The infield at this year’s Preakness Stakes will look much different for the 150th running of the race.
Event organizers are bypassing the traditional infield concert and instead have redesigned a stage viewable from the grandstand. The new setup will be in the open space north of the cupola, beneath the LED board, rather than facing the infield crowd.
The new “Infield Fan Zone,” which includes unlimited beer and wine, will be hosted by Ravens’ Hall-of-Famer Ray Lewis.
The design can accommodate approximately 3,000 spectators within a 22,000-square-foot covered tent. More details about this year’s featured artists are expected to be released next week, according to a Pimlico spokesperson.
“The featured performances will occur during the live broadcast between races, and will cap off Preakness day with closing sets immediately following the races,” a Pimlico spokesperson told The Baltimore Sun in an email.
The Preakness is the second leg of the Triple Crown of Horse Racing and will run May 17.
After the Preakness, Pimlico is set to receive a massive overhaul. Upgrades to the track are expected to cost $400 million, paid by state bonds, and will be ready to host the Preakness in May 2027.
The oval track at Pimlico will not be rotated or moved from its current alignment during the renovations, which will save about $25 million, according to the Maryland Stadium Authority. Historians have supported keeping the current racing oval to maintain Pimlico’s longstanding tradition.
“The goal is to create a reimagined Pimlico Race Course that will be a year-round world-class racing destination, capable of hosting future world-class Preakness events and cementing Pimlico’s place in racing history,” Pimlico officials said in a statement.
The Preakness will relocate to nearby Laurel Park in 2026 while the new facility is built. Demolition of the track and its adjoining structures is expected to begin in June, shortly after the Preakness next month, according to the Maryland Stadium Authority.
In May 2024, the state’s Board of Public Works approved an agreement transferring ownership of Pimlico Race Course from The Stronach Group to the State of Maryland, ensuring that Baltimore would be the permanent home of the Preakness and making Pimlico the year-round center for thoroughbred racing in the state.
The agreement also included the transfer of rights to the Preakness Stakes to the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority through a long-term licensing deal with The Stronach Group.
The Stronach Group will retain ownership of Laurel Park and can sell or redevelop the property for non-racing use. The state will lease Laurel Park racetrack for three years at a cost of one dollar per year.
In addition to the new track at Pimlico, a new hotel and event space are planned. The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development has invested $10 million to support housing, job training, workforce development and other community initiatives in Park Heights.
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