F1 Clubs Round-up: Prince Harry and Lewis Hamilton on the guest list

A-list celebrities and visitors were out in force, on the busiest weekend in the UAE social calendar.

Prince Harry at Amber Lounge on Sunday. Courtesy Amber Lounge

The Grand Prix weekend is indisputably the busiest social event in the UAE calendar, and for many it means just one thing: parties.

From A-list performers up close and personal to VIP appearances and royal visitors to the capital, Abu Dhabi’s ­after-hours scene may never have been more glamorous than it was during the 2014 F1.

The most coveted guest lists were generally found at exclusive venues ending in the word “lounge” or “room”. Topping the list is Amber Lounge, a renowned drivers’ retreat founded in Monaco and known for hosting the glitziest F1 parties around the globe.

On Sunday night Lewis Hamilton celebrated his championship win at the Yas Marina club alongside partner Nicole Scherzinger – with the United Kingdom’s Prince Harry also present to offer his congratulations.

In total, 16 current F1 drivers attended the club’s closing party, including Nico Rosberg, Daniel Ricciardo, Valtteri Bottas, Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso. F1 legends Niki Lauda and David Coulthard were also spotted, as was the pop star Dannii Minogue. The UK R&B singer Estelle performed live on Saturday and Sunday.

Things were more upbeat over at Podium Lounge, in Yas Marina’s Building One, which hosted the big name DJs Sister Bliss and Dirty Vegas on Friday and Saturday respectively, while the Brit Award-winning band Rudimental were behind the decks for the closing night.

However, perhaps the most headline-grabbing name of all was found at VIP Room’s pop-up party at the Radisson Blu Hotel. Kim Kardashian made an advertised appearance on Sunday night, while her sister Khloé’s on-off partner French Montana also stopped by, having performed at the venue a night earlier.

Elsewhere, the rapper/actor Tyrese was on the mic at Rush on Friday night – and generally out all over the place, posting pictures of himself partying with everyone from Pharrell to Prince Harry.

At the other end of the scale are the super-clubs. The 1,500-capacity O1ne Yas Island was rammed on Friday night for an intimate two-and-a-half hour set from Armin van Buuren, moments after he played an equally long show at du Arena. Meanwhile, the urban stars Jason Derulo and T-Pain performed to receptive crowds at the venue on Thursday and Saturday respectively.

Bigger still was Project Etoiles, a 3,000-capacity club concept that invaded du Forum to host live sets from Conor Maynard and Miguel on Friday, and Tinashe and Mssl Cmmnd, featuring Pharrell's production partner Chad Hugo, on Saturday. However, for many the best parties were out under the stars, with yachts moored at Yas Marina booming until the early hours. Among the most popular was HMS Mahiki, a huge vessel decked out in the London's club's distinctive hues, which was visited by the UK's Princess Beatrice on Saturday afternoon.