KUALA LUMPUR: The 2026 Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix (MotoGP) is targeting 200,000 spectators in 2027, after hitting about 196,000 spectators this year, with ticket sales exceeding 52,000 to mark the Sepang International Circuit's (SIC) strongest performance since the Covid-19 lockdowns.
SIC chief executive Azhan Shafriman Hanif said 52,000 of the 56,000 tickets made available for the event were sold, bringing attendance close to the organiser's target of 200,000.
He said the achievement represented the highest ticket sales recorded by the circuit since the lockdowns, according to The Star.
“Compared with previous years since Covid-19, this is the highest ticket sales figure we have ever achieved,” he told reporters after Sunday's race at SIC on Nov 1.
“We came close to our target of 200,000 spectators and we will aim to achieve that next year,” he added.
The strong turnout comes as SIC looks to build on the event's popularity and attract more spectators in next year's edition.
Separately, Azhan confirmed that police had detained two suspects over the alleged illegal sale of Premier Suite passes on the black market.
He said the passes were believed to have been produced internally but subsequently sold without barcodes.
“So far, two suspects have been detained. They remain in remand, and investigations are ongoing, so I cannot comment further,” he said.
Azhan described the incident as a breach of the circuit's internal security arrangements and said measures would be strengthened to prevent a recurrence.
“This should not have happened within our system, and we will tighten security measures moving forward,” he said.
He said SIC had detected the alleged operation through information received internally before coordinating with its security team and the police to take action against those involved.
The matter attracted attention on social media on Saturday (Oct 31), following claims that fake Premier Suite passes for the Malaysian MotoGP were being offered for RM250 near the circuit entrance.
Several social media posts highlighted the alleged scam, prompting concerns over ticket authenticity and security arrangements at the event.
Investigations into the alleged unauthorised sale are ongoing.