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Bret Michaels and the All-American Rejects will serve as co-headliners at this year’s Carb Day concert, Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials announced Thursday.
Michaels won’t be a newcomer to the infield party scheduled for May 23. The 2013 edition of the Carb Day concert was headlined by Poison, the rock band Michaels co-founded in 1983.
The Carb Day concert is one of three music events leading up to the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500. The Indy 500 Snake Pit party on May 25 will feature performances by Illenium and four other electronic dance music artists inside Turn 3 of the track. The artist lineup has yet to be announced for the country music-themed Legends Day concert, scheduled for May 24 at Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park.
The Carb Day concert gates will open at 2 p.m. on a day that includes Indianapolis 500 practice for participating drivers and the annual pit stop challenge.
With Poison, Michaels was the vocalist on six songs that reached the Top 10 of Billboard magazine’s Hot 100 chart, including “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” (which reached No. 1) and “Nothin’ But a Good Time.” Michaels is touring as a solo artist in 2025, and his itinerary includes a March 1 show in Terre Haute.
From 2005 to 2008, the All-American Rejects landed three songs in Billboard’s Top 10: “Dirty Little Secret,” “It Ends Tonight” and “Gives You Hell.” In February 2012, the All-American Rejects performed as part of the VH1 Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam concert at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
Carb Day general admission tickets, $40, are available for purchase at ims.com. A limited number of “pit” tickets closest to the concert stage can be purchased for $75. Ticket prices will increase in coming weeks.
The Indianapolis 500 is scheduled to start at 12:45 p.m. May 25.
Carb Day performers
Carb Day moved from a Thursday to a Friday on the Indianapolis 500 calendar in 2005. Rock bands customarily headline the concert.
2005: The Black Crowes
2006: The B-52s, Third Eye Blind
2007: Kid Rock
2008: Stone Temple Pilots
2009: Three Doors Down
2010: ZZ Top
2011: Staind, Papa Roach
2012: Lynyrd Skynyrd
2013: Poison
2014: Sammy Hagar
2015: Jane’s Addiction, 38 Special
2016: Journey
2017: Steve Miller Band, Barenaked Ladies
2018: Train, Blues Traveler
2019: Foreigner
2020: No concert
2021: No concert
2022: Rick Springfield, Kings of Chaos
2023: Bryan Adams, Soul Asylum
2024: George Thorogood, Gin Blossoms
2025: Bret Michaels, All-American Rejects
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