Daytona International Speedway is swapping roaring engines for twinkling bulbs again this holiday season, as Magic of Lights returns for a seventh consecutive run from Nov. 20, 2026, through Jan. 2, 2027. The drive-through display transforms the famed racetrack into a winter wonderland, with guests staying in their vehicles as they wind past more than two million lights strung across the property.
According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, this marks the seventh straight year the annual festive light display has taken over the speedway in Daytona, Florida. The experience covers more than a mile.
The speedway’s holiday conversion takes place at a venue built for racing: construction began in the 1950s, and the first DAYTONA 500 was held there in 1959 before a crowd of more than 41,000. The track’s official history traces its origins to Bill France Sr.’s plan to move racing from Daytona Beach’s road-and-beach course to a permanent facility. The holiday display now gives the property a seasonal role beyond its best-known motorsports events.
Dinosaurs, Bigfoot and a Barbie Dream Scene
This year's lineup of attractions leans into the unexpected. Per the event's tixr.com listing, drivers will pass a Holiday Barbie display, the supersized Bigfoot Monster Truck, and life-sized dinosaurs scattered among the light tunnels. It's a continuation of the oddball charm that has made the speedway's holiday takeover a local curiosity as much as a seasonal tradition.
Pricing follows the same carload model the event has used in past years: one carload, one price, covering everyone packed into the vehicle.
Vehicle Rules and Pass Options
Not every vehicle will fit through the course. The event listing states that vehicles taller than 9 feet, wider than 10 feet 5 inches, or longer than 22 feet will not be permitted to enter, a restriction aimed at keeping traffic moving smoothly along the mile-plus route. Dash Pass tickets, meanwhile, are valid for weekend use only, according to the same listing.
For regular visitors, a Season Pass is available. Separately, the event's own FAQ on magicoflights.com confirms that one vehicle pass is redeemable for one carload entry, with pass prices varying by location and vehicle type, whether that's a standard car, limo, RV or bus.
Four-Legged Passengers Welcome, With a Catch
Pet owners hoping to bring the whole family along have an answer, too. The magicoflights.com FAQ notes that dogs are permitted to participate as long as they stay inside the vehicle for the duration of the drive-through.
The 2026 event features a light tunnel and a reimagined Reindeer Rest Stop with food and photo opportunities.
Magic of Lights is a holiday drive-through light experience staged at the speedway. The same formula — car in gear, lights overhead — is set to light up the track once more.
Daytona is one stop in a broader holiday-season circuit: Magic of Lights lists events at venues around the country, including Concord, California; Minneapolis; and Upstate South Carolina. The event’s location directory shows those displays running on overlapping dates with Daytona’s, reflecting a touring model that brings the same drive-through format to different local venues. At Daytona, the setting adds a motorsports landmark to a format also staged at places such as amphitheaters and animal preserves.
