RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – Hot August Nights, the nation’s premier nostalgic classic car event, is gearing up for its 40th anniversary in 2026 with a major venue change and expanded offerings, organizers announced. The Row, which includes the Silver Legacy, Eldorado, and Circus Circus, along with other Caesars Entertainment properties, will serve as the main host venue for this year’s celebration.
“People are going to love it. The energy will be very high this year,” said Lisa Jansen, Hot August Nights Executive Director.
The move to The Row aims to centralize much of the event’s activities. Tony Marini, Caesars Entertainment Vice President, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership. “We are so excited to be the partner for this epic, epic event and it’s just going to be so fun to have everybody down here for 10 days,” Marini said. “When there was an opportunity that we could have a Hot August Nights main event downtown Reno, we jumped on the opportunity. From the entertainment, to the cruising, to the show and shine, to the big boys toys store. Everything is right here in one place. You can walk to everything.”
Jansen highlighted the logistical advantages of the new main venue. “One of the best things about this venue is it’s got three parking garages and thousands of parking spaces. As you can imagine that is very important for a car show. They also have 20 restaurants,” Jansen said. “They’ve got 4,000 rooms and they just have everything we need to serve our customer base, but the best part is too that they also work with all of our other partners.” These partners include other hotels across the Reno area, bringing the total number of venues to 10 this year.
The 40th anniversary promises a packed schedule of entertainment. Free shows are planned for both Downtown Reno and Victorian Square in Sparks.
Tuesday, Aug. 4: Kraig Parker as Elvis
Wednesday, Aug. 5: Rocket Man Show, The Elton John Tribute
Thursday, Aug. 6: Peter Noone’s Herman’s Hermits
Friday, Aug. 7: Tommy James & The Shondells
Saturday, Aug. 8: Blood, Sweat & Tears
Wednesday, Aug. 5: Turn the Page: Bob Seger Tribute
Thursday, Aug. 6: War
Friday, Aug. 7: Paperback Writer, The Beatles Experience
Saturday, Aug. 8: Miami Sound Review
Beyond the music, Hot August Nights is already seeing strong interest in its signature events. “We just launched the burnout bar and drag race ticket sales so today they went on sale. You can get them. Get them while they’re hot because they’re going to sell out,” Jansen said. Car registrations are also moving quickly, with organizers expecting to sell out at 6,000 cars. “So you definitely want to register right away if you can,” she added.
A key initiative returning this year is the Automotive Youth Challenge. “We are so pleased this year to bring back the automotive youth challenge. It’s really great because it lets young people get to learn how to build. They get to learn how to fix things and it’s really great because they get to come and present their project and then they have a chance to win an award for that,” Jansen explained.
The event will also expand its footprint to Virginia City. “We are going full throttle into Virginia City. So we are going to have live entertainment, merchandise, vendors, lots of food and beverage,” Jansen stated.
Organizing an event of this magnitude requires significant effort. “It takes 18,000 volunteer hours, about 350 volunteers, plus our staff to make this thing happen and so it’s a great event. It’s going to continue to grow and I’m proud to be a part of it,” said Jansen, who has been in her role for three months.
Hot August Nights Inc. reports that more than 6,000 classic cars roll into the Reno-Tahoe region annually for the 10-day event. It is recognized as the largest nostalgic classic car show in the U.S., attracting over 500,000 people and generating more than $100 million in economic impact for the area.
Marini emphasized the focus on the milestone anniversary. “We’re really going to emphasize the 40th anniversary for Hot August Nights,” he said.
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