Glittering Lights Drive-Thru Returns to Las Vegas Motor Speedway Friday, Nov. 6

by Ryan Rose

What Happened

Back in July, KTNV 13 Action News featured Glittering Lights on its Morning Blend show during a "Christmas in July" segment. Event producer John Bentham previewed this year's show and gave viewers a look at some of the new light displays. That segment listed the 2026 season as starting Nov. 6, 2026. It also promoted a "Halfway to Christmas" ticket sale that ran in late July.

The speedway's own listings line up with that start. Las Vegas Motor Speedway's November newsletter lists Glittering Lights starting Nov. 6. One event listing on the LVMS events page shows Nov. 7, so it is smart to double check the date on the official site before you load up the car on opening night. The closing date is listed as early January 2027. Sources disagree by a day on the exact last night, so plan your visit before New Year's if you can.

The Glittering Lights website describes the show as a drive-thru experience about 3 miles long, with more than 600 light displays and 6 million lights. The site says the show opens nightly at 5 p.m. This season, the site says, there is something new: an avenue of flags with one flag from each state, plus a tribute to America's 250th anniversary.

We are not listing ticket prices here. The official site shows a mix of current and older pricing, and we would rather send you to the source than print a number that turns out to be wrong. Ticket options on the site include a per-car ticket, a season pass, a Fast Pass on select nights, and a separate Santa Tram ticket. Check glitteringlightslasvegas.com for current prices before you go.

Car driving slowly down a road lined with holiday light displays at night

Why It Matters to Las Vegas Residents

Holiday traditions are a big part of what makes a city feel like home. Las Vegas gets a bad rap as a place without real neighborhoods or local culture. People who live here know that is not true. Every December, families pack into cars and drive out to the speedway, and kids grow up remembering it. That is the kind of thing that turns a new move into a real hometown.

The drive-thru format also works well for Las Vegas families. It does not matter if it is a little chilly, or if the baby falls asleep in the car seat, or if Grandma has a hard time walking. You can play your own holiday music, bring snacks and go at your own pace. For families with kids who get overwhelmed in crowds, it is one of the calmest holiday outings around.

It is also a good fit for different parts of the valley. If you live in North Las Vegas, Aliante or the northeast, it is a short drive. If you live in Summerlin, Centennial Hills or Skye Canyon, the 215 Beltway and I-15 get you there without much trouble. From Henderson or the southwest it is a longer trip, but many families pair it with a dinner stop and make a night of it.

Cost is part of the appeal too. Glittering Lights is priced per car, not per person. For a family of five, or a carload of cousins in town for Thanksgiving, that is a lot easier on the budget than buying a ticket for each person at a show or an attraction. The official site lists a per-car ticket and a season pass, so families who like to go more than once each year can check whether the pass makes sense for them.

It also helps local workers who have odd schedules. Las Vegas runs around the clock. Nurses, casino workers, first responders and hospitality staff often cannot make a daytime event or a fixed-time holiday show. A light show that opens every evening for about two months gives those families a real shot at finding a night that works.

And it gives local kids something to look forward to after Halloween. The season starts early in November, so families who want to beat the late-December rush have weeks to pick a quieter night.

Background and History

Las Vegas Motor Speedway sits at 7000 Las Vegas Blvd. North, about 10 miles north of the Strip. Most of the year it hosts NASCAR, NHRA drag racing and other motorsports. This fall alone, the speedway calendar includes the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, the SKUSA Supernationals karting event, the Street Car Super Nationals and a Thanksgiving bracket race. When the racing slows down for the holidays, part of the property turns into a light show.

Glittering Lights has been a holiday tradition in the valley for years. The route winds across the speedway grounds, so you are driving on paved areas that are normally used for race traffic and parking. The scale is what sets it apart from neighborhood light displays. Even the biggest decorated houses in town cannot match millions of lights spread over a few miles.

The valley has a handful of big holiday light traditions now. In Henderson, the Ethel M Chocolates Holiday Cactus Garden lights up a botanical garden full of cactus and desert plants, and we covered this year's opening in a related story. Glittering Lights is the drive-thru option, and Ethel M is the walking option. Many families do both in the same season.

Drive-thru holiday shows also grew in popularity across the country in recent years, because they let families celebrate together without big indoor crowds. In Las Vegas, the format was a natural fit. We already live in our cars. A drive-thru light show turns the thing we do every day into something special for a night.

John Bentham, the event's producer, previewed this season's new displays on KTNV in July. The early promotion is part of how the show works each year. Families who plan ahead can catch the summer ticket sale, and the event starts building buzz months before the first light turns on.

The speedway also runs a fun event tied to the show. The LVMS events page lists a PJ 5K Run and 1-Mile Walk through Glittering Lights on Nov. 15, 2026. You can run or walk the route in your pajamas. Proceeds support Speedway Children's Charities, which helps local kids in need.

Group of trees wrapped in colorful holiday lights at night

What Happens Next

Opening night is Friday, Nov. 6, according to KTNV and the speedway newsletter. From there, the show runs nightly into early January. The busiest nights are almost always the weekends in December, and especially the week between Christmas and New Year's. If you want a shorter wait in line, aim for a weeknight in November or early December.

Keep an eye on the speedway's calendar for other events. Big race weekends at LVMS can affect traffic on Las Vegas Boulevard North and Speedway Boulevard. The Street Car Super Nationals run Nov. 19 to 22, and the Thanksgiving bracket race runs Nov. 24 to 29. Those events take place on different parts of the property, but they can mean more cars on the roads around the speedway.

The Glittering Lights website also mentions special appreciation nights and fun runs during the season. Details on those nights were not posted in the sources we checked. Follow the event's official site and social pages for announcements, since those special nights often fill up.

Weather is the other thing to watch. November evenings in the valley are usually mild, but December nights can get cold, and the speedway sits out in the open where wind can pick up. Wind is not just a comfort issue. Strong gusts can affect outdoor events in the northeast valley, and the speedway just saw wind push a race final to another track at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals. If the forecast calls for high wind on the night you picked, check the event's social pages before you leave the house.

Here is a simple timeline to keep in mind:

Friday, Nov. 6: Glittering Lights opening night, per KTNV and the LVMS newsletter (one LVMS listing shows Nov. 7)
Sunday, Nov. 15: PJ 5K Run and 1-Mile Walk through Glittering Lights
Late November: Thanksgiving week, a popular time for visiting family
December weekends: the busiest nights of the season
Early January 2027: the season wraps up

Home outlined in bright holiday lights at night

Ryan's Take

When I help families move to Las Vegas, I always get asked the same question: what do people here actually do? Events like Glittering Lights are a big part of my answer. This is a town with real traditions. They just look a little different than they do back east. We do lights in the desert, and we do them big.

From a real estate view, the northeast and North Las Vegas get overlooked a lot. People hear "speedway" and think noise and traffic. But that area has newer homes, quick freeway access and things to do that families love, like this show. If you are house hunting in North Las Vegas or Aliante, take a drive out to the speedway one night this season. It is a fun way to get a feel for that part of the valley after dark.

I also like events like this for people who just moved here. The first holiday season in a new city can feel lonely. Your family is far away, you do not know your neighbors yet, and the desert does not look like the holidays you grew up with. A night driving through millions of lights with hot chocolate in the cup holders goes a long way toward making Las Vegas feel like home. I tell new clients to put it on the calendar their first year.

And for those of you already living here, invite a neighbor or a new family on your street to come along. Shared traditions are how neighborhoods get built.

Soft glowing bokeh of multicolored holiday lights seen through a car window

What You Can Do

Pick your night early. Weeknights in November are usually the easiest. If you want the full holiday feel, early December weeknights are a good middle ground. Avoid the last weekend before Christmas unless you are fine waiting in line.

Think about who to bring. Glittering Lights is a great outing for out-of-town family over Thanksgiving or Christmas. Grandparents who cannot walk far, cousins with little kids and friends visiting from cold-weather states all get a holiday night that feels a little different. It is also a nice low-key date night once the kids are in bed with a sitter.

Buy tickets from the official site. Go to glitteringlightslasvegas.com or the Las Vegas Motor Speedway site to see current prices and ticket types. Buying ahead can save time at the gate, and the site lists a Fast Pass option on select nights if you want to skip some of the wait.

Plan your drive. The Glittering Lights site advises against relying on GPS and gives directions by I-15 North to Exit 54, Speedway Boulevard. Follow the event signs from there. The speedway's main address is 7000 Las Vegas Blvd. North. The event line listed on the site is 702-222-9777.

Make it comfortable. Bring blankets and hot chocolate for the kids. Make a holiday playlist before you leave. Fill your gas tank, since you will be idling in line. And turn your headlights to parking lights inside the route if staff ask you to, so everyone can see the displays.

Keep the kids busy in line. Waits can stretch on busy nights. Make a holiday scavenger hunt list before you go: a snowman, a reindeer, a candy cane, a star, a flag from your home state. Kids love checking things off, and it keeps the "are we there yet" questions down. Older kids can be in charge of the playlist or the snacks.

Be safe in the car. Keep seat belts on, since you are still driving through the route. Keep pets in the car and calm. If someone in your group needs a restroom, take care of it before you get in line, since the drive itself takes a while once you start.

If you want to get out of the car, sign up for the PJ 5K Run and 1-Mile Walk on Nov. 15. It is a fun way to see the lights up close and support local kids at the same time.

Finally, make a holiday lights week out of it. Pair a night at Glittering Lights with a visit to the Ethel M cactus garden in Henderson, and you have two very different looks at the holidays in the desert.

Have questions about how this affects your home or neighborhood? Reach out to Ryan Rose or text/call 702-747-5921 anytime.

Ryan Rose | Real Broker, LLC | 702-747-5921 | ryan@rosehomeslv.com | rosehomeslv.com