{"id":114972,"date":"2025-05-19T18:13:15","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T18:13:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/114972\/"},"modified":"2025-05-19T18:13:15","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T18:13:15","slug":"inside-f1s-most-exclusive-party-carbone-beach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/114972\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside F1’s Most Exclusive Party: Carbone Beach"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hours after clinching his first-ever Formula 1 victory, Lando Norris<\/a> found himself exactly where any newly-minted race winner might hope to be: flanked by the likes of Travis Kelce while partying beneath the glittering chandeliers at Carbone Beach. The McLaren driver made a beeline for the velvet-roped supper club after the 2024 Miami Grand Prix, celebrating amongst a crowd that felt plucked from a Forbes rich list cover shoot.\u00a0It was the kind of night that cemented a new chapter in his career \u2014 and what better place to toast to it than at the most exclusive table in town?<\/p>\n

In a sport defined by speed, spectacle, and staggering displays of wealth, one party stands out as the hottest ticket on the Formula 1 calendar. Set on the sands of Miami Beach during the city\u2019s Grand Prix weekend, Carbone Beach has emerged as the crown jewel of the F1 social scene. Over the past four years, it has attracted a guest list that includes Patrick Mahomes,<\/a> David Beckham, LeBron James, Serena Williams, and Tom Brady – who\u2019ve all dined under the luxe canopy while watching performances by icons like Andrea Bocelli, Diana Ross, and Lauryn Hill.<\/p>\n

For the uninitiated, Carbone is a New York dining institution. The spicy rigatoni has a cult following, and reservations are so hard to come by that the city\u2019s elite have been known to buy tables on the underground market<\/a>\u00a0for hundreds of dollars. So how did an intimate Italian joint in Manhattan\u2019s West Village become the epicenter of one of America\u2019s most exclusive events? The answer, according to Carbone Beach mastermind Marissa Brooks, is a \u201cperfect storm\u201d that coincided with Formula 1\u2019s arrival in South Florida in 2022.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Travis <\/p>\n

Travis Kelce and Lando Norris<\/p>\n

Photo by: Carbone Beach<\/p>\n

Major Food Group (MFG} – the hospitality company behind Carbone – had recently opened a Miami outpost of the restaurant. The problem? During the inaugural Miami Grand Prix, they didn\u2019t have nearly enough tables to meet demand. \u201c[MFG co-owner] Jeff Zalaznick called me six weeks out and said \u2018My restaurant\u2019s 100% booked, so I have this idea for a supper club in the sand,\u2019\u201d Brooks recalls. \u201cIt was was fortuitous \u2026 because I also had an idea for a big event on the beach that would serve the high-end clientele that travels for Formula 1. He was like \u2018this is great, now make it look like Carbone.\u2019 They were the new kid in town, and wanted to do something exciting and fresh – so we did.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first edition of the four-night supper club, presented by American Express, came together in just six weeks, and Brooks was uniquely equipped for the challenge. After a decade with the Miami Heat, she joined the LVMH-owned watch brand, Hublot, and led their global F1 partnerships, which took her from yachts in Monaco to rooftops in Singapore. She had seen her fair share of F1 events and parties. \u201cThe initial mood board was really about creating something magical. The idea was to bring together an incredible dining experience that nobody can provide like Major Food Group, coupled with all the bells and whistles of the extravagance [of F1],\u201d she went on. That meant chandeliers, ballerinas, a Ferrari F1 car, live entertainment, gold palm trees and a grand dining room inside a 50,000-square-foot tent designed to evoke Carbone\u2019s signature ambiance.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to keep people coming back to a place that feels familiar and feels like they’re coming home. Mario [Carbone] has always talked about how his food is supposed to feel like family and friends. So instead of your table of eight, it’s a table of 500,\u201d she says. While the experience has evolved each year, the structure is now well-established: guests arrive around sunset, sip cocktails over seafood towers and caviar, and then move into the dining room for a multi-course feast, capped off with a surprise performance. At $3,000 per head, you would expect nothing less.<\/p>\n

\"Carbone <\/p>\n

Carbone Beach<\/p>\n

Photo by: Carbone Beach<\/p>\n

\"James <\/p>\n

James Corden and David Beckham<\/p>\n

Photo by: Omar Vega<\/p>\n

If a celebrity is in town for the race, there\u2019s a high likelihood you\u2019ll find them at Carbone Beach. \u201cWe always get the who’s who. We’re the destination at F1,” Brooks explains. “The room is a mirror of what\u2019s going on in the market in business, entertainment, and sports. What I love is that I\u2019ve had people tell me, ‘I can afford it, but I\u2019ve never had access like this.’ There are no ropes between tables, so if LeBron James is there, and you bought a ticket and he bought a ticket – you\u2019re just in the room together,\u201d she says. Indeed, the guest list can feel surreal. Just days before the 2025 race, Carbone\u2019s Miami location hosted James, Elon Musk, Stephen Ross, and Kevin Durant – each a regular at Major Food Group venues.<\/p>\n

“Last year, someone I\u2019ve known forever – an owner of a professional sports team – finally came for the first time. She looked at me and said, ‘We had to come. This has become not just the biggest F1 party, but the \u2018it\u2019 party in the country,\u2019\u201d Brooks recalls. Carbone Beach, she adds, now gets talked about in the same breath as the Vanity Fair Oscars party or the Met Gala. \u201cIt\u2019s really humbling.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Kygo <\/p>\n

Kygo and Travis Kelce at American Express Presents Carbone Beach<\/p>\n

Photo by: Omar Vega<\/p>\n

Part of its allure is the nightly surprise performances, which remain under wraps until showtime. Acts have ranged from Ludacris and T-Pain to Pitbull and Jelly Roll. \u201cIn the first year we opened with Andrea Bocelli, which was such a feat to get organized in six weeks,\u201d Brooks said, noting people in the audience were crying. \u201cDiana Ross was phenomenal in year two and getting Lauryn Hill in year three was amazing.\u201d But don\u2019t buy a ticket expecting to see Taylor Swift or Beyonce. \u201cWe don\u2019t lean into the most expensive act, we lean into the entire experience,\u201d Brooks says. \u201cWe\u2019re not dropping zillions of dollars on bringing Bruce Springsteen. We\u2019re getting incredible performers who energize our guests and become part of the Carbone Beach story.”<\/p>\n

The success of the project has even led to expansion beyond Miami. “We launched Carbone Beach in Doha, so I lead that project as well with the Qatari Government,” Brooks says. The event, which takes place during the Qatar Grand Prix, mirrors the Miami experience while adapting to the local market. \u201c[In Miami] it\u2019s all about being communal on the floor but in Doha we have these VIP boxes and we host the Prime Minister \u2026 you have to change the design to fit the audience,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n

\"David <\/p>\n

David Beckham, Maverick Carter, James Corden, Lebron James<\/p>\n

Photo by: Carbone Beach<\/p>\n

Of course, producing a temporary venue for 500 people on a beach is a logistical feat in itself. \u201cYou’re always striving to make it perfect but when you have no power and no water \u2026 the logistics are so key to making us successful. From building air conditioning units to coordinating power and AV partners, to ensuring eight capacities [for the chandeliers] – it\u2019s a massive operation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, Brooks knows exactly how to measure success. \u201cIf every guest walks away with a \u2018wow\u2019 moment \u2026 we\u2019ve done our job,\u201d she says. \u201cWhether it\u2019s phenomenal service, incredible food, the people they met, or maybe it\u2019s seeing Lando Norris or Travis Kelce – everyone\u2019s \u2018wow\u2019 comes from a different place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read Also:<\/p>\n

In this article<\/p>\n

Emily Selleck\n<\/p>\n

Formula 1\n<\/p>\n

Culture\n<\/p>\n

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