Dierks Bentley to perform live at the new Belmont Park

After a three-year project to transform the home of the Belmont Stakes into a world-class sports and entertainment destination, racing will return to a new and re-imagined Belmont Park on Friday, September 18.

To celebrate the beginning of a new era for thoroughbred racing in New York, multi-Platinum entertainer Dierks Bentley will perform live at Belmont Park on September 18 and be featured during the Belmont Park: Return to Racing telecast airing on FOX from 3-4:30 p.m. ET.

As one of country music’s most celebrated artists, Bentley’s most recent album BROKEN BRANCHES follows eight No. 1 albums, 22 No. 1 songs and over 9.5 billion global streams, plus 15 Grammy nominations and membership in the historic Grand Ole Opry.

Bentley launched the Broken Branches Fund last year, a multi-year initiative in partnership with Music Health Alliance to provide mental health support for the music industry’s creative and touring professionals. Bentley continues to chart his own course both onstage and off - as an entrepreneur, he has four locations of the gastropub and live music venue “Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row,” a Flag & Anthem lifestyle collection "Desert Son,” and most recently launched ROW 94, a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey crafted with only “three ingredients and the truth” at Kentucky’s Green River Distilling Co. For more information, visit Dierks.com.

General admission tickets for Return to Racing on September 18 will be made available for purchase beginning August 27 at 10 a.m. via NewBelmont.com. Admission will be $50, inclusive of complimentary food and beverage options and a commemorative program.

Proceeds from all September 18 tickets sales will be dedicated to the NYRA Foundation, a philanthropic effort designed to raise funding and awareness for the work of non-profits, service providers, thoroughbred aftercare groups and charitable organizations connected to horse racing in New York State.

The new Belmont Park is centered around a five-story grandstand featuring an array of fan amenities and modern hospitality offerings. Prior to the full completion of floors 3-5, which is expected in Q1 of 2027, the first two floors of the grandstand will be open beginning September 18 and continuing through the fall.

The Return to Racing at Belmont Park will feature the debut of bars and concession areas such as Big Red's, Homestretch Market, Silks and the Trackside Lounge, along with premium dining and hospitality areas including the Turf Club Restaurant and Lounge, The Overlook, and The Stretch View.

Due to ongoing construction and current facility constraints, Belmont Park will operate with a capacity of 6,000 during Opening Weekend (September 18-20) and 4,000 beginning September 24. Facility capacity will be increased as additional portions of the building open.

General admission on Saturday, September 19, and Sunday, September 20, will be $10, and includes a commemorative program. Beginning Thursday, September 24, general admission pricing will mirror that at historic Saratoga Race Course, with tickets available for $7 in advance and $10 on the day of the event, including a complimentary program.

Full-season packages, premium hospitality spaces and additional group savings plans for the fall meet are available at NewBelmont.com/Tickets. Fans can preview sightlines and explore the premium hospitality spaces with the new Belmont Park Virtual Venue tool.

The Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets will return to its Long Island home in 2027. In addition, Belmont Park has been selected to host the 2027 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which will mark the first edition of the Breeders’ Cup to be held in New York State since 2005.