Organizers of the Las Vegas Grand Prix say they will “make another splash” in 2025, after a more subdued second edition of the race last year.
The first race on the iconic Strip saw a huge opening show on the grid ahead of the weekend, as Vegas invested heavily in other activations, but the early part of the event was overshadowed by a track issue in FP1. After improving the track’s opening and closing times in its second year and adjusting the ticketing model to provide more general admission, Emily Prazer, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, says another standout week is in store this year.
“We’re making another splash,” Prazer said. “I think what we felt really good about after the second year was the operational execution of the event. I think everyone knows – it’s pretty well documented – that we’ve repositioned ourselves this year around our ticketing proposition, and we’re very, very well on our way to a sellout.”
“Obviously Vegas tends to be much more of a last-minute market, right around every ticket. People land and say, ‘Oh, what’s on this weekend?’ But we kind of proved what we needed to do there with the cheaper tickets for locals and making sure that we really make it accessible. And then it was about rebuilding some of the programming and making sure we could continue with the production value.
“We talk about it a lot, but Miami, you really know where you are. [Austin]you’re sure you’re in Texas. Vegas, we’re known for the entertainment and production side, so I think you’ll find that Saturday night is going to be pretty epic and a few different surprises around what we do for the post-race show.
Prazer says this year a lot of focus has been placed on creating added value in the city around the race itself, with other sports leagues such as the NFL and NHL aligning their schedules on either side of the weekend.
“We did the Business Summit, which we felt was almost part of how we can make Vegas feel like it’s Super Bowl week. There was a lot of talk about what we can bring, and it’s not just about the evening entertainment, but we’re all there. And so we built this Business Summit that we hope everyone can come to and enjoy, and then we can build that out.
“We’re going to do some stuff during the day. We’ve partnered again with The Sphere so you can all go see The Wizard of Oz. We’ve got the Raiders games… It seems like the most incredible week. There’s a Raiders game on Monday and Sunday, and there’s a VGK [Vegas Golden Knights] match on Tuesday.
“So we have Raiders on either side, and Wednesday has become our golf tournament again, which we’ve done for the last few years – a golf tournament at the Wynn called The Grid. Thursday is actually Liberty Investor Day, followed by the Business Summit, and then free practice.
“On Friday we worked with the amfAR Gala to make sure all their celebrities can come to the paddock. So it feels like things are happening 24/7, and of course with the earlier start time and with the F1 Academy I think what we’ll find is that it feels a lot more compressed, but there’s just entertainment going on from the moment everyone wakes up right through to the post-race parties and official celebrations and things like that.
“So it feels like we’ve gained some confidence in the programming around the event and making sure you really get your money’s worth.”
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