When is the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix 2026?

Race week runs Thursday November 19 to Saturday November 21, 2026, at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit. The Grand Prix itself is on Saturday night. Every session is after dark: FP1 and FP2 on Thursday, FP3 and qualifying on Friday, and the race on Saturday at 8:00 PM PST.

How far in advance should I book for the Las Vegas Grand Prix?

Hotels are the binding constraint, not tickets. Strip rates run several times their normal level during race week, so three to four months out is the point past which the good value is gone. If Strip pricing has already moved, off-Strip areas such as Henderson or North Las Vegas are the fallback — budget for the ride in and back.

What should I sort out before I fly to Las Vegas?

Three things, in this order. Your exit plan from the circuit, because the race ends late and public transport does not run all night. Your bag, because only clear bags up to 12" × 6" × 12" get through security and there is no storage at the venue. And your warm layers, because race night runs 5–10°C and you will be sitting still in it.

Las Vegas GP 2026: Countdown & Key Deadlines

The Las Vegas Grand Prix is the one race on the calendar where the countdown matters more for your hotel than your ticket. The circuit runs down Las Vegas Boulevard past Caesars Palace and the Bellagio, which means the grandstands sit in front of hotels that already sell out at full price without a Grand Prix attached. Strip rates climb to several times their usual level across race week, and they climb earlier each year.

The schedule is unlike anywhere else, too. Every session runs after dark — practice on Thursday and Friday evening, qualifying on Friday night, and the Grand Prix itself at 8:00 PM PST on Saturday. Qualifying being on Friday rather than Saturday afternoon is the detail that catches people booking a single night. Daytime is completely free on all three days, which is why the long desert day trips are worth planning around Sunday specifically, the one day with nothing on track at all.

Two things are worth deciding well before you pack. The first is how you get back after the race: it finishes around 10pm, bus services stop before the crowd does, and ride-share pricing on the Strip at that hour is its own event. The second is temperature. November nights in the Mojave run 5–10°C, and you will be stationary in an open grandstand for hours. The cold is the single most common thing first-timers here get wrong.

Key Dates & Deadlines

Hotel bookingThe Strip hotels see 5–8× rate premiums during race week. Book 3–4 months out or consider off-Strip options (Henderson, North Las Vegas) and Uber in.

Transport planThe race starts at 8:00 PM PST and finishes around 10:00 PM, but the walk and the queue mean plenty of people are not back until well after midnight. Plan your exit: RTC buses stop before the crowd does, and ride-share surge pricing goes extreme. Confirm your return route before race night.

Weather / layersLas Vegas in November runs 5–10°C across race night, coldest at the finish. A warm layer is essential — most fans underestimate how cold an open grandstand gets after midnight.

Bag policyLas Vegas GP enforces clear bag rules consistent with NFL venue standards. One clear plastic bag up to 12 × 6 × 12 in plus a small clutch up to 6 × 9 in. Check official policy 2 weeks out.