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Sonia Irvine is the lady behind the Formula One party. Sister of ex-Ferrari driver Eddie Irvine, Irvine’s parties are legendary. Celebrity glamour, red carpet treatment, air-tight security, and astronomical prices make Amber Lounge passes the hottest party tickets in town.
Lifestyle gets a sneak peak into the party of the year...
What constitutes the Amber Lounge experience?
It is a VIP nightlife experience with red-carpet treatment. When a guest is invited, they receive a pass presented in a box. When they arrive, there are hostesses who take them to their table, where all their drinks are ready for them. As one bottle is finished, another is brought along. It’s unlimited drinks and we bring international deejays. I only do Amber Lounge at four Grand Prix to keep it exclusive and this year, it’s been at Monaco, Barcelona, Valencia and Singapore.
Can you give us an idea of who's on the guest list?
We’ve got a good mix of local people and F1 fraternity. It’s wrong to say which drivers will be here as you never know what happens on the track. If you go on past experience, Barcelona had fifteen drivers and Monaco had eighteen. Past celebrities include Bono, The Edge, Naomi Campbell, Heidi Klum, Rod Stewart, Kevin Spacey, Jenson Button, and Schumacher.
What makes Amber Lounge the iconic party?
There is privacy as there is no access to media inside Amber Lounge. Drivers have photographers and TV crews in their face during the day. I don’t want that at night- they are here to relax, party, and have fun.
If people aren’t dancing on the top of the sofas, I haven’t achieved my mission! Last night, I was up at 5am rearranging the sofas as I know that Ron Dennis likes to have a big area. I know Jenson and David Coulthard like to be on the same table, like Massa and Rubens Barichello. Some like to be tucked away in the corner and others nearer the dance floor.
Is there a particular Amber Lounge that sticks out in your memory?
It would be my first. I was stood at the top of Amber Lounge and the next thing I see is this car driving over the footbridge and another, then another, up to 15 cars. Prince Albert had his entourage and I thought , “Well that is some way to arrive!”Most people walk and he drove over the footbridge. The party was alive, drivers were all there having fun and standing on the sofas. I just thought, “We’ve done it. We’ve created what we wanted to create.”
How much does a pass cost and how much does a table cost?
There are two different types of table. The classic table is 3995 euros. The Dom Perignon table is 7250 euros and a pass at 500 euros.
It’s not a cheap night out, is it?
This is an expensive event to run. It is not just a club, you don’t come in and go to the bar and pay for drinks; it’s an experience. It is a VIP night and I bring a lot of the people with me so the security you meet at the front door are security who do all the Amber Lounges. They know a lot of the guests and make them feel at home. Every year, I order more than I need to order and every year, they drink more! We’ve ordered 500 bottles of Dom Perignon. I had one table in Valencia who drank 15 bottles of Dom and 12 of vodka between 8 people. They arrived at 2am, stayed till 5am!
How many people are you expecting?
This space will have 1000 people. Barcelona was 1800 people and Monaco, approximately 1200. On Sunday night there are no tables left- we are fully sold out with only a few passes. Saturday night, the last count was six tables left with some passes, so we’re happy!
What is the concept for the Amber Lounge in Singapore?
In Asia, we have a Chinese theme with lanterns and bamboo beds in the chillout area. In Europe, we have a Moroccan theme. We always have white sofas, an indoor area, a chillout area, an indoor and outside bar, the same deejays and dancers. We have the same concept inside- golden dance floor, black floors, funky big deejay booth, lit bars and a raised VIP area. The big difference is people will come straight from the paddock to Amber Lounge- and we’re going till 6 am instead of 5 am!
Any juicy Amber Lounge stories?
My security are offered various things from money to sexual favours!
Images courtesy of Amber Lounge.
For more information, visit www.amber-lounge.com
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