Formula 1 weekend in Baku will add a new open-air event series in 2026. APEX After Dark Open Air runs from September 24 to 26 at a purpose-built, 2,500-capacity site in front of FOMO Baku near Flag Square, with separate nights led by ANOTR, Jamie Jones, and Mahmut Orhan.
The headliners provide the immediate draw. The main development is the location itself. These will be the first events held at the temporary waterfront site, and the series marks the first time FOMO has moved its programming outside since the club opened in late 2023.
FOMO has developed APEX with Baku City Circuit and iTicket Production for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend. The location places a club-led program beside Baku’s Caspian waterfront during the city’s busiest motorsport dates, while increasing FOMO’s available capacity to 2,500 people.
Why the 2026 Baku F1 schedule changes Saturday night
The 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix follows a Thursday-to-Saturday timetable rather than the usual Friday-to-Sunday format. The FIA confirmed that the race had been moved from Sunday, September 27, to Saturday, September 26, following a request from the promoter and government representatives, in connection with a national day.
The official Formula 1 schedule places the first two practice periods on Thursday, the final practice period and qualifying on Friday, and the race on Saturday. That adjustment gives the final APEX date a specific role within the weekend.
Mahmut Orhan’s event begins at 6 p.m. on race day, allowing FOMO to receive attendees after the on-track program concludes.
Tickets: ANOTR (24th Sept) / Jamie Jones (25th Sept) / Mahmut Orhan (26th Sept)
Who is playing APEX After Dark Open Air?
ANOTR opens the series on Thursday, September 24. iTicket currently lists a 5 p.m. start for the Amsterdam duo’s event. The appearance follows their On A Trip touring period, which included the Factory Town performance documented in our Miami Music Week 2025 recap.
Jamie Jones headlines Friday, September 25, with a listed 6 p.m. start. His Baku date comes during the fifteenth anniversary period for Hot Creations, the label he founded with Lee Foss. The anniversary and Jones’ return to the label with “Murder Mystery” were covered in this October 2025 article.
Mahmut Orhan closes the series on Saturday, September 26, beginning at 6 p.m. Orhan also closed FOMO’s Grand Prix weekend program in 2025, while his 2026 bookings have included Cercle Festival at France’s Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace. His return now places him on the first race-day event held at FOMO’s outdoor site.
APEX After Dark ticket prices and entry rules
Each night has its own iTicket listing. Prices currently run from 85 to 300 Azerbaijani manat, depending on the ticket category and remaining inventory.
| Date | Headliner | Listed start time | Current listed price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, September 24 | ANOTR | 5 p.m. | 85 to 300 ₼ |
| Friday, September 25 | Jamie Jones | 6 p.m. | 85 to 300 ₼ |
| Saturday, September 26 | Mahmut Orhan | 6 p.m. | 85 to 300 ₼ |
All three listings carry an 18+ age restriction. The ticket terms state that events will proceed in all weather conditions and that purchases cannot be refunded or exchanged. Attendees should check their selected listing before purchase because start times, ticket categories, and entry terms can change.
What APEX After Dark means for FOMO Baku
An outdoor site introduces weather exposure, site access, and crowd movement considerations that do not apply in the same way inside FOMO’s permanent venue. Launching the location during Grand Prix weekend also places the operation in front of international visitors at a time when transport and hospitality demand will already be high.
FOMO has answered part of that challenge by keeping the series concentrated at one 2,500-capacity site and selling each date separately. The programming also gives each night its own identity, moving from ANOTR’s house-led approach to Jamie Jones on qualifying night, followed by Mahmut Orhan after Saturday’s race.
The lasting point is the venue launch. Baku already has a broad Grand Prix entertainment schedule, including arena concerts connected to the race. APEX adds a dedicated open-air electronic event beside the waterfront and gives FOMO its first test outside the club. No later dates at the site have been announced, so the September 24 to 26 series remains the first confirmed measure of whether the format can continue after F1 weekend.
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
