as the meal. Loud music and 55-ounce Wagyu tomahawk steaks arriving rare in a suitcase so it can get hot-iron branded and cheered before being cooked is what the Fontainebleau steakhouse prides itself on. Expect a similar vibe at the $35,000 three-day Papi Steak F1 Garage. Like the Ramsay experience, this includes a Paddock Pass with the same tour perks and rooftop club access. On the menu: caviar, Maine lobster tails, Wagyu pastrami, lamb lollipops and more.
Las Vegas Race Weekend Paddock Club
There are several options to pay and play in the Paddock Club. The experience will run you north of $14,000 depending on the package and level of excitement you want. It not only has the largest premium viewing area to explore with dining galore and free-flowing beverages but some unique activities too. There’s an ice skating rink, wedding chapel, art, sculptures and a napkin artist (if you go let us know what exactly that is). Entertainment can be found in the open-air nightclub LIV on the Grid—where Cloonee and Dom Dolla will headline—the Heineken Bar, Elevation Lounge and the Neon Garden, which features a trippy canopy of glowing trees.
Ocean Prime’s Race Weekend
A corporate buyout last year took up the prime trackside space at the Harmon Curve, so this marks Ocean Prime’s first year in race mode (next year we expect a catchier name). The race weekend experience runs November 21 and 22 with minimum food and beverage spends of $1,500 to $3,000 and more for a balcony table for four people depending on the day of the seating. The regular menu will be available with some additional chef specials.