PEBBLE BEACH, CA. For three quarters of a century, the final Sunday of Monterey Car Week has belonged to a single historic patch of grass. As the flagship anchor of the global automotive calendar, the landmark 75th edition of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is preparing to welcome the most prestigious gathering of collector cars, design, and engineering ever assembled on the West Coast.
Whether you are an elite collector aiming for the Best of Show trophy or a first-time attendee hoping to see multimillion-dollar hypercars up close, navigating this event requires accurate numbers on cost, timing, and logistics.
Core Coordinates | When and Where It Takes Place
The Concours is a single-day public competition that caps a full week of regional auctions, races, and rallies across the Monterey Peninsula.
The Date: Sunday, August 16, 2026. The show field opens to ticket holders at 5:30 AM for the iconic dawn patrol. Main judging runs through the morning, and the official Best of Show ceremony concludes between 1:30 PM and 5:00 PM.
The Location: The 18th fairway of the Pebble Beach Golf Links, directly adjacent to The Lodge at Pebble Beach. Access is via the 17-Mile Drive gate on the Monterey Peninsula, approximately 15 minutes from Monterey Regional Airport (MRY).
The Ledger | How Much Do Tickets Cost
Attending the Super Bowl of the automotive world requires a significant financial commitment, with tiered packages scaling aggressively depending on the level of hospitality required.
General Admission (Early Tier): $495 to $550. Includes parking, shuttle service, and the official car guide.
General Admission (Late Tier): $650. Effective for all checkouts starting August 1, 2026.
Children: Free admission for children under 12 with a paying adult.
VIP Hospitality (Club d'Elegance): $1,250 and up. Includes gourmet buffets and hosted beverage service.
Elite Tier Packages: Up to $4,000 and above. Chairman's Hospitality at The Lodge or Patron's Patio access with premium viewing positions along the fairway.
Important note: All ticket sales for the 2026 event are strictly non-refundable and non-transferable. Purchase through the official Concours Store only.
The Guest List | Who Will Be in Attendance
The crowd on the 18th fairway represents a distinct cross-section of global wealth, industrial design, and media culture. The show field will be occupied by elite global collectors, including billion-dollar asset managers, shipping magnates, and luxury real estate investors who spend millions restoring pre-war European classics and post-war racing legends.
Automotive industry executives from Bugatti, Ferrari, Pagani, and Lamborghini use the adjacent Concept Lawn to drop highly confidential upcoming production models. Chief designers and CEOs treat Pebble Beach as the calendar's most important Western showcase.
High-profile automotive vloggers, journalists, and media personalities descend on the Monterey Peninsula to broadcast the visual spectacle to hundreds of millions of online viewers. The digital coverage footprint of this event now rivals the physical attendance numbers.
The Free Alternative | Tour d'Elegance
For those who want to experience the historic machinery in motion without the price tag of a Sunday pass, the Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance on Thursday, August 13, 2026, is the answer. The entire field of 200-plus cars navigates the scenic coastal roads of Carmel and Highway 1. Spectators can watch from the roadside completely free of charge.
This is by far the best value of Monterey Car Week. You see every significant car on the field in motion, on public roads, in natural light, without paying a dollar.
Travel Logistics | Getting to Pebble Beach
Fly: Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) is the closest commercial airport, about a 15-minute drive from The Lodge. San Jose International (SJC) is 90 minutes north. San Francisco International (SFO) is roughly two hours north via Highway 101 and Highway 156.
Stay: The Lodge at Pebble Beach is the obvious choice but books out a year in advance. Alternatives include the Inn at Spanish Bay, Casa Palmero, and luxury rentals in Carmel-by-the-Sea. During Monterey Car Week, hotel prices on the Peninsula typically triple standard rates.
Drive: The 17-Mile Drive gate is the primary entry point. Expect significant traffic between 5:00 AM and 9:00 AM on Sunday. Premium parking is included with higher-tier ticket packages. General parking requires a shuttle from designated lots in Monterey and Seaside.
For the full event schedule and regional logistics, visit the official Pebble Beach Concours planning hub. A comprehensive Monterey Car Week schedule with auxiliary events is maintained at the Everrati guide.