When is the 2026 Indy 500 and how can I watch it in the UK? Start times and full schedule

All the information on how to watch the 2026 Indy 500, including timings and schedule.

19 May 2026

Indy 500 is dubbed "the greatest spectacle in racing"

This is how to watch the 2026 Indy 500, which takes place on Sunday 24 May.

We’ve also listed start times for one of the highlights on the motorsport calendar, which is dubbed as “the greatest spectacle in racing”.

This Sunday’s race marks the 110th running of the legendary event, which sees a total of 33 drivers battling for victory over 200 laps at speeds in excess of 200mph around a 2.5-mile oval.

Last year's winner, Palou, will start from pole

The Indy 500 draws huge crowds, with 400,000 fans flocking to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to watch.

Alex Palou, the current IndyCar championship leader, has claimed pole position for the race as the Chip Ganassi Racing driver looks to make it back-to-back wins at the famous Brickyard.

The stacked field includes five ex-F1 drivers. Former Manor driver Alexander Rossi, who suffered minor injuries in a massive practice crash on Monday, is due to start alongside Palou in second.

Mick Schumacher, Romain Grosjean, Marcus Ericsson and Takuma Sato are the other former F1 drivers contesting the race. Sato is a two-time Indy 500 winner (2017, 2020), while Ericsson was victorious in 2022.

How to watch the 2026 Indy 500 in the UK

The Indy 500 acts as part of a motorsport double-header for racing fans on Sunday, with the F1 Canadian Grand Prix taking place on the same day.

Most practice sessions and qualifying for the Indy 500 have already happened in the weeks leading up to the event, but there are still two days’ worth of on-track action yet to take place at Indianapolis.

Rossi is among five ex-F1 drivers in the Indy 500 field

Sky customers can watch the Indy 500 live on Sky Sports F1, or stream the action via the Sky Sports app. There will be an option to ride onboard with any driver during the race.

Those without a Sky subscription can watch the action by purchasing a NOW Day pass or a cancel-anytime Month pass.

Alternatively, a free highlights package will be made available on the official IndyCar YouTube channel.