An extreme speed ride not for the fainthearted will be one of the top entertainment attractions during this month's Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.

Those brave enough to try the Sky Coaster will be placed in special flight suits and fastened to steel cables that can hold up to 3,000kg each.

Passengers will be taken on an almost one-minute ride to the top of a tower and hear a countdown before being released to free fall 36 metres and swing across Bahrain International Circuit (BIC)'s F1 Village at speeds of up to 120kph.

The ride is part of a series of off-track entertainment that has been lined up in the area behind main grandstand from April 20 to 22.

This year will be the biggest in the history of Bahrain's F1 weekend and will extend from the BIC Welcome Centre to the Viva karting track.

Entertainment will range from children's carnival games, rides and arts and crafts activities to another heart-stopping extreme event - the Sky High Bungee-Sky Coaster - and a wide variety of live performances.

Several globally renowned performers will show off their skills at the F1 Village's main stage and throughout the vending area, including musicians, dancers and other skilled performers.

On the main stage will be a performance by the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, who will entertain the crowd with their signature Bagrock sound.

The Chillis have a distinct fusion of rocked up Bagpipes and covers of popular songs from all genres and have played to fans from New York to Beijing.

Others set to perform on the main stage are Michael Jackson Tribute band Navi, a Shaolin Monks show, stage MC Gil Kolirin, The Phonics cover band and Urban Intro cover band.

Roaming acts including a Bombay Baja brass band, stilt-walkers Steve and Tom, magician Ian Kendall, Mr Hoy the Living Statue and Comedy Show, Pedro Tochas, Pop the Balloon Man, Salsa Direct Virmundo, the Joker Stilt-walkers and Wacky Chad will also interact with the crowds.

Three fully air-conditioned large tents, each of which will feature different kinds of children's entertainment will also be set up.

An arts and crafts tent will include Cherry Faces face painting, a balloon modeller and George the digital caricaturist.

A circus tent will feature acts from Bruce Bilodeau, circus skills workshops, Fanti acrobats and tight rope walker and acrobat Kwabana Lindsay.

A Kids' Theatre will put on children's musicals, Gazzo the children's magic show and feature Pirates of the Caribbean star Jack Sparrow lookalike.

Tickets for the race weekend are still available at the BIC stands in Seef Mall and Bahrain City Centre and online at bahraingp.com. – TradeArabia News Service