Upcoming Indianapolis 500 dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
Three rules for an Indy 500 seat
For the Indianapolis 500, buy height, then shade, then location. A high row in a lesser stand shows more of the race than a low row in a premium one, a roof over your head matters on a long late-May afternoon, and only then should you choose between the main straightaway and the turns.
The 111th race is scheduled for Sunday, May 30, 2027, the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. It is 200 laps and 500 miles on Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 2.5-mile oval in Speedway, Indiana, about six miles west of downtown Indianapolis. Recent races have started at about 12:30 p.m. and lasted around three and a half hours.
Why row height beats a famous stand
The cars pass at well over 200 mph. From the lowest rows they are a streak behind the catch fence (the tall safety fence between the track and the stands), and you see very little of the rest of the oval. Climb higher and the track opens up: you can watch cars set up passes, read the running order and see pit stops unfold. This is the single most important choice you make, and it costs you nothing in the stand you already like.
Which rows have a roof
The Speedway's own FAQ says a roof shelters the higher rows of the Penthouse and Box seating, where chairs also have backs. By contrast, the G, H and J stands and all of the Vistas sit in the open on backless seating. Tower Terrace has benches with backs. If you will spend four or more hours in your seat in late-May sun, a covered upper row is worth the extra demand it carries.
Main straight, turns or infield mound
The oval is really a rounded rectangle: two straightaways of 5/8 mile, four quarter-mile turns and two short chutes of 1/8 mile at the ends. Each viewing zone shows a different race.
Main straightaway
The Paddock, Penthouse and Box stands, Tower Terrace and Pit Road Terrace face the start/finish line, the Yard of Bricks and pit road. Strategy is easiest to follow here, and these are the most requested seats. For 2026, several Paddock, Penthouse and lettered stands sold out through renewals.
Turns and chutes
The Vista stands, named by compass point (Southwest Vista, Northwest Vista and others), wrap the corners. From the turns you see cars line up and dive in, the moments that decide position on the opening lap and after every caution. Northeast Vista comes in two parts: sections 1 to 25 sit in the turn, and sections 26 to 37 run along the backstretch.
Infield mounds
GA ticket holders watch from grass mounds inside the oval. You see one stretch of track as the cars blur past, so most mound regulars pick a spot, settle in and follow the race on a scanner.
Seat tickets, GA and premium options
The Speedway runs its own ticket office, and returning customers get first right to reorder. The 2027 renewal and application window opened during 2026, with public sales to follow that fall. Because the top stands tend to sell out in that process, resale is often the practical way into the Paddock or the Penthouses.
- Reserved seat: covers the grounds, the infield mounds and your assigned seat. Every person in a reserved stand needs a seat ticket, whatever their age.
- Race Day general admission: covers the grounds and the mounds, with no seat. Kids 15 or younger enter at no charge alongside an adult holding a paid GA ticket.
- Premium: the Pagoda Plaza home of the Green Flag Club, suites at Tower Terrace, Hulman Terrace and Turn 2 VIP, and the infield Performance Center between Turns 3 and 4, topped by a viewing deck.
Every Reserved Seat order is backed by a 100% guarantee.
The rest of May at the Speedway
Race day caps a month of track activity. The 2027 schedule lists:
- Practice days: Tuesday, May 18, through Friday, May 21, plus Monday, May 24.
- Qualifying weekend: Saturday and Sunday, May 22 to 23, with free entry for military members showing ID.
- Carb Day: Friday, May 28, with the last practice session, a pit stop contest and live music.
- Legends Day: Saturday, May 29, with autographs and the public drivers' meeting.
If you want speed without the race-day crush, go to qualifying. The cars run at their fastest, and the crowd is a fraction of Sunday's.
What to carry in and how to get there
Indy lets you bring far more than most big events, and that shapes your day. Under the 2026 rules:
- Coolers: soft or hard-sided, within 18 by 15 by 15 inches, packed with food and drinks, beer and wine included, as long as nothing is in glass.
- Permitted gear: folding chairs, collapsible wagons, binoculars, scanners with headsets, and umbrellas as long as they do not obstruct anyone's view.
- Not permitted: glass, selfie sticks, drones, oversized bags and luggage. Smoking is banned in the seating areas and on the mounds.
The Speedway recommends hearing protection for every age and sells or rents it at the track, as well as seat cushions and scanners. Give yourself at least 45 minutes to get through the gates, plus a long walk across about 253 acres.
Race-day parking sold out in 2026, so plan transportation early:
- Shuttles: paid round-trip buses leave from Indianapolis International Airport and a downtown lot and unload opposite Gate 2, which sits between Turns 1 and 2. Buses start heading back with roughly 50 laps left.
- Rideshare and taxis: use 10th Street and Polco Street.
- Bicycles: racks outside Gates 1, 6 and 9, plus an organized group ride, Bike to the Indianapolis 500.
Read the gate regulations for the current year before you pack.
Milk, the bricks and more than a century of racing
The Speedway opened on August 14, 1909, and its original brick surface gave it the nickname the Brickyard. The first 500 followed in 1911, and the Speedway announced a sellout for the 100th running in 2016. Race-day crowds are commonly reported at 350,000 to 400,000, widely described as the biggest one-day crowd in world sports. Penske Entertainment has owned the track since 2020, and the calendar there also includes IMSA sports cars and NASCAR's Brickyard 400. Together with the Monaco Grand Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 500 makes up what fans call the Triple Crown of Motorsport.
- The song: the crowd hears Back Home Again in Indiana shortly before the command to start.
- The milk: a bottle of milk awaits the winner, a custom traced to Louis Meyer, who asked for one after winning in 1936.
- The bricks: a single yard of the 1909 brick surface remains at the start/finish line, and winners kiss it.
- The Snake Pit: a race-day electronic dance music show inside Turn 3, which sets tighter carry-in limits than the rest of the grounds.
There is no dress code; dress for heat and long walks and pack sunscreen. Inside the oval, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum (located there since 1976) has reopened following a renovation, and its air conditioning makes it a smart pre-race stop on a hot morning. The Speedway's ticket FAQ answers stand-specific questions.
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to sit on the main straight or in the turns at Indy?
The main straightaway shows the start, the finish and pit stops, while the turns show cars setting up and completing passes. In either zone, a higher row matters more than the stand name.
Which grandstands at the Indy 500 have a roof?
Per the Speedway, only the upper Penthouse and Box rows have a roof, and those seats also have backs. The G, H and J stands and the Vista stands are fully open.
What size cooler can you bring to the Indianapolis 500?
Under the 2026 gate rules, coolers of either type measuring no more than 18 by 15 by 15 inches, holding food and drinks in non-glass containers, including beer and wine.
Is general admission at the Indy 500 worth it?
It is the most affordable way in and gives access to the infield mounds, but you see only part of the track. Most GA fans bring a scanner to follow the race.
What time does the Indy 500 start?
In recent years the green flag has fallen around 12:30 p.m., and the race lasts about three and a half hours, depending on cautions and weather.
When is Legends Day?
Legends Day is the Saturday before the race, with autographs and the public drivers' meeting. In 2027 it falls on May 29.