Belmont on Broadway: Everything You Need to Know About Saratoga’s Free Downtown Concert

In an effort to showcase its vibrant downtown scene, Saratoga Springs has been hosting free concerts to kick off the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. Dubbed Belmont on Broadway, the events have been featured on Netflix’s “Race for the Crown” and have included headliners such as Blues Traveler and Gin Blossoms.

For the third and final year that the Belmont Stakes will be run at the Saratoga Race Course, the Spa City has aimed to put on a grand finale that includes two notable music acts and one of the most famous stand-up comedians on the planet.

Belmont on Broadway 2026 will take place on Wednesday, June 3. Saratoga’s thoroughfare will close at 5 a.m., creating a block party-like atmosphere where revelers can stroll (and/or dance) in the streets.

The festivities will begin this year with something new: a ticketed VIP experience at Universal Preservation Hall, located just steps away from Broadway on Washington Street. Beginning at 2 p.m., VIP-ers can strut their stuff on a green carpet (to match Belmont’s distinct color), get their photo taken, receive a keepsake lanyard and commemorative poster, watch the day’s races on TVs inside, and then get seated for comedian Chelsea Handler’s stand-up show at 4 p.m.

Handler has been a big name in the comedy world for decades, hosting her own late-night talk show on E! from 2007 to 2014 before hosting a Netflix show from 2016 to 2017. In addition to touring across the globe, she’s also written six books that have hit #1 on The New York Times bestseller list.

Once Handler wraps up her set, VIP-ers can saunter over to Broadway, where they’ll have access to a special tent in Ellsworth Jones Plaza near the main stage. VIP-ers can also access a private indoor hospitality lounge on the second floor of the Saratoga Springs City Center.

7 p.m. is when the free fun begins. Vertical Horizon, an alt-rock band that scored a massive hit in 1999 with “Everything You Want,” will first take the stage. The band has released seven albums, including Everything You Want, which sold more than two million copies. The title track hit the #1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 and Adult Top 40 charts and went on to become the most-played single of 2000.

Next up will be the headliner: Fitz and the Tantrums. They’re an indie pop group best known for their hit singles “HandClap” (if you’ve ever attended a baseball game, you’ve probably heard this song), “Out of My League” (which has more than one billion plays on Spotify), and “The Walker.” Their latest release, 2025’s “Man on the Moon,” has been described as the group’s most daring album yet.

The concert will finish around 10 p.m.

Tickets for the Chelsea Handler performance and VIP experience can be purchased at atuph.org or chelseahandler.com. The Belmont on Broadway concert is free to attend.

More information about Belmont on Broadway is available at www.discoversaratoga.org/belmontonbroadway.

Belmont on Broadway 2026

• When: Wednesday, June 3, 2026. The VIP experience begins at 2 p.m., comedian Chelsea Handler performs at 4 p.m., and the free concert featuring Vertical Horizon and Fitz and the Tantrums goes from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

• Where: The VIP experience and Chelsea Handler performance will be at the Universal Preservation Hall (25 Washington Street in Saratoga Springs). The free concert will occur outside on Broadway near the Saratoga Springs City Center (522 Broadway).

• Parking: Parking will be available at the Saratoga Springs City Center garage, as well as other public parking facilities downtown, such as 21 Putnam Street, 34 Woodlawn Avenue, and 37 Walton Street.

• Rules and Policies: The event organizers ask that attendees not bring coolers, backpacks, large bags, strollers, pets, glass bottles, alcohol, or weapons of any kind. Attendees should use the sidewalks solely for walking. Individuals who require a seat are asked to bring a folding chair that is not inside of a bag. Organizers also ask that those inside the event space refrain from smoking. Leaving a bar or restaurant with alcohol is not permitted.