Formula 1 is back on the Las Vegas Strip, and for locals, race week is equal parts spectacle and detour. The 2026 Formula 1 Heineken Las Vegas Grand Prix runs Thursday, November 19 to Saturday, November 21, 2026. It is the fourth edition of the race since it first ran in 2023, and Formula 1 signed a 10-year extension in June 2026, so the race stays on the Strip through 2037. Here is the F1 Las Vegas schedule and what to expect as a local.

The race is F1’s only Saturday-night Grand Prix, run under lights on a temporary street circuit. The 3.8-mile (6.201 km) Las Vegas Strip Circuit has 17 turns and 50 laps, running along Las Vegas Boulevard, Harmon Avenue, Koval Lane, and Sands Avenue, past the Sphere and the Bellagio fountains. The Grand Prix starts at 8 p.m. on Saturday, November 21.

If you live here, the schedule matters less than the closures around it. Here is the full weekend, then what to expect on the roads, on foot, and around town.

F1 Las Vegas schedule 2026

All times are local Pacific Standard Time (PST). Gates open at 2:30 p.m. each day. Session times are subject to change — check the official Formula 1 schedule before race week.

Thursday, November 19:

  • Formula 1 Practice 1: 4:30-5:30 p.m.
  • F1 Academy practice: 6:00-6:40 p.m.
  • Formula 1 Practice 2: 8:00-9:00 p.m.
  • F1 Academy qualifying: 9:30-10:00 p.m.

Friday, November 20:

  • Formula 1 Practice 3: 4:30-5:30 p.m.
  • F1 Academy reverse-grid race: 6:15-6:50 p.m.
  • Formula 1 Qualifying: 8:00-9:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 21:

  • F1 Academy feature race: 4:20-4:55 p.m.
  • Las Vegas Grand Prix (50 laps): lights out at 8:00 p.m.

What to expect as a local: road closures

This is the part that affects you even if you never watch a lap. The circuit is the Strip itself, so the closed footprint is Las Vegas Boulevard from Sands Avenue to Harmon Avenue, east on Harmon Avenue, north on Koval Lane around the Sphere, and back along Sands Avenue.

Race-day closures run from 1 p.m. on each race day until after midnight. Closures begin at 1 p.m. and all circuit roads are shut by 3 p.m. The published windows are:

  • Wednesday, November 18: overnight closures, midnight to 6 a.m., and again from 8 p.m. until 3 a.m. Thursday
  • Thursday, November 19: 1 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. Friday
  • Friday, November 20: 1 p.m. until midnight
  • Saturday, November 21: 1 p.m. until 2 a.m. Sunday

The build lasts far longer than the three race nights. The preliminary transportation calendar starts track build on August 31 and ends teardown on December 23. Koval Lane at the pit building is closed November 14 through 25. In December, Flamingo and Koval closes completely again for five days, December 13-18, to remove the temporary vehicle bridge, and one lane restriction by the Bellagio lasts until December 29. Treat all of this as preliminary and subject to change, and check the official transportation updates closer to race week.

Getting around during F1 week

Walk or take the Monorail if you can. There is no event parking, and driving across the circuit during closure hours is not an option.

The Las Vegas Monorail is scheduled to run nonstop from 7 a.m. Tuesday, November 17 to 3 a.m. Monday, November 23, 2026. Three of its stations sit inside the circuit: Harrah’s/The LINQ, Flamingo/Caesars Palace, and Horseshoe/Paris.

Pedestrian paths and footbridges stay open 24/7, but the bridges over the Strip are being enclosed with visual barriers for race week, so expect a tunnel rather than a view when you cross.

Rideshare works from perimeter hubs. The hubs reported for 2026 are Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, the Hughes Center, Tuscany, and Park MGM / T-Mobile Arena. Expect surge pricing and long waits at the airport and around the Strip, and book any airport transfer ahead of time.

Plan dinner, shows, and errands on the same side of the track as your hotel or home base. Crossing the circuit on foot is possible via the bridges, but crossing by car during closures is not.

Watching without a grandstand ticket

Free, clear views of the track are limited because of barriers and grandstands along the circuit, so do not count on finding a good free spot on race night. If you want the atmosphere without a ticket, look for official watch parties and bar and restaurant screenings, and check availability before you go.

Downtown offers a different kind of race-weekend escape. The Neon City Festival runs November 20-22 in Downtown Las Vegas, with its own road closures around Fremont Street from November 19 through 23, so Downtown will be busy too, just in a different way.

For deals that are actually aimed at locals, see our guide to Las Vegas locals discounts at Caesars — free parking and food, hotel, spa, and show discounts run October 31 to December 26, 2026, with promo code LOCAL where shown.

Local tips for race week

  • Do your Strip errands before 1 p.m. on race days, or after the roads reopen overnight.
  • Expect late-night noise on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, with sessions running until 9 or 10 p.m.
  • If you work on or near the Strip, allow extra time all week, not just on race days. Lane closures and bus detours start well before November 19.
  • Check RTC Southern Nevada alerts before you ride the bus. Routes and stops around Koval Lane and Flamingo Road have been detoured and closed during the build.
  • If you are flying in or out during race week, Harry Reid International Airport will be at its busiest. Arrive early and pre-book ground transport.

F1 in Las Vegas is loud, late, and right in the middle of the city, which is exactly why locals either plan around it or plan for it. Know the schedule, know the 1 p.m. closure start, and stay on your side of the track, and race week is manageable. Check the official F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix site for the final schedule and transportation updates before you head out.