The FORMULA 1 HEINEKEN SILVER LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX Opening Ceremony presented by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) has unveiled the creative team behind the star-studded event taking place on Wednesday, November 15. Created and executive produced by Brian Burke Creative, along with stage architects STUFISH Entertainment Architects and lighting designer Tom Sutherland, the opening ceremony will be the first of its kind, with a level of creative and technical sophistication never seen before.
In the great tradition of Las Vegas spectaculars, the Opening Ceremony will kick off the Grand Prix™ weekend with large-scale performances from more than eight legendary music artists. All twenty participating F1 drivers will be featured alongside iconic, award-winning global superstars from the music industryAndra Day, Bishop Briggs, J Balvin, Journey, Keith Urban, Steve Aoki, Thirty Seconds to Mars, will.i.amand more.
With more than 20 years of groundbreaking Las Vegas spectacles, international music tours and global television events, the creative trio has used their combined experience to create a show that spans the sports and entertainment capital of the world and welcomes Formula 1® to Vegas. Set against the backdrop of the iconic Las Vegas Strip, the starting line-up will transform into an awe-inspiring visual spectacle with dancers and top artists performing on seven high-tech mobile LED stages. With the field equivalent of three American football fields long, the opening ceremony will be the largest of its kind. To create the show, the creative team drew inspiration from Las Vegas’ rich entertainment history and the clever use of performing arts, technology and scale that Las Vegas offers; the team has raised the bar to help redefine the landscape of F1® entertainment.
For the Las Vegas Grand Prix, entertainment visionary Brian Burke of Brian Burke Creative was brought in to bring the opening ceremony to life. An international Emmy-nominated TV producer and Las Vegas entertainment veteran, Brian’s creative work in Las Vegas includes 20 years of original “Best Of Las Vegas” production shows, music events and residencies including Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, Pitbull, Keith Urban, Mat Franco, the Latin Grammy Awards, the World Music Awards, America’s Got Talent Superstars and Celestia. Le Reve – The Dream won the award for ‘Best Production Show’ nine years in a row. Celine Dion – A New Day remains the highest-grossing Las Vegas residency of all time.
To create the state-of-the-art production, Brian Burke enlisted the expertise of STUFISH Entertainment Architects to create and design the staging for the Opening Ceremony in the brand new Las Vegas Grand Prix Pit Building. STUFISH is no stranger to the Las Vegas Strip and has been responsible for creating some of the biggest residencies in Las Vegas, including Adele’s ‘Weekend with Adele’ and U2’s brand new groundbreaking show, U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere. STUFISH also has a long history of work with Cirque de Soleil in Las Vegas, with shows such as KÀ, Believe and Viva Elvis.
With a lighting design that stretches over 1,000 feet, Tom Sutherland of DX7 Design was tasked with lighting the event. More than 1,200 lighting fixtures and 100 lasers will be used throughout the show, making this opening ceremony one of the most technical circuit shows ever. Founded in the early 2000s, DX7 Design has quickly become a top player in the industry and its portfolio of projects includes the MTV VMAs, America’s Got Talent and the BRIT Awards.
“I have been extremely fortunate to be part of the Las Vegas entertainment community for over twenty years and to create a show that not only celebrates the sports and entertainment capital of the world, but also welcomes Formula 1 in Las Vegas. honor.” – Brian Burke, Brian Burke Creative
The opening ceremony will be a spectacular show that combines the incredible entertainment value of Las Vegas with the speed and excitement of F1. The creative team, led by Brian Burke, drew from Las Vegas’ amazing entertainment history and set the bar very high for this show, and it gave us so much inspiration to create something unique for this event.” – Ray Winkler, CEO STUFISH Entertainment Architects
“There has never been a show like the Las Vegas Grand Prix Opening Ceremony with this level of creative and technical craftsmanship, and the Las Vegas Strip provides us with a great launching pad to take this show to the next level. It is a great privilege to be part of the team that welcomes F1 to Las Vegas, and I can’t wait for audiences around the world to see it.” – Tom Sutherland, DX7 design
The Opening Ceremony begins at 7:30 PM PT and is expected to draw an in-person audience of nearly 30,000 attendees, who will enjoy these performances from the Wynn Grid Club™, Paddock Club™, Skybox or Heineken® Silver Main Grandstands. The show begins with an immersive exhibition celebrating Formula 1’s arrival in Las Vegas, followed by a performance by each artist paying tribute to Las Vegas’ rich history in entertainment, and culminating with the introduction of teams and drivers. ESPN2 will broadcast the ceremony nationally and stream it worldwide on the F1 YouTube channel.
The inaugural FORMULA 1 HEINEKEN SILVER LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX will be one of the biggest sporting events of the year and will further cement Las Vegas’ position as the sports and entertainment capital of the world. To celebrate this remarkable achievement, music and motorsport fans will attend the opening ceremony and enjoy memorable performances from multi-award winning musicians.