Singapore F1 crowds sustain restaurant trade despite unhealthy haze

Singapore’s Formula 1 weekend continued drawing customers to restaurants and bars at Raffles City and CHIJMES on October 10, despite air quality remaining unhealthy, CNA reported. Businesses it visited described little impact on demand, even as visitors and outdoor workers weighed their plans against haze and heat.

The accounts offer a picture of trade at selected establishments near the race, rather than a measure of Singapore’s entire hospitality sector. No audited sales figures, booking totals or comparison with previous F1 weekends were established in the reporting.

Outdoor tables remain busy at Raffles City and CHIJMES

CNA observed diners choosing outdoor tables at Chimichanga and Brotzeit in Raffles City, although both offered indoor seating. It described a similar pattern at CHIJMES, where tourists appeared more willing than locals to remain outside. That distinction was based on observations and interviews, not a representative survey.

Depa Nagarajan, manager of Drinks & Co, told CNA business over the preceding few days was “better than usual”. She expected demand to continue after the weekend’s races and concerts. Staff had prepared masks for uncomfortable customers, and the outdoor dining area had four air coolers; the report did not establish that those devices removed haze particles.

Visitors also gathered for live music and queued for a racing simulator at a Jim Beam pop-up in CHIJMES. Marketing manager Rayern Goh said Friday’s turnout was strong and mostly tourists. Her expectation of more than 1,000 weekend visitors was a forecast, not a completed attendance count.

Race visitors balance plans with discomfort

Bima Ariatama, a 39-year-old banker visiting from Jakarta with his wife, told CNA he intended to continue outdoor F1 activities. They had brought masks and planned to spend more time in malls if conditions worsened.

Kaitaro Endo, 33, who was visiting from Japan for work, said he first learned about the haze from his taxi driver. After working indoors, he wanted to spend time outside and planned to continue sightseeing.

For some fans, money already spent and attachment to the event influenced their decisions. Account executive Yan Jun Chan, 24, told CNA at Friday’s concert that ticket spending and her emotional investment mattered. She would reduce other activities if conditions became a health hazard but still wanted to attend the race.

Trudy Ng said she brought extra masks to share and felt uncomfortable during about six hours at the venue on Friday because of haze and heat. She nevertheless intended to return for Saturday and Sunday’s races and concerts, citing the annual event and tickets already purchased.

A fan identified as Hakimi described humid walks between race areas and increasing difficulty breathing during the evening. He was recovering from an earlier illness and said his group paced its walking. His account did not establish a medical cause for the symptoms.

What Singapore’s unhealthy PSI readings mean

According to CNA, air quality remained unhealthy on Saturday, although readings eased overnight. By 5pm Singapore time on Friday, all five regions were in the unhealthy range. The central region’s 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index reached 192, which CNA described as this haze season’s highest reading.

The National Environment Agency’s standing haze guidance classifies 24-hour PSI readings of 101–200 as unhealthy and 201–300 as very unhealthy. These definitions provide context for the figures reported by CNA.

NEA identifies fine particulate matter, PM2.5, as the main pollutant of concern during smoke haze. It says health effects depend on individual health, pollution levels and the duration and intensity of outdoor activity. Continued attendance therefore does not itself demonstrate an absence of exposure risk.

Outdoor work and event decisions have separate thresholds

Market-research workers Mei Ling Lim and Sumi Chua told CNA they expected to survey F1 customers across all three days. Chua said people were arriving later and leaving earlier. Their company would stop outdoor interviewing and move surveys indoors if PSI exceeded 200; that was a workplace protocol, not a race-cancellation threshold.

The government response predates this weekend. In a September 4 statement, NEA said central Singapore’s PSI had reached 101 that morning—the first unhealthy haze reading since October 8, 2023—and announced task-force action plans and daily haze advisories.

That statement called for workplaces to reduce prolonged or strenuous work in unhealthy conditions, with stronger restrictions for vulnerable employees. Measures included job rotation and indoor rest breaks. It also said sports organisers should monitor air quality and conduct their own risk assessments against official advisories.

The statement did not establish a Singapore Grand Prix-specific cancellation threshold. CNA’s accounts likewise leave the final weekend trading impact unresolved: managers’ expectations of continued crowds and visitors’ plans to return were still prospective.