2026 Indianapolis 500

The 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge takes place on Sunday, May 24, 2026, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, drawing close to half a million spectators to the largest single-day sporting event in the world. The green flag drops at 12:45 PM Eastern on the 2.5-mile oval as 33 NTT IndyCar Series drivers chase 200 laps and 500 miles of glory that has defined American motorsport since 1911.

For families, this is not simply a race, it is a full Memorial Day weekend ritual with pre-race ceremonies, a week of qualifying and practice sessions, and a race-day atmosphere that starts before sunrise and doesn’t release you until long after the checkered flag falls.

The Month of May Schedule: More Than One Day

The full experience begins well before race day. Practice opens Tuesday, May 12, with Time Trials on May 16 and 17 setting the 33-car starting grid. Miller Lite Carb Day on May 22 delivers the final practice session alongside a full driver autograph session, the Public Drivers’ Meeting, and a concert lineup yet to be announced, making it a strong family day with garage access and a festival feel at a fraction of race-day crowd levels. Legends Day on May 23 closes out the buildup before the speedway fully transforms for Sunday. The Sonsio Grand Prix road course race on May 8 and 9 gives dedicated IndyCar fans an additional weekend on the same grounds.

Race Day: Traditions, the Snake Pit, and the Green Flag

Arrive early on May 24. The pre-race ceremony builds in layers, from driver introductions and the national anthem to the moment Florence Henderson’s “Back Home Again in Indiana” echoes across the frontstretch and the balloon release turns the sky white above 250,000 grandstand seats. Then the field accelerates out of Turn 4 and the sound hits you in the chest before your brain fully registers what happened. The Coors Light Snake Pit, staged in the infield adjacent to Turn 3, brings Grammy Award-winning DJ and producer Zedd back to the speedway for the first time since 2017, joined by Crankdat, Wooli, it’s murph, and Wax Motif in a Race Day electronic music event that draws more than 20,000 attendees. The Snake Pit is open to attendees 18 and older, requires a race ticket plus a separate wristband, and tickets are priced from $60 to $165 at ims.com.

Tickets, Logistics, and Planning Ahead

A grandstand sellout is expected to repeat from 2025, so buying early matters. General admission with a Snake Pit wristband starts at $115, and VIP Snake Pit packages are $220. Parking fills fast across the surrounding Speedway neighborhood, and rideshare drop-offs outside the perimeter gates are the smoothest entry option for families.

The speedway’s accessibility services are available through Gate 1, and the infield tunnel provides the most direct route between the grandstands and the infield Snake Pit area for those moving between the two experiences during the race.

Where to Stay Near Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Eagle Creek

Downtown Indianapolis hotels along the White River corridor and the Canal Walk fill the week before the race. Families who want room to spread out and a waterfront morning before race day will find Eagle Creek Park, just eight miles northwest of the speedway, offers one of the largest municipal parks in the country with a 1,400-acre reservoir, paddleboard rentals, and shoreline trails that put the city’s intensity at arm’s length.

For a full lakeside extension of the Indianapolis weekend, Morse Reservoir and Geist Reservoir north of the city have waterfront cabin and home rentals with docks, pontoon access, and quiet neighborhoods that give families a genuine home base across the full Memorial Day stretch. Browse available lake properties on Lake.com to find an Indianapolis-area waterfront rental that anchors the whole trip.