Inside The 10th Anniversary Party Of The Podium Lounge

Year after year, in a gamut of Formula 1 after-parties, one reigns supreme: The Podium Lounge. To celebrate its 10th anniversary this year, the trackside party threw its biggest celebration to date at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore’s Grand Ballroom. It was the bonafide bash of the titans: 10,000 party elites, celebrities, superstar musicians and racing legends revelled in an electrifying atmosphere of thumping tunes, fashion shows and dazzling showcases of diamonds and sports cars.

Keith Duffy and Brian McFadden of Boyzlife (a portmanteau of boybands Boyzone and Westlife) took the stage on Friday, thrilling the audience with their nostalgia-heavy hits. Burning up the decks on Saturday was Good Charlotte lead singer Joel Madden. Joined by Linkin Park’s Joe Hahn and Brian McFadden, he took the decks by storm, leading the crowd through a raucous, high-octane hip-hop styled set.

Closing the weekend was Taboo of Black Eyed Peas who dialled up the energy with a 40-minute set of throwback crowd-pleasers before launching into an hour-long dynamic DJ set. Spicing up the nights’ festivities were Australian acro-aerialist troupe Black Swan who enthralled audiences while suspended on silk and hoops.

Live performances aside, The Podium Lounge weekend is synonymous with lavish runway shows. Photographer and author of 108 Rock Star Guitars Lisa S. Johnson debuted her “Cosmic 108” collection on Saturday to much fanfare. Sunday’s Race Night saw Mthemovement’s showcase of its designer streetwear with Cindy Bishop, actress Ase Wang and Singapore’s first burlesque artist, Sukki Singapora, taking the catwalk.

Of course, one can’t talk about The Podium Lounge without celebrity mentions. The mix of boldface names in attendance include Las Vegas-based illusionist Joe Labero and local A-listers Paul Foster, May Wan and Yasminne Cheng. Spotted dancing front row by the runway on Friday night were Formula 1 former team owner Eddie Jordan and British racing legend David Coulthard. Adding to the star wattage during Sunday’s grand finale was the arrival of this year’s Singapore Grand Prix winner Lewis Hamilton and his massive entourage at the VVIP area.

As with every edition of The Podium Lounge, there’s always party philanthropy involved. The Helping Hand Group’s annual live auction in support of local charities was another success — Formula 1 memorabilia that went up for bid included race gloves signed by Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.

With Singapore Grand Prix’s extension until 2021, the party is set to go on for at least three more years. As founder Robbie Hoyes-Cock put it, “so long as the Formula 1 race continues to come to Singapore, The Podium Lounge will continue to expand and accommodate celebrities, royalty, ambassadors, F1 drivers and Asia’s jet-setting elite each year.”