If your kids love big trucks, bright lights and loud engines, Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live is returning to the Chicago area Friday, Jan. 23, through Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, with multiple showtimes designed for families, including matinees, evening shows and a free up-close truck appearance. The tour will run across three days at NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates.
According to the official tour site, the 2026 shows feature the Glow-N-Fire theme, which combines monster truck competitions with lighting effects, stunts and indoor pyrotechnics designed specifically for arena settings.
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Tickets are available now for the Hoffman Estates shows at NOW Arena.
See a monster truck up close before the arena shows begin
Families looking for a lower-key introduction can see Mega Wrex during a public truck appearance the day before the arena shows begin.
The stop at Woodman’s Food Market is listed as a meet-and-see event rather than a full performance, giving kids a chance to see the truck up close without the noise, crowds or lights of an arena show. For parents of younger children, or those unsure how their kids will handle loud environments, this can be an easier first step.
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Showtimes and pre-show options for the weekend
The first full show of the weekend takes place Friday night, with a pre-show party at 5 p.m., backstage VIP access at 5:45 p.m. and the main event starting at 7:30 p.m. Those add-on options allow families onto the arena floor early to see the trucks up close before the crowd fills in.
Saturday offers the most flexibility, with both a 12:30 p.m. matinee and a 7:30 p.m. evening show. The afternoon performance includes a pre-show party at 10 a.m. and VIP access at 10:45 a.m., while the evening show follows the same pre-show and VIP schedule as Friday night. Both Saturday shows feature the same lineup of trucks, including Mega Wrex, Tiger Shark, Bone Shaker, Bigfoot, Skelesaurus and Rhinomite, which is making its live debut this season.
The weekend wraps up Sunday afternoon with a 2:30 p.m. show, an option that often works better for families traveling from outside Hoffman Estates or hoping to avoid a late night. The pre-show party begins at noon, followed by VIP access at 12:45 p.m., and the show typically ends earlier than evening performances.
What kids and parents experience inside the arena
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According to organizers, the show includes monster truck competitions, freestyle motocross performances and a transforming robot segment, all presented indoors with coordinated lighting and pyrotechnics.
For many kids, that spectacle is exactly the point. One parent wrote on Reddit after attending a glow-themed show that it “landed exactly as hoped,” adding that their child “went nuts when the ‘dinosaur’ came out and ate the car.”
Still, monster truck events are loud and visually intense. Families with younger or noise-sensitive children may want to bring ear protection or plan short breaks during the show. The tour site also notes that special kids pricing is available, though ticket prices vary by show and seating location.
