Smash Mouth to Headline Coca-Cola 600 Weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway is set to welcome Grammy-nominated rock band Smash Mouth as the headline musical act during the upcoming Coca-Cola 600 weekend. The performance is part of a broader entertainment push that has become a central feature of the Memorial Day race event, sponsored by one of the world’s most recognized FMCG brands, Coca-Cola.
The band, best known for hits such as “All Star” and “Walkin’ on the Sun,” will take the stage before the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Cup Series race, scheduled for Sunday, May 26. The pre-race concert will be held on the frontstretch stage of the 1.5-mile superspeedway in Concord, North Carolina, bringing a live entertainment offering to an event that regularly draws tens of thousands of attendees and millions of viewers across broadcast platforms.
According to event organizers, the concert is included with the price of Coca-Cola 600 race tickets, representing added value for attendees and deepening fan engagement. This move aligns with broader FMCG marketing strategies aimed at fostering brand loyalty through immersive experiential marketing initiatives.
The activation underscores Coca-Cola’s continued investment in sports and music partnerships, demonstrating how FMCG brands are leveraging large-scale live events to boost visibility and emotional resonance with consumers. With NASCAR’s NASCAR Cup Series viewership increasing and attendance at major races rebounding post-pandemic, activations like these serve as high-impact touchpoints for brand affinity.
“Live music and motorsports go hand-in-hand,” said Greg Walter, executive vice president and general manager at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “Adding Smash Mouth to the weekend lineup enhances the entertainment experience we’re delivering to fans while creating unique opportunities for our corporate partners.”
The Coca-Cola 600 weekend spans four days, featuring multiple races, fan engagement zones, and branded activations, reinforcing the event as a focal platform for CPG-related sponsorships and consumer outreach efforts. For FMCG marketers, it’s another example of how combining culture, sport, and product positioning can accelerate brand relevance in competitive categories.
Tickets for Memorial Day Weekend events, including the Coca-Cola 600 and Smash Mouth’s pre-race concert, are currently available at Charlotte Motor Speedway.