By Tim Chan
One of the premier equestrian events in the world, Pegasus brings together thoroughbred racing with music for a day-long, festival-style experience.
Calvin Harris has been tapped as the featured entertainer for the 2024 Pegasus World Cup presented by Baccarat. One of the premier equestrian events in the world, Pegasus brings together thoroughbred racing with music and entertainment for a day-long, festival-style experience.
This year’s event takes place Saturday, January 27 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida and Harris will hit the stage shorty after the day’s races are complete, performing at Gulfstream’s track-side Carousel Club. Other performers include DJ Tyson O’Brien, and TikTok star and DJ Xandra Pohl, with more to be announced later.
Though he was a headliner at Coachella back in April, Harris has spent most of the year performing in Europe, so Pegasus will mark the DJ’s first major North American appearance in almost nine months (Harris does have a Vegas date at XS Nightclub later this month). Tickets for the 2024 Pegasus World Cup Presented by Baccarat are now on sale at Ticketmaster.com. Prices start at $175 and go up to $1,619. VIP tickets, that get you entry into the Carousel Club to see Harris start at $400.
Pegasus owners The Stronach Group and 1/ST partnered with Palm Tree Crew and Groot Hospitality’s LIV to curate the entertainment for this year’s event. Palm Tree Crew, the music and events collective founded by Kygo and his manager Myles Shear, also helped to curate the lineup for last year’s edition, bringing out One Republic, Chantal Jeffries and Kygo himself (with a Joe Jonas cameo) for the post-race concert.
In addition to the performances, the 2024 Pegasus World Cup will feature an exclusive viewing area of the horse race for guests of title sponsor Baccarat. Dubbed the “Baccarat Garden at Carousel Club,” the space will include a private bar with drinks served in Baccarat glassware. Baccarat is also the Official Trophy Purveyor for Pegasus, and their crystal “Pegase Horse in Black,” valued at $47,000, will be presented to the Pegasus World Cup Invitational winner.
The exclusive “Flamingo Room,” meantime is a — literally — elevated experience, with Groot Hospitality hotspots Gekkō, Komodo, Papi Steak, Swan, and Casadonna providing food for the day while guests take in the races from a bird’s eye view. Performers in the Flamingo Room will include Harlem-based bandleader and jazz singer Dandy Wellington. Groot Hospitality founder David Grutman owns a number of restaurants that are fixtures on the Miami scene, but says he chose “venues [that will] complement the high-energy and lively atmosphere of the race.”
“The Pegasus World Cup continues to redefine the experience of Thoroughbred horse racing by collaborating with partners who exemplify innovation and excellence,” says Belinda Stronach, Chairwoman, Chief Executive Officer and President, 1/ST. “Baccarat, Palm Tree Crew and Groot Hospitality, each leaders in luxury, lifestyle, entertainment, and hospitality, bring unique elements that fuse with 1/ST’s world-class Thoroughbred racing and wagering to create an electric event that is truly Miami!”
“Palm Tree Crew is thrilled to partner with Belinda Stronach and the 1/ST team for the second straight year for the Pegasus World Cup,” said Myles Shear, Co-Founder of Palm Tree Crew. “We are excited to bring our brand, people, vibe, and energy to make the Pegasus the premier luxury sporting and lifestyle event in South Florida.”
Of course at its core, Pegasus is a horse race, but not just any horse race. The 2024 Pegasus World Cup is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in thoroughbred racing, with this year’s edition featuring the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational (GI); the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Championship Turf Invitational (GI); and the Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (GIII) with a purse of $500,000.