Details of the Yalla Bahrain (Let’s Go Bahrain) programme, a series of cultural and community events, were unveiled yesterday.
The events will begin later this month with an autograph session in Seef Mall on February 22, when many of the F1 teams will be in Bahrain for a testing session at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC).
The following day, an F1 Football Fever event will take place at the same venue and pitch players from Bahrain’s national football team against the racing drivers.
Organisers are also hoping to create an ‘enormous artistic spectacle’ as part of the celebrations surrounding the race.
In a two-week event starting on March 1, the public will be invited to join forces and create 100 individual paintings that will build into a masterpiece measuring 10m x 15m.
It will be done under the guidance of Bahraini’s award-winning artist Abbas Al Mosawi, who has been exhibiting around the world for two decades.
Meanwhile, a street carnival on April 6 will feature special vehicles, aerial displays and the biggest firework show seen in Bahrain.
A welcome party, a drive-in cinema and drift and an eight-day F1 Fanzone event will also be part of the programme.
Details of these events will be released later.
BIC public relations and governmental affairs director Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa described the art event as a ‘wonderful idea’.
‘Never before has this been done in Bahrain and I can’t think of a better way for everyone to get involved in the country’s biggest event of the year,’ he said.’The great thing about this project is that you don’t have to be an amazing artist to get involved.
‘The mechanics of the project are friendly to everyone. So the door is wide open for all to join in.’
The Grand Prix is taking place from April 13 to 15.
The marketing campaign for the race will feature four million online adverts and banners on Pan-Arab Internet websites, more than 1,000 TV advertisements on 11 channels across the Gulf, 225,000 text messages, 1,823 adverts in eight cinemas across the region and more than 2,000 radio adverts throughout the Gulf.
