2026 Daytona 500 Update
January 2, 2026 – As of now, official announcements have not yet been made for the 2026 Daytona 500 pre race concert, National Anthem singer, or honorary starter, with those ceremonial details traditionally revealed closer to race week, though fans can expect expanded entertainment around Speedweeks similar to recent years.
Daytona 500 Week 2026 Overview
The 2026 NASCAR season officially kicks off with Daytona 500 Week, running Wednesday, February 11 through Sunday, February 15, 2026, at Daytona International Speedway. The Daytona 500 will be contested on Sunday, February 15, 2026, marking a slight calendar shift compared to 2025. In 2025, the Daytona 500 was held one week earlier, so fans should note that Speedweeks moves later on the calendar in 2026, while keeping the familiar midweek qualifying and weekend buildup.
Race week follows the traditional format, with Daytona 500 Qualifying on Wednesday, the Duels on Thursday, Truck Series racing on Friday, and a full slate of support races on Saturday leading into Sunday’s main event. While the structure of Speedweeks remains unchanged, the later February dates push the Daytona 500 deeper into the month than in 2025, a shift driven by NASCAR’s calendar alignment rather than any change to the race format itself. For fans, teams, and broadcasters, 2026 brings the same iconic Daytona rhythm just on a slightly later page of the calendar.
2026 Daytona 500 Race Week Schedule
- Wednesday, Feb. 12 Daytona 500 Qualifying, Time TBD
- Thursday, Feb. 13 Duel at Daytona, 7 p.m.
- Friday, Feb. 14 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series 250, 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Feb. 15 ARCA Menards Series 200, 1:30 p.m. NASCAR Xfinity Series 300, 5 p.m.
- Sunday, Feb. 16 Daytona 500, 2:30 p.m.
The race has had five consecutive sellouts before last year’s reduced-capacity crowd and will continue its strong attendance run. However, tickets have always been easy to locate on the street and on the internet, so sellout is really just an affirmation that you have to search alternative places outside the official DIS ticket window or website.
Prices Are Holding Steady for 2026
Ticket pricing for the Daytona 500 in 2026 reflects both location and demand, with a clear premium tied to elevation and sightlines. Entry level reserved seats begin around $193 in Section 108 and rise through Sections 126 and 306 at $227 to $238, offering solid views at relatively accessible prices. Mid range seating such as Sections 408 and 431 moves into the $261 to $328 range, with similar pricing seen in Sections 331 and 340. Top tier grandstand locations including Sections 340 and 440 are priced around $350 for race day seating and are also offered as part of 4 day ticket packages totaling $684, which include multiple NASCAR race events throughout Speedweeks. Overall, the 2026 pricing structure shows a steady climb rather than sharp jumps, balancing accessibility with premium options for fans seeking the full Daytona experience.
As of now, no structural changes have been announced for 2026 ticketing. You should expect:
- Hard Rock Bet Fanzone access as add on or bundled
- Grandstand seating tiers similar to 2025
- Multi day packages (2 Day and 4 Day)
- Premium club seating including Trioval Club
- VIP and hospitality experiences
- Daytona 500 (February 16, 2026):
- Grandstand Seating: Ticket prices generally range from $99 to $240+, depending on the section and view.
- Exclusive Packages: These packages start at around $300 and include reserved seating plus access to the Hard Rock Bet Fanzone and the pre-race concert.
- Other Events During Speedweeks:
- The Duel at Daytona: General admission tickets start at $45, with reserved seating priced higher.
- NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Prices start at approximately $35 for general admission.
- Xfinity and ARCA Menards Series Doubleheader: Tickets begin at around $50.
- Multi-Day Packages:
- 2-Day Packages (Daytona 500 + Saturday’s Doubleheader): Prices begin at around $150.
- 4-Day Packages (All main events from February 13 to February 16): Starting prices are around $200 to $300.
- The Trioval Club 4-Day Package for the 2026 Daytona Speedweeks offers a premium experience. This package’s cost is $1,889, including a reserved Trioval Club seat for all four days of major events from February 12 to 16. The package includes amenities like exclusive access to hospitality areas, upscale food and beverage options, and enhanced race-day activities. Additional benefits include pre-race entertainment and behind-the-scenes access to the pit area and drivers.
- The most expensive ticket for the 2026 Daytona 500 is part of the VIP experience and hospitality package. These exclusive tickets start at $895 and include premium seating, access to the Hard Rock Bet Fanzone, and additional perks like hospitality access, appearances from NASCAR personalities, and unique gifts.
Access to the Hard Rock Bet Fanzone, which features exclusive perks like the pre-race concert and up-close views of driver introductions, is available as an add-on or part of select ticket packages.
- Feb 13th – Thursday – Duel Race – $125.00 each
- Feb 14th – Friday – 250 Truck Race – $75.00 each
- Feb 15th – Saturday – 300 Race – $130.00 each
- Feb 16th – Sunday – Daytona 500 – $375.00
- Tri-Oval 4-day packages $705
Seating Capacity
101,500–167,785 (w/ infield, depending on configuration) 123,500 (grandstand capacity)
Seating capacity at Daytona International Speedway has not changed for 2026. Daytona’s capacity has stayed consistent since the completion of the Daytona Rising renovation. The speedway continues to offer roughly 123,500 permanent grandstand seats, with total attendance capacity expanding depending on configuration and infield access. When the infield and hospitality areas are included, overall capacity can reach well over 160,000 spectators, depending on how the venue is set up for race week.
The superspeedway can hold over 123,500, down from the days when the front stretch, backstretch, and infield could hold over 165,000, but the number is still quite impressive for any major venues nationwide. These numbers match similar stadiums, such as Michigan’s Big House (107,601), Penn State’s Beaver Stadium (106,572), and the Rose Bowl (90,000). The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the largest sporting facility in the world, with more than 250,000 grandstand seats and the ability to host close to 400,000 people throughout the entire property.
The VVIP Package – If Money Doesn’t Matter
The most exclusive experience a fan can buy for the 2026 Daytona 500 goes far beyond a standard grandstand ticket at Daytona International Speedway. At the top of the publicly available market is the official VVIP hospitality experience, which pairs premium start finish seating with private climate controlled lounges, upscale food and open bar service, dedicated VIP entry, concierge level service, and access to restricted areas unavailable to general ticket holders. For 2026, these VVIP packages typically start around $3500 to $5000 per person and can climb higher depending on seating location, hospitality scope, and added services.
For fans whose priority is true behind the scenes access, the highest tier is a NASCAR ONE VIP experience or a sponsor credential package. These provide guaranteed garage access and scheduled pit road access windows, allowing guests to walk pit lane and see teams preparing cars before green flag conditions. Pricing for NASCAR ONE style access generally ranges from $6,000 to $10,000 per person and still requires a separate race ticket, while sponsor level credential packages are custom priced, often exceeding $10,000 and sometimes far more, with availability limited and access tightly controlled by NASCAR. Our test to the VIP experience was $8,040, with infield parking.
What about Pit Seating and Passes?
You can get access that includes pit road or garage/pit area experiences for the 2026 Daytona 500, but it’s not part of the standard grandstand ticket, it comes through VIP packages or special pass add-ons rather than regular “pit seating” called the Trackside Supreme You can get garage and pit passes through a third-party VIP experience program called NASCAR ONE (by Elevate Experiences). These packages explicitly include garage and pit passes that let you see teams preparing cars and go onto pit road during designated access windows, although you must still hold a valid race ticket for that day.
General Ticket Pricing:
Two-day packages start at $340 and include the Daytona 500 and the Xfinity race. Single tickets start at $105 for the lowest-level general admission ticket and go as high as $375 for the upper deck around the start-finish line. The main seating in the tri-oval club face value for Sunday only is $375 in 2024, up from $340 two years ago. That’s a 10.29% increase.
| Area | 2026 | 2024 | 2022 | |
| Turn Lower Sec 100s (108/126) | $193/$227 | $95-195 | ||
| Turn Middle Sec 300s (306, 331, 340) | $238/$328/$375 | $210 | $160-210 | |
| Turn Upper Sec 400s (408 & 440) | $261-$375 | $186-$270 | $170-230 | |
| Pit Lower | $135-195 | |||
| Pit Middle | $210 | |||
| Pit Upper | $230 | |||
| Start/Finish Lower (Sec 140-152) | $227 | $190 | ||
| Start/Finish Upper (Tri-Oval) Sec. 345- 357 | $375 | $375 | $340 | (4 Day Pkg Req.) |
| Tri Oval Club – Prerace Concert and Fanzone | $985 ($835 for seat & $150 for Fanzone) | (4 day only pkg) Prerace Concert and Fanzone | ||
| Hard Rock Bet Fan Zone/Pre Race Concert | $107 | $159 | $145 | Bought with package |
| Lot 4 Parking Still free parking in Lot 7 | $406 | $75 | Bunch of options but parking on official DIS grounds is insane parking prices. Volusia Mall still seems to be a decent deal. |
Fan Zone Infield
So, what does capacity mean to ticket prices this year? The most expensive Daytona 500 race tickets are going for as high as $7954. A single race ticket during the NASCAR season has an average price of around $482.00. Ticket prices start at $99 and go as high as $405.
In the aftermarket on the secondary market, the average list price for the race is currently $308 per ticket, with a get-in price of $167. Tickets in 100’s sections start at $167, and go as high as $1,199. 300 level seats start at $217, and go as high as $821. 400-level seats start at $230 and go as high as $684. For each level of the venue, the more expensive seats are found closer to the start/finish line.
Face value of Daytona 500 tickets – Flat or Lower
Boy, it’s a whole new ball game for Daytona International Speedway now that DIS has been labeled the first and largest American racing stadium for the #Daytona500. With the reconfigured front stretch and a dismantled backstretch (aka the Super-stretch), tickets show that they can’t hold onto the prices they set just 5 years ago. And with the online ticket resale market growing, people are no longer shelling out big bucks in the summer before the race to get on a payment plan. The secondary market is alive and well. But what is happening to the real price to attend the Daytona 500? Let’s take a look.
For 2026, The Trioval Club remains as one of the best packages you can get without getting insane. Event tickets for the four days is $835. Then you add on Fanzone for $150. So your all in will run you $985 each but you do get access to the Trioval Club which is really just mezzanine couches beneath the seats.
As a comparison n 2019, good seats for the Daytona 500 in the famed Tri-Oval Club Tower at the Start/Finish Line will cost you $695 per ticket for the 4-race package ($365 for the # Daytona500). Stats also stated that the 2019 race was a sellout, with 101,000 tickets sold.
The Tri-Oval Club is still the premier section on the second level above and around the start/finish line. Lesser-priced tickets can be had for Sunday only, starting at $170. In comparison, that’s the same price going back to 2016 when the 4-day package would’ve set you back $695 a seat for a 4-day race package – up from $680 in 2015 and 2014.
Great insights on the ticket price trends for the Daytona 500! It’s fascinating to see how the economy influences such iconic events. I wonder how much further prices will climb as demand increases. Looking forward to more posts like this!