Pitbull and Tim McGraw to perform before Braves vs. Reds at Bristol Motor Speedway
Major League Baseball is proud to announce that, for the first time, entertainment and sports will face off against each other, as MLB presents the 2025 MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug 02, 2025.
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The event features an MLB regular-season game between the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds, marking the first-ever MLB game in the state of Tennessee. In addition, country musician Tim McGraw is set to perform a pregame concert, as well as international pop phenomenon Pitbull, making it an unforgettable experience for fans.
A historic venue, Bristol Motor Speedway, meets America's pastime
This will be held at Bristol Motor Speedway, which is known for NASCAR, but will convert its famous half-mile oval into a baseball diamond just for this event.
The site, which can set 165,000 or more, has been the site of large-scale events, including the 2016 college football record-setting game between Tennessee and Virginia Tech. The Speedway Classic is another move from MLB's playbook to make baseball more accessible away from traditional stadiums and ballparks, but not the first, given the successful 'Field of Dreams' game in Iowa and games already played at Fort Bragg and Rickwood Field.
The game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET and will air nationally on FOX, and will be considered a home game for the Reds. There will be a temporary baseball diamond over the infield of the speedway with 330-foot lines and a 400-foot centerfield. Looks like one can kill two birds with one stone, as these guys try to set up an innovative viewing experience, combining the suspense of baseball with a big-race venue.
Music and baseball collide for an unforgettable event
Tim McGraw and Pitbull are also part of the entertainment-centric vibe of the announcement, with a pregame concert before the event.
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McGraw has a baseball background, with his dad, Tug McGraw, being a two-time World Series champion. The parties are even more fun with the lively Ojito himself – Pitbull, who brings the heat into your backyard. Together, the two will kick off the evening, emphasizing the intersection between sports and music in an electrifying tone.
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MLB Speedway Classic tickets are on sale on the Cincinnati Reds' website, and a share of sales during December will aid local non-profits. Anyone who plans to be in the Denver area during the 2025 MLB season should book their seats now for this historic game, as it will undoubtedly be one of the defining moments of the 2025 season.
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