BED RACING HEADED TO BROADBENT ARENA TODAY
April 27, 2026. Louisville, KY. – Beds aren’t for sleeping during Derby Week, they’re for racing! On Monday, April 27, mattresses on wheels hit the pavement for the Great Bed Races Presented by Snap-on. 46 teams are geared up to navigate the high-stakes figure-eight course inside Broadbent Arena at Kentucky Exposition Center in one of the Derby Festival’s most hilariously competitive traditions.
This year’s theme ‘Festival on the Move: Ticket to Ride,’ celebrates motion, momentum, and the thrill of exploration. Teams are challenged to decorate their beds through the lens of travel, adventure, and the excitement of the journey ahead for the 37th edition of the bed races.
The dormitory area will be staged outside Broadbent Arena. Bed racing fans are invited to come out early at 1 p.m. and join the tailgate party. The participating teams will have an opportunity to showcase their costumes and bed in a pre-race parade around the racing surface, beginning at 6 p.m. The first heat begins at 7 p.m. Admission is a 2026 Pegasus Pin (Parking at the Kentucky Exposition Center is $15).
The races feature two 600-feet divisions – the Fun Division and the Champions Division. Teams also compete for prizes for fastest times and most outrageous costumes and decorations. Prizes will be awarded to the teams with the three fastest times, as well as awards for the “Cone Eater,” “Best Decorated Bed,” and “Most Entertaining.”
Presenting Sponsor: Snap-on. Contributing Sponsors: IBEW 369, Kentucky Venues and UA Local 502 Apprenticeship Program. Official Health Partner: Baptist Health ER & Urgent Care. Official Finish Line Sponsor: Texas Roadhouse. Supporting Sponsor: Louisville Collision Center. Official Broadcast Partner: WAVE. Media Sponsor: Classic Rock 107.7.
About Kentucky Derby Festival
2026 marks the 71st year for the Kentucky Derby Festival, a month-long celebration packed with 70+ events leading up to the first Saturday in May. As an independent community organization, it’s supported by 4,000 volunteers, more than 400 businesses and civic groups, Pegasus Pin sponsorships and event participation. It entertains more than 1.5 million people every spring and has a local economic impact of more than $200 million. This involvement has made the Festival the largest single-attended event in Kentucky and one of the leading community celebrations in the world.
