Australian Grand Prix turbocharges Melbourne nightlife

By Editor on March 27, 2024

Melbourne hotels, bars and restaurants have celebrated a huge long week, with record-breaking crowds attending the 2024 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.

The Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix ran from 21-24 March, with the biggest attendance in the event’s history. Stands were packed with 452,055 fans from across Victoria, interstate and overseas.

Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos said: “Melbourne is one of the best places in the world to host global sports events and the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix is a win not just for race fans but for businesses and employment right across Melbourne.”

Melbourne Mayor Sally Capp said the event was bringing interstate and international tourists to the city, following on from Melbourne Airport welcoming 2.8 million people in February, which is close to a record high. The race leads into Melbourne’s International Comedy Festival from March 27 to April 21. The festival is expected to attract more than 770,000 people.

“Melbourne is the only city in the world to host a grand slam and a grand prix,” Capp said.

“Last year, the Formula 1 delivered about $125 million in spending into the City of Melbourne’s economy across the four days. We’re expecting similar results this year – a huge boost for our traders across the city centre and into Carlton.”

Hotels have also benefited. Marriott Group reported a 91% occupancy rate across its 10 properties last week. International room nights made up 46%, with domestic room nights making up 54%.

“The premium and luxury category is performing very well,” Marriott International’s Pacific head Sean Hunt told the Australian Financial Review.

“Our two newest Melbourne properties, Le Meridien Melbourne and The Ritz-Carlton Melbourne are at 85% and 94% over the race weekend respectively.”

Crown Melbourne said its three hotels – Crown Towers, Metropol and Promenade – were at 100% capacity and approximately 30% of guests were international.

Drinks brands in the driver’s seat

Drinks brands including St Hugo, Bundaberg Rum, Patient Wolf, Heineken, Canadian Club, Idle Hour and Jack Daniel’s also benefited from their partnerships with the event.

According to The Australian: “Influencers, sports stars and corporates once flocked to the Birdcage at Melbourne’s Flemington Racecourse, where the Melbourne Cup was a must-attend gig on annual social calendars and the jewel in the state’s event crown.

“But impossibly fast cars and daredevil drivers featuring on Netflix’s Drive to Survive has rocketed the Formula One’s Australian Grand Prix to one of the most talked about spectacles in the country, and businesses are flocking to capitalise on surging crowds and appeal to a new audience of women.“

Jack Daniel’s teams up with McLaren

In celebration of its partnership with the McLaren Formula 1 Racing Team, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey is bringing the exhilaration of the racing circuit to Melbourne’s streets by offering fans the exclusive opportunity to take a complimentary
adrenaline-fuelled drive in a pair of luxury supercars via some of the brand’s favourite venues.

From Friday 22 to Sunday 24 March, ‘Jack’s Rides’ will transport locals and visitors from the city to South Melbourne and back.

Those looking to roll up on race day in style will be able to book a ride from 12pm each day, with the supercars picking up fans in pairs from the Next Hotel on Little Collins Street in the heart of the city and dropping them off at South Melbourne icon, the Golden Gate Hotel – just a short stroll from the Albert Park entrance.

Then, for fans keen to rev their engines into the night, until 10pm each night, there will be an option to add an electrifying evening ride from the Golden Gate Hotel to George on Collins or the city’s largest rooftop bar, Good Heavens.

Jack Daniel’s Australia Senior Brand Manager Tom Rogers said: “Our partnership with the McLaren Formula 1 Racing Team is all about giving fans unique opportunities to celebrate the best in team sport. Through offering rides in some of the most exclusive supercars in Australia, we’re so excited to be giving fans the chance to not only see, but feel first-hand the thrill of being part of the pinnacle of racing.”

Idle Hour’s unforgettable Grand Prix drinks experience

Australia’s Idle Hour Vodka celebrated its third consecutive year as an official sponsor of the iconic event.

With tickets for the event snapped up within hours of release, Idle Hour Vodka orchestrated grand prix-inspired cocktails and a vodka-infused degustation menu outside the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit.

The cocktails available throughout selected restaurants and bars across Victoria for the month of March, including Tempo Restaurant and Bar in Geelong, Stringers Sorrento on the Peninsula, Token in South Yarra, Maven by Morgan in Fitzroy and Pascale Bar and Grill at QT Melbourne (above).

The line-up includes:

Lift and Coast: A blood orange and rhubarb vodka smash
Rumblestrip: A mandarin cosmopolitan
Jumpstart: A grapefruit and pomegranate vodka sour

Idle Hour Vodka Co-Founder and Director Ewen Pettit said: “Idle Hour Vodka takes immense pride in our partnership with the 2024 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix for the third consecutive year. Through this campaign, we aim to extend the thrill of the Grand Prix beyond the confines of the racetrack and offer a taste of the excitement to all Victorians. Our exclusive cocktails are meticulously crafted to capture the essence of the race and elevate the palates of vodka enthusiasts across the state.”

QT Melbourne General Manager Kristen Foat said: “We are delighted to welcome Idle Hour Vodka to Pascale Bar & Grill throughout March. This collaboration offers locals and tourists alike a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the electrifying atmosphere of the 2024 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix within our cultural hub, where global and local influences converge. It’s an exciting fusion of the race’s adrenaline and Idle Hour Vodka’s sophistication, perfectly aligned with QT’s ethos of quirky luxury.”

Heineken gets loud

Heineken launched the Sounds Like Good Times With F1 campaign to coincide with its 2024 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix partnership.

Heineken said the campaign was sparked by its long history as a beer that is best enjoyed with noise and noted that when the distinctive roar of F1 is paired with Heineken, it “sounds like good times”.

Using linguistic devices, the campaign reinforces Heineken’s association with F1. The campaign has launched with a 360 audio asset on Spotify.

“We’re thrilled to celebrate another year of our partnership with the F1 by launching a local campaign that aims to celebrate the sounds of good times at the F1,” Heineken country manager Dino Bozzone said.

“Sound is such a critical part of the immersive experience at the Formula 1. Without the sounds of the engines roaring, crowds cheering and bars buzzing, this event wouldn’t be the one we all know and love.

“We look forward to seeing fans come together & celebrating the good times with their mates over this weekend, with a Heineken or Heineken 0.0 in hand at the F1.”

St Hugo’s drop of luxury

St Hugo returned as the event’s official wine partner, with chief winemaker Peter Munro pouring his latest vintage inside the luxurious Marriott Bonvoy lounge. VIP guests were invited to sip single vineyard drops, including Daniel Ricciardo’s DR3 range — which includes a shiraz and cabernet sauvignon.

Marketing Director Kristy Rutherford said: “St Hugo has been the official wine partner of the Australian Grand Prix Formula 1 since 2019 and this year was another winning year at the race track! It was a pleasure to welcome guests to the new St Hugo Wine Bar in the Marriott Bonvoy Lounge, an awesome space dedicated to the precision and passion that not only goes into the F1 but into the craft of winemaking”