Las Vegas is not easing into the back half of 2026. The calendar goes straight into attack mode.
Allegiant Stadium has NFL and college football. T-Mobile Arena opens another Golden Knights season. Las Vegas Motor Speedway brings NASCAR playoff pressure, and Formula 1 turns the Strip into a floodlit street circuit. New Year's Eve even starts with a bowl game.
Some major 2026 attractions, including the Frozen Four and WrestleMania 42, have already come and gone. These are the 10 confirmed matchups and events still ahead. Dates and start times can change, especially in football, so check the linked official schedule before heading out.
Football takes over Allegiant Stadium
The building just west of the Strip will stay busy from August through December. The lineup includes two preseason games, UNLV's opener, a full Raiders home slate and the Las Vegas Bowl. Here are the dates with the strongest pull.
1. Raiders vs. Arizona Cardinals, Aug. 13
The Raiders' official 2026 schedule opens with Arizona visiting Allegiant Stadium for a 5 p.m. preseason kickoff. It is an exhibition, so the final score will not count in the standings. The roster competition will.
Preseason football is about jobs, depth-chart movement and the first real look at new personnel under stadium lights. It is also the first chance for the home crowd to knock the rust off. Silver and Black season starts here.
2. Raiders vs. San Francisco 49ers, Aug. 27
The preseason closes with the 49ers at Allegiant Stadium at 5 p.m. The rivalry carries plenty of history from the franchises' years in the Bay Area, even if this meeting does not count toward the regular season.
The football matters most for players fighting for roster spots. For fans, the matchup brings two large and vocal followings into the same building. Expect divided colors, loud arguments and absolutely no preseason setting on the crowd noise.
3. UNLV vs. Memphis, Aug. 29
Two days later, Allegiant Stadium flips to college mode. The UNLV Rebels host Memphis at 7 p.m. in their 2026 season opener and the first football meeting between the programs.
This is a useful early test for UNLV. Memphis has built a recognizable Group of Five program, while the Rebels get a home-stage opportunity before the season settles into its weekly grind. Late-August college football under the roof beats melting in the parking lot. Vegas knows how to schedule around the heat.
4. Raiders vs. Miami Dolphins, Sept. 13
The games begin counting when Miami visits at 1:25 p.m. for the Raiders' regular-season opener. Home openers hit differently. Optimism is undefeated, every new player is under the microscope, and one explosive quarter can light up the entire valley.
Miami also brings a national following, which should add another layer to the usual visitor-heavy atmosphere around Allegiant Stadium. This is the first genuine measuring stick on the Raiders' home calendar.
October brings ice, engines and an AFC West fight
Circle the first week of October. Then circle it again. Las Vegas gets a milestone hockey opener and two major Sunday events competing for attention.
5. Golden Knights vs. Chicago Blackhawks, Sept. 29
The Vegas Golden Knights open their 10th NHL season against Chicago at T-Mobile Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Opening Knight is already one of the city's best sports rituals. Add the franchise's 10th-season milestone, and this one carries extra shine. The pregame production will bring the Vegas volume, but the real hook is seeing the newest version of the roster play a game that counts.
6. South Point 400, Oct. 4
The South Point 400 starts at 2:30 p.m. at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, capping a NASCAR weekend that runs Oct. 2 through 4. The Cup Series race carries postseason stakes, while the support schedule includes Saturday racing.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a 1.5-mile oval, not the Bullring short track mentioned in some casual descriptions of local racing. That distinction matters. Cup cars have room to build serious speed, strategy develops over a long afternoon, and playoff pressure can turn a routine pit stop into a season-changing moment.
7. Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs, Oct. 4
Yes, the Chiefs visit Allegiant Stadium at 1:25 p.m. on the same Sunday as the South Point 400. No, attending both from start to finish is not a realistic doubleheader. Pick your arena.
For football fans, this is the first AFC West home game on the Raiders' schedule. Division matchups bring standings consequences and old grudges. Kansas City in the building always raises the temperature, regardless of either team's record.
8. Raiders vs. Buffalo Bills, Oct. 18
Buffalo comes to Allegiant Stadium for another 1:25 p.m. kickoff. This one offers a heavyweight draw from outside the division and another traveling fan base that rarely arrives quietly.
The Bills game lands between the Chiefs matchup and a visit from the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 25. That makes October a rugged home stretch for Las Vegas. For fans choosing one marquee NFL ticket beyond the division rivalry, Buffalo is a strong contender.
The Strip owns the finish
November delivers the loudest road closure in town. December closes with football before the New Year's Eve countdown begins.
9. Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, Nov. 19 to 21
The 2026 Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix runs Nov. 19 through 21 on the Las Vegas Strip Circuit. Practice begins Thursday, qualifying is Friday night and the 50-lap race is scheduled for 11 p.m. Saturday.
The 6.201-kilometer street course runs past major Strip resorts and includes a long blast down Las Vegas Boulevard. This is not merely a race inside a venue. It temporarily rewires the resort corridor.
Locals should treat transportation planning as part of the event. Visitors should check access details with their hotel and ticket provider. F1 weekend rewards early planning and punishes the phrase, “We'll figure it out when we get there.”
10. Las Vegas Bowl, Dec. 31
The 35th Las Vegas Bowl is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. on New Year's Eve at Allegiant Stadium. The matchup will be announced later, and the game is set for a national broadcast on ESPN.
A midday kickoff gives fans a clean handoff from college football to New Year's Eve celebrations. Watch a bowl game, clear the stadium traffic and then make the night's second game plan. That is a very Las Vegas sports schedule.
How to plan the rest of 2026
Start with the dates that will affect the biggest parts of town. Raiders games reshape traffic around Allegiant Stadium. NASCAR sends crowds north toward the speedway. Formula 1 affects the Strip over multiple days.
- Confirm the time: NFL scheduling can change, and venue operating details may be updated.
- Plan transportation early: Parking, rideshare zones and road restrictions vary by event.
- Do not force the Oct. 4 doubleheader: The Chiefs game and South Point 400 overlap.
- Use official ticket channels: Compare the event page, seat location and total price before buying.
That is 10 confirmed dates, from preseason auditions to a Formula 1 night race and a New Year's Eve bowl. Las Vegas does not have an offseason anymore. It just changes uniforms.
