Fitz and the Tantrums, Vertical Horizon to headline third and final Belmont on Broadway celebration

Free concert to be held June 3 on Broadway in Saratoga Springs
New ticketed VIP pre-show to feature comedian Chelsea Handler at Universal Preservation Hall

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.  — Fitz and the Tantrums will perform at the 2026 Belmont on Broadway event in downtown Saratoga Springs as the city hosts this special celebration for the last time. Supporting act Vertical Horizon will open the free, outdoor show on June 3, the start of this year’s Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.

Local leaders announced the lineup for Belmont on Broadway on Thursday during an event at Druthers in Saratoga Springs. The concert will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. on Broadway in front of the Saratoga Springs City Center.

This large-scale public event is organized by several local partners including the City of Saratoga Springs, Saratoga County, the New York Racing Association, the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, Discover Saratoga, Saratoga Economic Development Corporation, the Saratoga Springs City Center, the Saratoga Springs Downtown Business Alliance Proctors Collaborative, and Live Nation.

The Belmont on Broadway tradition started in 2024 as a kickoff to the first-ever Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, part of the prestigious Triple Crown, held at Saratoga Race Course. Planning began when NYRA announced that the event would take place at Saratoga Race Course while major renovations were performed at its Belmont Park home on Long Island.

This year’s Belmont on Broadway entertainment follows two successful concerts headlined by Blues Traveler in 2024 and Gin Blossoms in 2025. 

Fitz and the Tantrums will headline the third and last Belmont on Broadway, making sure that its grand finale will offer concertgoers a chance to move and groove to songs from its highly danceable catalogue of hits.

Touring on its 2025 release Man On The Moon, the group’s most daring album yet, this multi-platinum-selling soul-pop outfit debuted its breakthrough album, More Than Just a Dream, in 2013, followed by a slew of massive hit singles including “Out of My League,” “The Walker” and “HandClap.” The Los Angeles–based band is headed by Michael “Fitz” Fitzpatrick alongside co-lead vocalist Noelle Scaggs, bassist Joseph Karnes, multi-instrumentalist James King, and keyboardist Jeremy Ruzumna.

Rocking since the early 1990s, Vertical Horizon has toured extensively and released seven albums, including 1999’s Everything You Want, which sold over two million copies. The title song captured the #1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 and Adult Top 40 charts, and went on to become the most played single of 2000. Having carved out a page in the annals of music history, the band also garnered further radio attention with “You’re a God” and “Best I Ever Had (Grey Sky Morning),” which became a 2005 top 20 country hit for country star Gary Allan. Vertical Horizon’s high energy shows are filled with an assortment of the group’s well-known and latest hits.  

New for 2026, organizers announced a VIP pre-show featuring comedian, television host and seven-time New York Times best-selling author Chelsea Handler on her stand-up comedy tour THE HIGH AND MIGHTY TOUR. This ticketed event will take place at 4 p.m. at Universal Preservation Hall in downtown Saratoga Springs.

Patrons attending Handler’s show will enjoy exclusive pre- and post-show perks never before offered as part of the historic Belmont on Broadway celebration. In addition to complimentary parking at the Saratoga Springs City Center garage, guests will arrive in style at UPH on a green carpet featuring a branded photo wall and receive a keepsake lanyard and commemorative Belmont on Broadway poster.

For the evening Broadway concert, attendees will have access to a VIP tent located in Ellsworth Jones Plaza, just steps from the stage. Guests will also enjoy a private indoor hospitality lounge on the second floor of the City Center, offering light bites, cash bar, a private restroom, and a comfortable retreat within the excitement of this marquee citywide event.

For the first time, UPH is offering an upgrade with a Cocktail Lounge Day Pass, giving patrons exclusive access to the private, members-only lounge before Handler’s show.

Tickets go on sale 10 a.m. Friday, April 24 local time by visiting atuph.org or chelseahandler.com. Fans can also access the presale early starting 10 a.m. local time Tuesday, April 21.

Earlier in the day on June 3, local nonprofit Lucky Puppy Rescue will celebrate the grand opening of its new custom bus that will help the organization save dogs and fulfill its mission of giving rescue dogs the second chance they deserve. This event will take place at 11 a.m. on Broadway near City Hall. This new transit bus will be able to safely transport roughly 800 rescue dogs per year from the organization’s rescue site in Florida to its Great Beginnings Adoption Center in Argyle.

With these new additions planned for 2026, event leaders like the Saratoga County Chamber president Todd Shimkus are looking forward to hosting Belmont on Broadway one last time. “Over the past two years it’s been a tremendous honor and pleasure to host the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival in Saratoga Springs and we look forward to once again kicking off the festivities with a free live concert experience that encourages folks to explore all that our city’s beautiful downtown district has to offer,” he said. “The Chamber and our partners have enjoyed presenting Belmont on Broadway to celebrate this special moment in our city’s history, and we can’t wait to welcome Fitz and the Tantrums and Vertical Horizon for one final, fantastic show.”

Mayor John Safford said, “Saratoga Springs is honored to host the prestigious Belmont Stakes for a third consecutive year, with Belmont on Broadway offering a dynamic and festive celebration for residents and visitors alike.”

Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman Phil Barrett (Clifton Park) said, “We are elated to join our partners in announcing the 2026 Belmont on Broadway festival as we welcome back the Belmont Stakes for its final year in Saratoga County. Building on the success of the past two years, the event will energize the local economy while elevating the area’s profile as a premier tourism destination. Beyond world-class racing, Saratoga County boasts a variety of attractions for the whole family including vibrant cultural offerings, scenic outdoor trails, and historic revolutionary landmarks that I encourage racing fans to check out while visiting. The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors thanks our partners, the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, Discover Saratoga, Saratoga Economic Development Corporation, the Saratoga Springs Downtown Business Alliance, and the Saratoga Springs City Center for coordinating this event.”

“Belmont on Broadway has become a true celebration of what makes Saratoga special,” said David O’Rourke, NYRA President and CEO. “Its success is a credit to leaders across Saratoga County and the City of Saratoga Springs, who created a free event that serves as a fitting kick off to the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.”

Discover Saratoga President Darryl Leggieri said, “We’re excited to welcome Fitz & The Tantrums as this year’s Belmont on Broadway headliner, along with special guest Vertical Horizon. As we celebrate the third and final year of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival in Saratoga Springs, this free concert serves as a meaningful kickoff to an incredible week. It’s a wonderful opportunity to bring our community together and showcase Saratoga County’s vibrant downtown, exceptional hospitality, and welcoming spirit to visitors from around the world.”

Marisa Flynn, Vice President of Programming, Marketing and Communications at Proctors Collaborative said, “It is incredibly exciting and historic to see Belmont on Broadway come to life in Saratoga Springs for its third installment. This milestone moment highlights the vibrancy of our community and reinforces Saratoga’s reputation as a premier destination for arts and culture. Universal Preservation Hall is proud to partner with the Saratoga Springs City Center in organizing the official Belmont on Broadway VIP package and to play a key role in this dynamic, citywide celebration.” 

Saratoga Springs Downton Business Alliance President Deann Devitt said, “As we approach our third and final opportunity to host the Belmont Stakes in Saratoga, we’re thrilled to celebrate this incredible moment with another exciting downtown concert alongside our partners. We invite residents and visitors alike to join us in celebrating our city and the unforgettable history of the Belmont in Saratoga.”

In addition to the world-class entertainment that the Belmont on Broadway concert and the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival bring to Saratoga Springs, Saratoga Economic Development Corporation President Greg Connors said the event is a huge economic win for the entire Capital Region. “At an estimated $9 million impact per day, when applied to this year’s 51 days of racing, the economic impact will be close to one-half billion dollars in just a short 90-day period,” he said. “The racing festivals are not only an almost three-month opportunity to support the hospitality and tourism industry, but it is also, for the third year in a row, introducing Saratoga County to an international audience. For those visitors who read, watch, listen or visit during the racing festival’s, their interest in making their next capital economic investment is a tangible by-product of what Saratoga Springs, Saratoga County and the Capital Region can offer as a result of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival and NYRA’s annual world-class thoroughbred racing.”

“Saratoga Springs and Saratoga County are once again overachieving by having an event like this downtown,” said Ryan McMahon, Executive Director of the Saratoga Springs City Center. “The Belmont on Broadway events is the type of thing that you normally see in a much larger city with a great deal more resources. It is a testament to the community that, for the third year, we can produce a first-class event that is free to the residents and visitors of Saratoga Springs. A great deal of partnership has gone into the production of this event and, when I speak to attendees, it is obvious how appreciate the effort is. Once again we have amazing performers that bring something a little different to the stage.”

Belmont on Broadway is sponsored by NYRA, Saratoga County, Coca Cola, Adirondack Trust Company, Amsure, UHY Advisors, Druthers, Della Auto Group, Saratoga Springs Special Assessment District, Market 32 and Price Chopper.

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

Highlighted by the 158th edition of Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on Saturday, June 6, the 2026 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will be held at Saratoga Race Course from Wednesday, June 3, through Sunday, June 7. It will include 10 Grade 1 races among 18 graded stakes across five days of world class competition. 

Tickets for the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival may be purchased at BelmontStakes.com

With a new and re-imagined Belmont Park to open for live racing on Sept. 18, 2026, the Belmont Stakes will return to its Long Island Home beginning in 2027.

About the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce: Since 1918, the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce has been opening doors and closing deals for businesses throughout the Saratoga County community. Guided by a strong and sustainable vision, the Chamber leads the way in maintaining and strengthening a healthy business climate, initiating constructive community action, and creating a community where all can thrive.

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