By Chris Robinson
I will always remember my first time at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. That was about 15 years ago, and I was impressed from the minute I walked in.
This week I’m back at the Las Vegas Convention Center for SEMA 2026, and the same things that pulled me in the first time are still here.
What hooked me the first time
The networking. SEMA puts parts makers, builders, shop owners, distributors and automakers in the same building for a week. You can walk up to the people behind a brand and have a real conversation. I left that first show with more contacts than I could keep track of.
The brands. Every booth was a company I knew, or one I wanted to know. Seeing that many names in one place showed me how big the aftermarket world really is.
The cars. Custom builds, hot rods, trucks and off-road rigs, hall after hall. Every one had hours of work in it.
The aesthetics. The paint, the wraps, the lighting, the way the builds were staged. As someone who works in photography and design, I could not stop looking.
The energy. Thousands of people who care about the same thing, all in one place. You feel it as soon as you get through the doors.
Fifteen years later, coming back still feels the same.
What SEMA is
The SEMA Show runs Tuesday, November 3 through Friday, November 6, 2026, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It is the biggest automotive aftermarket trade show in the world.
SEMA stands for the Specialty Equipment Market Association. The group was founded in 1963 and held its first show in 1967. It is where the industry comes to show new products, sign deals and roll out custom builds. This year more than 2,000 brands are on the floor, and SEMA said exhibit space was close to sold out.
Who can get in
Tuesday through Thursday are trade-only. You need an industry badge, and you have to qualify as an aftermarket professional to register.
Friday, November 6 is open to the public for anyone 16 and older. SEMA calls it SEMA Show Friday. The floor is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and you see the same builds the trade saw all week.
Public tickets are sold only online at semafest.com. There are no tickets at the door and no refunds. You pick up your ticket in person on Friday with a government photo ID, at registration in South Hall or West Hall.
As of early October, public pricing was:
- SEMA Show Friday: $130 (show floor)
- Show Friday + SEMA Fest GA: $170 (show floor and concert general admission)
- Show Friday + SEMA Fest VIP: $210 (show floor and concert VIP, listed sold out)
Prices go up on a set schedule, so check semafest.com for current rates.
What’s happening at the show
The floor. Thousands of custom cars and trucks, new parts and new tech fill the halls. Automakers including Ford and Honda Racing Corp. are on the exhibitor list. SEMA also runs more than 99 free education sessions for registered attendees.
Battle of the Builders. This is SEMA’s top builder competition, now in its 13th year and presented by Mothers. Only builders with a vehicle on display at the show can enter. Finalists judge each other to pick class winners and one overall champion. Troy Trepanier of Rad Rides by Troy won the overall title in 2025. The BFGoodrich Young Guns class is for builders 29 and under.
Motorcycles, for the first time. Battle of the Builders adds a Bike Builder Shootout for custom motorcycles this year, judged separately by motorcycle industry judges. The competition plays out live in Central Hall.
SEMA Cruise and SEMA Fest. On Friday afternoon the builds roll out of the halls for the SEMA Cruise, followed by motorsports demos and SEMA Fest, the closing concert on the convention center campus. The 2026 lineup is The Offspring, Jimmy Eat World, 311 and The Alive.
What it means for Las Vegas
SEMA week fills hotels and slows traffic around Paradise Road and the Strip. Registration opened October 29, almost a week before the show, so crowds built early.
SEMA books hotel blocks through its official housing partner, onPeak, at semashow.com/hotel. If you’re a local heading in on Friday, plan on a lot of walking. Covering the main halls can mean 5 to 8 miles in a day, so pick the halls you care about most.
Chris Robinson can be reached at crobinson@hustleboss.com