An African take on the Big Top, Formula One simulators, dancing troupes and an array of live music will be among the attractions on the sidelines of next month's Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.

Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix will take place at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir from March 12 to 14.

World-renowned travelling circus Mama Africa, which has performed in front of thousands in Germany and the US, will be wowing crowds in a dedicated tent throughout race weekend.

Another large tent has been erected to provide F1 junkies a respite from the intense race action, with performances from exciting dance troupes, acrobats and illusionists, as well as live music from local, regional and global artists.

This is in addition to a number of planned concerts headlining entertainment at the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, with global R&B superstars Flo Rida and Sean Kingston just part of a stunning line-up of talent.

The Bahrain International Circuit's (BIC) television, radio and entertainment senior manager Ghada Al Ansari, who is responsible for overseeing the entertainment during the March 12 weekend, told our sister publication the Gulf Daily News this year's race would be the biggest and boldest yet.

'Every year we set ourselves a very clear aim: to outdo whatever we achieved last year, but this can be difficult,' she said.

'A lot of people that come here are obviously racing fans, but there are also people here that come for a great day out with their families, so we want to cater to all.

'We don't want it to get stale, we are constantly trying to expose our spectators to new entertainment and activities - even the dancers from last year must have completely different routines.'

Not only will there be a multitude of new acts on offer, there will also be more of them, with two dedicated air-conditioned tents set up to accommodate and cool down spectators.

In addition, Bahrain will exclusively host a unique car exhibition that will bring a number of classic championship-winning F1 cars to Bahrain.

The cars are due to be shipped to Bahrain on March 10, while all 20 surviving past and present championship-winning drivers will be in attendance.

They will contribute to a stunning opening to the 60th anniversary of the F1 World Championship, as the champions are reunited with their classic cars on-track during a racing spectacle never seen before and unlikely to ever be witnessed again.

Al Ansari moves on to explain that children have also got more to look forward to at this year's race, with a dedicated tent hosting several activities throughout the weekend.

'For the past six years, we've had a children's entertainment area under the main grandstand, but this is all set to change,' she said.

'Instead, we've now got a special air-conditioned tent which will feature F1 simulators, a dedicated cinema as well as a number of competitions where kids can win one of 5,000 limited edition souvenir BIC puzzles.

'We're sure that children will also love the circus, it's something we've wanted to do for a while, but it has been difficult because we're very wary of hosting a traditional circus with animals.

'Instead, we've gone with Circus Mama Africa - they've never been seen in the Middle East and feature contortionists, acrobats, live music all with the unique sounds of Tanzania.

'There will also be a mariachi band, buskers, caricaturists as well as a huge selection of roaming acts that have never been seen in Bahrain before.'

Both Sean Kingston and Flo Rida will perform on March 13 as part of the entertainment schedule included within the price of a three-day ticket.

Spectators will also be able to enjoy a performance by famous Arab singer Hussain Al Jasmi on March 11. – TradeArabia News Service