The SEMA Show, the giant automotive aftermarket trade show, rolls back into the Las Vegas Convention Center this week, Tuesday, Nov. 3 through Friday, Nov. 6. It is a trade-only event for most of the week, but Friday is open to the public with a paid ticket, and the whole week means more traffic around the convention center and the east side of the Strip.
Key Takeaways
- Dates: Nov. 3–6, 2026, at the Las Vegas Convention Center (West, North, Central and South halls).
- Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday.
- The show lists more than 2,400 exhibitors and 1,000+ vehicle builds.
- Public day is Friday, Nov. 6: $130 for show-floor access, ages 16 and up. Tickets cannot be bought on the day.
- The SEMA Fest concert tickets are listed as sold out.
Trade-only most of the week
SEMA says the show is an industry event and is not open to consumers Tuesday through Thursday. Badges go to people who work in the automotive aftermarket: shops, builders, manufacturers, dealers and media. Expect custom trucks, race cars, restomods and new parts spread across five halls.
How the public can get in on Friday
The “SEMA Show Friday – Public Day” ticket is sold through semafest.com for $130 and covers the show floor from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 6. You must be 16 or older to go on the floor. Each person has to pick up their own ticket in person that morning, between 7:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., at SEMA Show registration in the South Hall or West Hall, and show a government photo ID that matches the name on the order. All sales are final.
The SEMA Fest concert in the convention center’s Bronze Lot is open to all ages, but both concert-only ticket types and the show-plus-VIP-concert ticket are listed as sold out. The show-plus-general-admission concert ticket ($170) is also shown as sold out on the SEMA Fest site, so check before you plan around it.
What it means for locals and visitors
Big conventions bring heavier traffic and fuller rideshare pickup areas around the convention center, Paradise Road and the north end of the Strip, especially around opening time and when the halls let out in the late afternoon. If you live or work nearby, give yourself extra time all week. Visitors heading to Friday’s public day should plan their ride early, since tickets must be picked up in person before 2 p.m.
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