UK rap's appearance at the British GP shows an undeniable culture shift
For all the Paddock Club schmoozing and Monaco yacht parties, Formula 1 was never exactly a fixture of fashion, music, or art. That’s changed. In recent years the sport has been steadily courting the creative set: an LVMH partnership, it-brand collabs from Gucci to Nahmias, a hit Netflix series, and Lewis Hamilton is now dating billionaire reality TV star Kim Kardashian.
All of these factors have propelled F1 to the center of the zeitgeist for 2026. Plus, the event’s growing incorporation of music. The British Grand Prix in particular has had the likes of Kings of Leon, Black Eyed Peas, and Raye perform, yet the most recent edition last weekend (no. 77), felt even more of a new generation target, with some of the UK’s most exciting homegrown talent taking to stages.
Jodie Porter, Head of Experiences & Entertainment Partnerships says, “Formula 1 has always had a strong relationship with music and entertainment; it's been part of the DNA of a Grand Prix weekend for decades. What’s changed in recent years is that it's no longer just about the headline acts performing on the main stage. Today, we’re much more intentional about how we bring culture into the Formula 1 ecosystem.”
Last weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone extended Formula 1’s push into live entertainment with the return of its four-year-old F1 Tracks: Discovery programme, which gave four emerging artists the opportunity to open the Main Stage across the three-day race weekend. Jazz-house producer Charlie Jeer kicked off the series on Thursday, followed by soulful singer-songwriter Felix Green on Friday, 19-year-old Nigerian-British rapper TKandz on Saturday, and Birmingham-born singer-songwriter fliss on Sunday.
Away from the main stage, Formula 1's exclusive Paddock Club suite created by Lewis Hamilton in partnership with Soho House House 44 also hosted an intimate performance from British rapper Nemzzz. That was followed by renowned house producer DJ Majestic in the evening, then electronic music trailblazer Wilkinson’s pre-race DJ set in House 44 on Sunday. Historically, the Paddock Club has catered to corporate guests and celebrity DJs, making the decision to book one of the UK’s fastest-rising rappers and established DJs illustrates that the sport is increasingly prioritizing the new generation of creatives.
An emerging rapper who has collaborated with the likes of Latto, Central Cee, and Lil Yachty, Nemzzz says he hopes to “collect cars” one day yet admitted to not knowing a lot about F1 prior to attending. Having grown up in Manchester’s Gorton council estate, the 22-year-old’s drive came from “having nothing,” he said in an interview post-House 44 performance, “If you're ever trying to get somewhere, you have to be delusional. I’m showing people that there’s no limit to what you can do. There’s nothing that can stop you from achieving it. I try to tap into that in my music. It’s therapy for me.”
The rapper’s presence inside Lewis Hamilton’s House 44 felt like Formula 1’s broader effort to position the race weekend as a Gen Z destination. Paddock Club attendees sat sipping champagne, watching the race, and experiencing a buzzy intimate performance by the Manchester-born rapper — it was a contrast of cultural impact that felt brand new for the Grand Prix, and an exceptional effort to curate a new generation of F1 fanatics.
Fellow rapper Tkandz is just 19-years-old and has already collabed with prominent American rapper Lil Baby, he said in an interview, “Performing at F1 honestly felt like a dream. The energy from the crowd was unreal, and the F1 community showed me so much love that day.” He continued, “I was already familiar with F1 before attending Silverstone as an artist, as I saw a huge presence on social media and the ever-growing love that the fans show to the sport. Lando Norris used my song Now or Never on TikTok, which made me connect with the sport on a more personal level and led to my song Grand Prix.” He continued, “With Now or Never, I was saying if people can do it, why can’t you.”
The messages from young artists resonate so perfectly with the motivational energy at the F1. And the event has made attracting a younger audience a major priority. As a result, according to F1’s own figures, 43% of its global fanbase is now under the age of 35, representing a 30% increase since 2018. Separate research by YouGov in 2023 also found that the Drive to Survive Netflix documentary series reached around seven million viewers, with people aged 18 to 29 accounting for nearly one-third (31%) of the audience.
While the British Grand Prix Paddock Club undeniably felt like a more mature crowd, there are sure efforts across content creators, and music line-ups in courting Gen Zers. “What makes the British GP particularly exciting from an entertainment perspective is the UK’s influence on global music, fashion, sport, and culture,” says Porter. “That gives us access to an incredible mix of talent and creative partners who genuinely want to be part of the Formula 1 story.”
Perhaps that’s what made Silverstone the perfect stage for this experiment. The British Grand Prix has always traded on heritage — the airfield circuit, the home-crowd roar for Hamilton and Lando Norris — but one of Britain’s largest creative exports these days is its youth culture. The UK’s rap, house, and drum-and-bass scenes shape what Gen Z listens to globally, and by handing its stages to Nemzzz, TKandz, and a wave of homegrown talent on the rise, F1 tapped into something no Monaco yacht party can offer: authentic cultural clout.
.webp)
