Thomas Rhett, the country music superstar with a mind-boggling 22 billion career streams, is officially headlining the pre-race concert for the 2027 Daytona 500. Daytona International Speedway dropped this bombshell on Sunday, November 8, just as the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season wrapped up. We are talking about a major name in music kicking off “The Great American Race,” set to perform before the green flag drops on Sunday, February 21, 2027, for the 69th running of this iconic event.
Rhett Is Bringing Serious Star Power to Daytona
You know Thomas Rhett isn’t just some opening act. This guy is huge. He’s a five-time Grammy Award nominee, stacking up eight Academy of Country Music Awards and two Country Music Association Awards. We’re talking about the ACM Entertainer of the Year in 2020. His catalog is full of hits, too, like “Die a Happy Man,” “Marry Me,” and “What’s Your Country Song.” And get this: his latest single, “Be There In A Minute,” just dropped on November 6, literally two days before Daytona’s announcement. He also just put out the deluxe edition of his album “About a Woman,” featuring collaborations with Blake Shelton, Teddy Swims, and Jordan Davis, among others. The man was touring hard all summer too, hitting over 20 cities on his “Soundtrack to Life Tour.” Daytona International Speedway President Frank Kelleher knows what’s up, saying Rhett “brings tremendous energy to the stage, and we couldn’t be more excited to have him help build that momentum as we get ready for the 69th running of The Great American Race.” That kind of energy is exactly what you need to kick off NASCAR’s biggest day.
The Full Daytona 500 Weekend Is Already Taking Shape
This isn’t just about the main race and a killer concert. Daytona is building out an entire week of action for February 2027, and it’s looking stacked. The festivities kick off super early, on Saturday, February 13, with the Clash at Daytona making a special one-year return. Then, it’s all about qualifying: Daytona 500 qualifying goes down on Wednesday, February 17, followed by the Duel at Daytona qualifying races on Thursday, February 18. Friday, February 19, sees the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series open its season. Saturday, February 20, is a doubleheader with the ARCA Menards Series and the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. And then, boom, Sunday, February 21, the big one. Rhett will perform his pre-race concert, setting the stage for what promises to be an epic 69th running of the Daytona 500.
So, while we’re still a ways out, the championship is decided, and attention is already shifting to the next season. The 2027 Daytona 500 is going to be massive, blending world-class racing with a powerhouse music performance. We don’t have an exact concert start time or setlist yet, but honestly, who cares? Just knowing Thomas Rhett is going to be there, hyping up the crowd before those engines fire, is enough to get any fan pumped for February.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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