Article
Singapore’s races puts spending on the fast track
When Singapore’s biggest race weekend arrives, spending shifts into high gear. See what Adyen’s 2025 data reveals across hotels, F&B, and retail.
Once a year, the streets of Singapore turn into a high-octane spectacle that extends beyond the track into the city’s hotels, restaurants, bars, and shops. The four-day weekend spans from Thursday’s practice runs to the final podium celebrations on Sunday night, welcoming the world's fastest drivers, spectators, aficionados, and fans of headline musical acts.
In 2025, more than 300,000 attendees gathered across the four-day event to see their favorite teams take on the "toughest of circuits". Overseas visitors accounted for slightly more than half of the crowd. As the 2026 edition approaches, we analyzed platform data from 2025 in Singapore to understand how the races impact the city.
The 2025 dates comprised of:
Thursday, 2 October: TOKEN2049
Friday, 3 October: Day 1 / Practice runs
Saturday, 4 October: Day 2 / Qualifying races
Sunday, 5 October: Day 3 / Race Day
Monday, 6 October: Day after the Race
Acceleration for the economy
Hotels
With over 150,000 overseas visitors attending the races, hotels and motels recorded their highest-revenue day of the entire year on the day after the race (October 6). Presumably, people stayed for the final closing events and checked out the next day.
Hotels and motels recorded 24% more revenue and a 10% higher average transaction value (ATV) than a typical week in H2 2025. Overseas visitors accounted for 76% of hotel revenue, with top spenders coming from the US, Australia, Hong Kong SAR, and China.
Food & Beverage (F&B)
Day 2 of the races (October 4) saw the third-highest F&B revenue day of 2025, generating 22% more revenue and a 5% higher ATV than a typical Saturday in H2 2025. Day 1 (October 3) conversely, was the fourth-highest F&B revenue day, generating 31% more revenue and a 9% higher ATV than a typical Friday.
Curious, we looked up the #1 and #2 days of the year, too. Unsurprisingly, the biggest day of the year for F&B was New Year's Eve. The second biggest day, much to our surprise, wasn't a traditional holiday. It took place on Saturday, November 29 amidst K-POP band BLACKPINK's three-night run in Singapore between November 28 to 30.
Retail
Shopping numbers climbed during the race week (October 2 - October 8). Retailers recorded 27% more revenue and a 12% higher ATV during the week than during a typical week in H2 2025. Day 2 of the races, a Saturday, ranked as the third-highest retail revenue day of the year.
Fashion retailers would be happy to know that international transactions accounted for 35% of total fashion spend in October, one of the highest levels of 2025. International shoppers also had an 183% higher ATV throughout 2025 compared to local shoppers.
Impact on Singapore
Platform data from 2025 shows that spending across the race weekend extends well beyond the circuit. Hotels see a spike in check-ins, dining venues experience some of their busiest days, and retailers record jumps in overall revenue. As the city approaches its tentpole weekend, the roads are ready and excitement continues to mount.
For businesses, high-spending international visitors drive peak demand. Capturing this cross-border demand isn't just about handling extra foot traffic – it requires flexible operations, wide support for preferred payment methods, and a reliable payments setup that removes friction at checkout.
Data Methodology
This analysis compares in-person (customer-initiated) transactions processed on Adyen's platform in Singapore across two periods: full-year 2025 (Jan 1 – Dec 31) and October 2–8, 2025. It evaluates authorized transaction counts, total volumes, and average transaction values (ATV). Shopper origin and behavior are derived from the issuing market of the respective payment cards. All figures represent only volumes processed through the Adyen platform.
All third-party trademarks, event names, and trade names referenced herein belong to their respective owners and are used for descriptive context only. Adyen is not affiliated with or endorsed by these entities.