Comedian Bert Kreischer will headline the first “Full Throttle Festival” in Daytona Beach, Fla., ahead of the 68th annual Daytona 500, with a full night of music, comedy and barbecue on the eve of the “Great American Race,” he and NASCAR announced Tuesday.
The pre-race party will take place at the Ocean Center Convention Center in Daytona Beach on Saturday, February 14, featuring live musical performances from legendary southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, Diplo’s country music project “Diplo Present Thomas Wesley” and country artist ERNEST, with Kreischer set to perform as one of the festival’s founders alongside live event producer Medium Rare.
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The lineup for the NASCAR-sponsored Saturday night show was personally curated by Kreischer, according to a press release, preparing for a party for up to 15,000 people before the start of the 2026 Cup Series season.
“Race weekend at Daytona is the Super Bowl of speed, and to me that means being absolutely massive,” Kreischer said in a statement. “So, I figured, why not throw the biggest, craziest, greatest pre-race party ever? We’re not just throwing a party; we’re bringing a rock show, a country show, a comedy show, and the kind of barbecue and beer that would make a pit crew chief proud. We’re bringing it all – the fun, the laughs, the meat sweats – inside the Ocean Center the night before Daytona 500. It’s my ultimate dream for the NASCAR tailgate to come to life, and I can’t wait to see Daytona go full throttle with us!
Barbecue and beer will be the focus of the Ocean Center event, with “a curated lineup of pitmasters and barbecue concepts from across Florida and beyond, as well as festival-only food and race weekend specials developed in collaboration with the event producers,” the press release states. Additionally, an extensive craft beer program and signature cocktails will be available to guests aged 21 and over.
Combining barbecue and drinks with comedy and music is a match made in NASCAR heaven, with NASCAR sponsoring the event and Kreischer, co-host of the popular podcast “2 Bears, 1 Cave” with Tom Segura, leading the way. The festival will feature several aspects of NASCAR, including interactive exhibits within the Ocean Center.
“Bert has cultivated one of the most passionate and dedicated fan bases in comedy, known for their love of a good time, their energy and their unpretentious fun,” Joe Silberzweig and Adam Richman, co-founders of Medium Rare, said in a statement. “This profile is a direct mirror of the NASCAR fan community – they bring an unparalleled level of intensity and spirit of celebration to the race weekend. …
“With programming designed for this specific, fun-loving American audience – featuring the best in music, comedy, barbecue and beer – this event is designed to become the must-attend annual party for Daytona Beach’s most electric fans.”
Tickets go on sale Friday, December 5 at 10 a.m. ET on www.FullThrottleFestival.comand fans can pre-register for tickets now. A dedicated pre-sale opportunity will be available to select Daytona 500 ticket holders via email before general sales open, the release said.
2026 Daytona 500 Tickets are also available for the 68th running of the “Great American Race,” which kicks off the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season on Sunday, February 15 at 2 p.m. ET (FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
