9 reasons the Las Vegas Grand Prix belongs on your 2026 calendar

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As 2025 draws to a close, luxury sports tourism hits peak velocity. More than 300,000 fans attended the sold-out Las Vegas Grand Prix last month, smashing records with 1.5 million ESPN viewers, up 68% from 905,000 last year. That all-time high even eclipses the 2023 debut's 1.3 million broadcast audience.

The white-hot demand is only accelerating into 2026. Its third edition delivered everything the new elite sports tourist craves. Wheel-to-wheel drama beneath the glowing lights confirmed once again that this is no ordinary Formula 1 race.

What started as a nighttime street circuit in 2023 has evolved into one of the world's most extravagant sporting weekends. Fueled by Netflix hits like "Drive to Survive," Skyscanner's Travel Trends calls it sport mode in overdrive, where new audiences crave real-life thrills alongside like-minded crowds.

Spectators filled every entertainment zone from Thursday's practice to Saturday night's main event. Privacy, exclusivity and once-in-a-lifetime access are the new currency of luxury. Deposits for 2026 are already open, and travelers looking ahead may want to secure plans early.

The Strip becomes the ultimate party circuit

The circuit rockets past Bellagio fountains, the Sphere and iconic casinos at 215 mph, but the real party rages off-track. Four epic stages at T-Mobile at Sphere, East Harmon, Koval and Grand Prix Plaza turned the boulevard into a three-day festival. T-Pain, MGK, Zedd, Steve Aoki and Shaggy kept the volume maxed from Thursday, right until the podium Champagne spray. Just before the five lights went out, premium ticket holders watched Louis Tomlinson, Kane Brown and Kaskade on stage, then saw the cars scream down the straight seconds later.

The race itself delivers pure drama

Max Verstappen claimed victory with a trademark daring lunge into Turn 1 on the opening lap, slicing past Lando Norris in a move that had the entire grandstand on its feet. Then came the bombshell. A post-race double disqualification for the McLaren pair handed Mercedes a surprise 2-3 finish for George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.

Verstappen's dominant drive turned into a slightly anticlimactic win on the road but an absolute firestorm in the paddock. The combination of high-speed straights, glowing casinos as a backdrop and zero margin for error means the Las Vegas street circuit almost always serves up wheel-to-wheel action and headline-making moments from lights-out to chequered flag.

F1 Academy and the rise of women in motorsport

The all-female F1 Academy series closed its season on the Strip, with Mercedes junior Doriane Pin clinching the title after a nail-biting duel. Female attendance surged, and Susie Wolff declared, "We're here to be a movement, not just a moment." Expect even bigger crowds and louder celebrations for women behind the wheel next year.

Gordon Ramsay serves a trackside beef Wellington

Yes, really. The Michelin-starred chef and avid F1 fan hosts a popular trackside lunch in Hell's Kitchen at Caesars Palace. I was lucky enough to land a seat with fellow journalists right in front of the open kitchen. We devoured the legendary beef Wellington while Ramsay worked the room, cracking jokes and posing for photos. He's far friendlier in person than on TV.

Midway through dessert, the renowned chef and restaurateur pulled up a chair at our table for a few minutes, dissecting the driver's championship fight like one of us. A midday feast with Gordon Ramsay as your lunch companion? Pure pre-race indulgence.

Tastes worth the trip alone

Ramsay wasn't the only Michelin-starred chef stealing the show. In the heart of the paddock, Jeremy Ford's Stubborn Seed pop-up served bite-sized, caviar-crowned canapes paired with chilled Joseph Phelps pinot noir. Guests nibbled just steps from the team garages, sipping and watching Charles Leclerc stroll in with his fiancée, Alexandra Saint Mleux, who stopped traffic in a customized Ferrari leather jacket, mini skirt and knee-high boots.

The Paddock Club itself is pure decadence. Endless lobster, all-you-can-eat sushi stations, raw oyster bars and free-flowing vintage Champagne on tap, and views directly above the pit lane.

Across the lagoon, on CARBONE Riviera's lakeside deck, spicy rigatoni vodka arrived, flaming-hot and perfect. As plates were cleared, a sleek Riva yacht glided past carrying Jean-Georges Vongerichten himself, balancing an enormous tray of dry-aged steaks bound for the Bellagio Fountain Club. Only in Vegas does dinner come with a supermodel fiancée, a yacht delivery, and unlimited caviar.

Channel your inner F1 driver

F1 Arcade at Caesars Palace packs 87 state-of-the-art race simulators into 21,000 square feet of neon-lit glory. After watching the pros, slide into a full-motion rig, feel every curb and braking zone through the hydraulic base and battle friends on the exact Vegas layout. Then refuel with king crab and a champion's sundae. Go from zero to hero in one session, no super-licence required.

Celebrity overload

Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Travis Scott, Mark Wahlberg and Magic Johnson were just a few of the famous names roaming the pit lane. Paddock access means you routinely bump elbows with drivers, team bosses and A-listers. You never know who'll appear next under the neon. "The Summer I Turned Pretty" heartthrob Gavin Casalegno was spotted in T-Mobile's Club Magenta during Saturday's qualifying session.

Lewis Hamilton gave Beyoncé the ride of a lifetime in a blistering 200-mph hot lap around the Strip circuit. Queen Bey, windswept in a custom white leather jumpsuit, later shared a quick Instagram clip, her caption simply reading, "Give it to Mama!"

When the checkered flag dropped, the party moved to Delilah at the Wynn, the official F1 afterparty. John Mayer delivered an intimate late-night set while Orlando Bloom, Kevin Hart, Ali Larter and Machine Gun Kelly danced under the chandeliers until sunrise. If the race is the main event, Delilah is the velvet-rope encore.

Disney, LEGO and Hello Kitty take over the grid

Only in Vegas do childhood icons share the grid with 1,000-hp race cars. A 418,000-brick pink LEGO Cadillac driven by Terry Crews chauffeured the podium finishers, Maestro Mickey conducted a pyrotechnic fountain spectacular and Hello Kitty had her own grandstand cafe.

Disney launched its Fuel The Magic campaign with a sharp merchandise drop that sold fast. Bobby Kim, vice-president of creative at Disney Consumer Products, explained the goal: "We want it to feel very cool, we want it to feel very Mickey and we want it to feel unprecedented, which is what we got."

Luxury hospitality

The Bellagio Fountain Club remains the hottest ticket in sports. Guests dine at tables inches from the track, 20 world-class chefs, bottomless Champagne, the fountains dance behind you and the cars thunder past so close you feel the heat. Best of all? Zero traffic hassles.

Next door, the newly renovated Caesars Palace Villas offer private pools and 24-hour butlers for those who want to roll out of bed and onto the grid, while Wynn's ultimate Race Week package turned its resort into ground zero for high-rollers.

The Skybox grandstands sit directly in front of the pit lane and starting grid. Guests watch every mechanic swarm the cars during stops and stare straight down the line when the lights extinguish. Rat Pack-inspired lounges, indoor climate control and outdoor terraces make the view even sweeter.

It keeps getting bigger and bolder

An earlier 8 p.m. start time in 2025, expanded fan zones and the debut of F1 Academy on the Strip were just the latest upgrades. Organizers have already extended partnerships with Caesars Entertainment through 2030 and promised even more immersive experiences for 2026. If you thought this year was over-the-top, wait until next November.

No Grand Prix on earth feels like Las Vegas. Mark your calendar for Nov. 19-21, 2026. The grid fills faster every year.

Casandra Karpiak is a Thomas Lowell Gold Award-winning writer and luxury travel expert. A regular contributor to Ultimate Experiences Magazine, Global Traveler Magazine, the Associated Press wire and Blox Digital wire, she primarily focuses on luxury accommodations and resorts, yachts and super yachts, small ship cruise lines, sports tourism and the intersection of wine and travel.