The hottest tickets and the most expensive parties

Last year, so many billionaires, oil barons, sheikhs and celebrities descended on Las Vegas for the city’s first Formula One Grand Prix that Harry Reid International’s private airport ran out of space to fly. park the jets. This forced some wealthy jet-setters to (gasp) leave their planes at the North Las Vegas or Henderson auxiliary airports. Well, at least it was half the price to park.

The Formula 1 Grand Prix of Las Vegas returns for an encore November 21-23, and with that kind of money in town, you know there’s going to be some extravagant parties. After all, with cars zooming past at 210 mph, it’s all about spectacle, and by that we mean food and entertainment.

Yes, there are reasonably priced grandstand seats ($99 to $165), trackside watch parties at restaurants and bars and the ability to view the race from above by helicopter, but our goal here, mainly out of curiosity but with a little jealousy, is to delve into the most exclusive high-end parties. Take out as many credit cards as possible, here they are.

Bellagio Fountain Club

The optimal location to watch the race has to be at the Bellagio Fountain Club. It’s an iconic place in its own right. Add to that the fact that it offers front-row seats to the winner’s stage, private indoor and rooftop hospitality terraces for watching the race, pop-up shows and unlimited food and drink, and this VIP experience ($12,500 for three days) could be a bargain. Headlining chefs include Masaharu Morimoto, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Michael Mina, Mario Carbone, David Chang, Alain Ducasse and Wolfgang Puck. The Tao Group also has a Skydeck during the BFG activation on November 22-23 with unobstructed views of the race, VIP bottle service, dining and performances from Chris Lake on Friday and Alesso and Armin van Buuren on Saturday. For tickets and tables ($5,000 to $20,000), visit: TGH Skydeck.

Gordon Ramsay’s F1 garage

Want to meet and date Gordon Ramsay? It’s going to cost you $35,000. On the food side, the three-day event hosted by Ramsay will feature guest chefs and live cooking stations (Thursday), a pop-up from Ramsay’s London-based Lucky Cat (Friday) where guests will be able to enjoy selections such as duck leg confit bao, plain toast and crispy pork belly, followed by UK highlights on Saturday. (Think Yorkshire pudding, seared Atlantic cod, blood sausage, Scottish quail eggs and salmon Wellington.) This experience includes a Paddock Pass so guests have behind-the-scenes access to the teams’ work areas racing, track and stands. lane tours and access to pop-up nightclub LIV and other entertainment.

Papi Steak F1 Garage

Anyone who has been to Papi Steak knows that the steakhouse is as much about the party as it is about the meal. Loud music and 55-ounce tomahawk Wagyu steaks arriving rare in a suitcase so they can be branded and clapped with a hot iron before being cooked, that’s what the Fontainebleau steakhouse prides itself on. Expect a similar vibe at the $35,000 Papi Steak F1 Garage over three days. Like the Ramsay Experience, this includes a Paddock Pass with the same tour benefits and access to the rooftop club. On the menu: caviar, Maine lobster tails, Wagyu pastrami, lamb lollipops and more.

Las Vegas Race Weekend Paddock Club

There are several options for paying and playing at Paddock Club. The experience will cost you north of $14,000 depending on the package and the level of excitement you want. It not only has the largest high-end viewing area to explore with plenty of restaurants and unlimited drinks, but also unique activities. There’s an ice rink, a wedding chapel, artwork, sculptures, and a napkin artist (if you go, let us know what exactly it is). Entertainment can be found at outdoor nightclub LIV on the Grid, where Cloonee and Dom Dolla will headline, Heineken Bar, Elevation Lounge and Neon Garden, which features a trippy canopy of glowing trees.

Ocean Prime Race Weekend

A corporate buyout last year took over the prime trackside space at Harmon Curve, marking Ocean Prime’s first year in racing mode (next year we expect a name more catchy). The Race Weekend Experience takes place November 21-22 with minimum food and beverage spends of $1,500 to $3,000 and up for a four-person balcony table depending on the day of the session. The regular menu will be available with some additional specialties from the chef.