Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia 2026 set for three packed days of non-stop racing and entertainment at SIC

It’s race week for the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia 2026, and Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) and Sepang International Circuit (SIC) are getting all geared up to welcome tens of thousands of F1 fans for three days of top-class racing and entertainment.

The highly anticipated grand prix weekend takes place this coming Friday to Sunday (Editor’s note: 2 to 4 October) at SIC as Bahrain comes alive at Malaysia’s iconic motorsport venue, which will be welcoming back F1 for the first time since 2017.

Limited race-weekend tickets remain available at BIC’s official website bahraingp.com or by calling the BIC Hotline on +973-17450000. Fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets as soon as possible with only days remaining for the F1 extravaganza.

SIC will be opening its gates at 8.30am on both the Friday and Saturday of the event, while gates will open to the public at 10am on Sunday.

F1’s superstar drivers and their teams will be hitting the track for two 60-minute practice sessions on Friday. The first is scheduled for 12.30pm local time/7.30am Bahrain time, to be followed by the second at 4pm local time/11am Bahrain time.

On Saturday, a third 60-minute F1 practice will run from 12.30pm local time/7.30am Bahrain time, and then qualifying will be held at 4pm local time/11am Bahrain time.

That will determine the starting grid for the 56-lap F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, which will be flagging off on Sunday at 3pm local time/10am Bahrain time.

In support of F1, Formula Trophy Malaysia (FTM) will also be taking to the track at SIC throughout the race weekend.

The South East Asian single-seater championship for junior drivers will be showcasing the talents of motorsport’s future stars, who will be competing in identical Tatuus F4-T421 racing cars powered by Abarth, and with all cars running on Giti tyres.

FTM will also be holding two practice sessions on the Friday of the event, each over a duration of 30 minutes. The first will begin at 10.15am local time/5.15am Bahrain time, while the second will flag off at 2pm local time/9am Bahrain time.

Qualifying will then be held on the Saturday at 10.30am local time/5.30am Bahrain time, setting the grids for the weekend’s two 27-lap races – with the first taking place later on Saturday at 2.15pm local time/9.15am Bahrain time and the second on the Sunday at 11.45am local time/6.45am Bahrain time.

Along with the world-class racing, the F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia 2026 will feature plenty of family entertainment for all to enjoy at the Fanzone. These include the renowned Chinese Acrobats, an army of delightful roaming performers, concerts featuring A-list music artists, plus so much more.

The concerts are set to feature back-to-back live performances by a pair of music industry superstars.
On the Sunday night of F1 weekend, multi-platinum-selling hit-maker Martin Garrix will headline the post-race celebrations, which is scheduled to start at 8.40pm local time/3.40pm Bahrain time. On Saturday evening, Grammy-nominated DJ and producer Axwell will be taking to the SIC stage at 7.35pm local time/2.35pm Bahrain time.

Tickets for each concert are available exclusively to race-weekend ticket holders. Ticket holders are able to purchase for US$50 per person for the Axwell concert, and US$100 per person for the Martin Garrix concert.

A separate ticket is required for each performance and are available at Bahraingp.com.

SIC will be closing its gates to the public at 8.30pm on both Friday and Saturday of the grand prix and at 6pm on Sunday.

For more information on the F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia 2026, visit bahraingp.com or call the BIC Hotline, or follow BIC and SIC on social media.