11th annual country music benefit returns to Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, supporting scholarships for families of fallen or disabled military members and first responders

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (FNN) — Country music stars Lee Brice, Kane Brown, Brantley Gilbert, Brandon Lake and Stephen Wilson Jr. will take the stage in South Florida this fall for Audacy’s 11th annual Stars and Strings, presented by Xfinity.

The benefit concert returns to Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood on Thursday, Nov. 12, marking the event’s fifth year in South Florida.

The star-studded evening will benefit Folds of Honor, a nonprofit organization that provides educational scholarships to spouses and children of fallen or disabled U.S. military service members and first responders.

Star-Studded Country Lineup

The 2026 lineup brings together several prominent names in country and contemporary music.

Lee Brice, Kane Brown, Brantley Gilbert and Brandon Lake will be joined by Audacy LAUNCH artist Stephen Wilson Jr. for the annual event.

Stars and Strings will be hosted by South Florida country radio station KISS Country 99.9 (WKIS-FM), with station personalities Dina B, TC, Katie Neal, Rob, Holly and Coop participating in the evening.

“Country music has a long, proud tradition of honoring our service members, and Stars and Strings continues to bring that tradition to life,” Tim Roberts, Audacy’s country format vice president, said in announcing the event.

“Now in its fifth year in South Florida, Stars and Strings has become a powerful reflection of the deep ties we share with the communities we serve. We’re excited to unite fans and honor the sacrifice, service and legacy of America’s heroes.”

Concert Supports Folds of Honor

Beyond the music, Stars and Strings will raise awareness and support for Folds of Honor and its scholarship programs.

Since its founding in 2007, Folds of Honor has awarded more than 73,000 educational scholarships to families of fallen or disabled U.S. military service members and first responders, according to event organizers.

The organization says 91% of every dollar raised directly supports its scholarship programs, helping spouses and children pursue educational opportunities.

Tickets and Presale Information

The Stars and Strings presale is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 6, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern, or while supplies last.

Fans can obtain presale information by following KISS Country 99.9 on social media, subscribing to the station’s newsletter or listening on-air.

General ticket sales begin Friday, Aug. 7, at 10 a.m. Eastern through Ticketmaster.

Stars and Strings 2026 at a Glance

What: Audacy’s 11th Annual Stars and Strings, presented by Xfinity
When: Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026
Where: Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, Florida
Performers: Lee Brice, Kane Brown, Brantley Gilbert, Brandon Lake and Stephen Wilson Jr.
Beneficiary: Folds of Honor
Host Station: KISS Country 99.9 (WKIS-FM)

Stars and Strings is presented by Xfinity, with additional support from Visit Lauderdale, Liberty Mutual, AutoZone, NUTRL/Bud Light, Demesmin & Dover Law Firm and CareRite Centers.

The combination of major country music performers, a South Florida destination and a mission supporting military and first-responder families positions Stars and Strings as one of the region’s notable country music benefit events this fall.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — Hollywood megastar Tom Cruise brought movie-star electricity to Daytona International Speedway, surprising NASCAR fans, meeting drivers and officially putting Cole Trickle back on the starting grid.

More than three decades after Cruise raced onto movie screens in the NASCAR classic “Days of Thunder,” the 64-year-old actor returned to the “World Center of Racing” during the 2026 Coke Zero Sugar 400 weekend to announce that he will reprise his iconic role in the highly anticipated sequel.

The new Paramount Pictures film is scheduled to race into theaters June 2, 2028, nearly 38 years after the original. Academy Award-winning actress Anne Hathaway will star opposite Cruise as a NASCAR team owner and engineer.

But Cruise did more than announce another Hollywood blockbuster at Daytona.

Florida National News cameras captured the excitement and energy surrounding Cruise’s surprise appearance, including the megastar connecting with NASCAR fans, posing for photos and selfies, sharing hugs and spending time around the racing community.

For fans who arrived expecting the speed and drama of the Coke Zero Sugar 400, suddenly seeing — and even talking with — one of Hollywood’s biggest stars became a dream-of-a-lifetime moment.

Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise smiles and waves while making an appearance at Daytona International Speedway during NASCAR race weekend. Photo Credit: Arthur Dell Morgan / Florida National News

Cole Trickle Is Coming Back

Cruise first played talented but hotheaded NASCAR driver Cole Trickle in the original “Days of Thunder,” released in 1990.

Now, Cole Trickle is coming back.

Cruise announced the sequel from Daytona on Saturday, Aug. 29, hours before the NASCAR Cup Series regular-season finale.

Cruise will star and produce alongside longtime collaborator Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper. Bruckheimer also produced the original film.

Jonathan Levine, whose directing credits include “50/50,” “Warm Bodies” and “Long Shot,” is set to direct from a screenplay by Will Staples.

The film is being developed for a major theatrical release, including IMAX and other premium formats.

Paramount’s promotional materials currently call the film simply “Days of Thunder,” although the project is widely being referred to as “Days of Thunder 2.”

Days of Thunder. Summer 2028. pic.twitter.com/rD3QLXfUyi

— Tom Cruise (@TomCruise) August 29, 2026

Anne Hathaway Joins Cruise at Daytona

Cruise won’t return to the NASCAR world alone.

Academy Award-winning actress Anne Hathaway will co-star as a NASCAR team owner and engineer, marking the first major on-screen collaboration between the two Hollywood stars.

Hathaway joined Cruise at Daytona for the announcement, with the two posing beside a green-and-yellow race car carrying Cole Trickle’s name and “Days of Thunder” branding.

Hathaway is known for blockbuster and critically acclaimed films including “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Les Misérables,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Interstellar” and “The Princess Diaries.”

Plot details remain under wraps, including where audiences will find Cole Trickle nearly four decades after the original movie.

Cruise Meets NASCAR Drivers

Cruise didn’t simply announce the movie and leave.

He attended the NASCAR Cup Series pre-race drivers’ meeting ahead of the Coke Zero Sugar 400, addressing a room filled with NASCAR drivers and racing industry figures.

Bruckheimer, Harper and Staples also attended.

Cruise reflected on filming the original movie at Daytona, including the risks of shooting racing sequences at high speeds.

He also made clear that the sequel will be about more than cars traveling nearly 200 mph.

Cruise told the NASCAR community that the original “Days of Thunder” sought to capture something special about racers and the culture surrounding them.

For the new film, Cruise said the filmmakers want audiences to understand NASCAR as a team, a community and a culture, while also experiencing the speed, excitement and danger of the sport.

That message could prove central to the sequel as Cruise and the filmmakers attempt to introduce a new generation of moviegoers to NASCAR.

Cruise Honors Late NASCAR Champion Kyle Busch

One of Cruise’s most poignant Daytona moments came during the drivers’ meeting.

Cruise sat beside an empty chair bearing the name of late two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, who died in May.

Photos from the gathering showed Cruise reaching over and patting the empty seat before looking down in a quiet gesture of respect.

The moment resonated with NASCAR fans as tributes to Busch have continued throughout the racing community.

It also carried an added connection to Cruise’s racing movie legacy: “Days of Thunder” was reportedly one of Busch’s favorite racing films.

Amid the excitement surrounding a major Hollywood announcement, Cruise’s simple gesture provided a solemn moment of remembrance for one of NASCAR’s biggest stars.

Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise makes an appearance at Daytona International Speedway during the 2026 Coke Zero Sugar 400, embracing NASCAR community and fans. Photo Credit: Arthur Dell Morgan / Florida National News

FNN Captures Cruise Showing NASCAR Fans Love

Outside the drivers’ meeting, Cruise’s interaction with fans became one of the most memorable parts of his Daytona appearance.

Florida National News video and photo coverage captured Cruise up close as he greeted NASCAR fans, stopped for selfies, shared hugs and talked with spectators.

The reaction was immediate.

Phones went up. Fans gathered. Smiles spread through the crowd.

Cruise wasn’t simply a Hollywood celebrity watching the race from a distance. Fans got an opportunity to see one of the world’s most recognizable movie stars up close.

Some got photographs.

Others got a handshake, a hug or a few words with the megastar.

For longtime Cruise fans who have watched him on movie screens for decades, suddenly standing face-to-face with him at Daytona transformed an already memorable NASCAR weekend into something personal.

A selfie. A hug. A handshake. A conversation with Tom Cruise.

For many, it was the kind of dream-of-a-lifetime encounter they never expected when they arrived at Daytona International Speedway.

And FNN cameras were there to capture it.

Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise visits with NASCAR drivers and members of the racing community during the 2026 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
Photo Credit: Arthur Dell Morgan / Florida National News

Cruise Takes in the NASCAR Experience

Cruise immersed himself in NASCAR’s pre-race atmosphere after addressing the drivers.

He made his way toward the starting grid for pre-race ceremonies, getting an up-close look at the drivers, teams, cars and crews preparing for one of NASCAR’s biggest nights.

The experience offered Cruise and the filmmakers another opportunity to observe modern NASCAR firsthand as they prepare to bring Cole Trickle back to the big screen.

That authenticity could become especially important for a movie Cruise says will focus not only on racing, but also on the people and teamwork behind it.

From ‘Risky Business’ to ‘Top Gun: Maverick’

Cruise’s Daytona appearance brought one of the world’s most successful movie stars directly into the heart of NASCAR.

Over more than four decades, Cruise has starred in some of Hollywood’s most recognizable films, including:

• “Risky Business”
• “Top Gun”
• “Rain Man”
• “A Few Good Men”
• “Jerry Maguire”
• the blockbuster “Mission: Impossible” franchise
• “Top Gun: Maverick”
• and “Days of Thunder.”

His reputation for high-energy action movies and performing ambitious practical stunts makes his return to a racing film particularly intriguing.

Cruise even recalled at Daytona how dangerous filming the original could become, describing an incident in which the race car he was driving caught fire while cameras were rolling.

‘Days of Thunder’ Became a NASCAR Favorite

Directed by the late Tony Scott, the original “Days of Thunder” followed Trickle as he entered NASCAR and learned to harness his raw talent and aggression with the help of veteran crew chief Harry Hogge, played by Robert Duvall.

The movie also starred Nicole Kidman, Randy Quaid, Michael Rooker, Cary Elwes and John C. Reilly.

Although its initial critical reception was mixed, the movie developed an enduring following, particularly among NASCAR fans.

More than three decades later, Cole Trickle, his No. 46 race car and the movie’s depiction of NASCAR remain recognizable pieces of racing pop culture.

Can Cruise Repeat the ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Magic?

Cruise’s decision to return as Cole Trickle inevitably draws comparisons with another enormously successful return to one of his signature roles.

In 2022, Cruise returned as Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in “Top Gun: Maverick,” 36 years after the original “Top Gun.”

The sequel became a worldwide blockbuster and the biggest box-office success of Cruise’s career.

Now Cruise and Bruckheimer are returning to another movie from their past.

“Days of Thunder” will arrive nearly 38 years after the original — giving Cruise another opportunity to introduce an iconic character to a new generation while bringing longtime fans back to the theater.

Days of Thunder. Summer 2028. pic.twitter.com/l7tWBQVONm

— Tom Cruise (@TomCruise) August 29, 2026

Daytona Provides the Perfect Stage

Few places could have provided a more fitting backdrop for Cruise’s announcement than Daytona International Speedway.

Daytona played an important role in the original movie, and Cruise filmed racing sequences at the legendary track.

Nearly four decades later, he returned to the “World Center of Racing” to tell NASCAR that Cole Trickle is coming back.

Cruise met drivers, addressed the NASCAR community, honored Kyle Busch and connected personally with race fans before the Coke Zero Sugar 400.

Hours later, the real racing delivered its own Hollywood-style ending as Ryan Preece captured the Coke Zero Sugar 400 in overtime, earning his first points-paying NASCAR Cup Series victory.

From Daytona Back to the Big Screen

Many questions about the new “Days of Thunder” remain unanswered.

The complete cast has not been announced. The storyline remains under wraps. NASCAR’s precise role in the production has not been fully detailed.

But several major pieces are now on the starting grid:

Tom Cruise is returning as Cole Trickle.

Anne Hathaway is joining him as a NASCAR team owner and engineer.

Jerry Bruckheimer is producing.

Jonathan Levine is directing.

And “Days of Thunder” is scheduled to race into theaters June 2, 2028.

For NASCAR fans at Daytona, however, the movie announcement was only part of the story.

They got Tom Cruise in person.

They watched one of Hollywood’s biggest stars step into their racing world, meet NASCAR drivers, honor a fallen champion and show fans some love.

For some, the unexpected opportunity to see, hug, photograph or simply exchange a few words with Cruise became a memory of a lifetime.

And Florida National News was on the scene to capture the excitement, energy and star power as Hollywood met NASCAR at Daytona.

WATCH FNN VIDEO: Hollywood megastar Tom Cruise connects with NASCAR fans at Daytona International Speedway as he announces the highly anticipated return of “Days of Thunder.”

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — The holidays are returning to downtown Orlando as the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts brings back its free Frontyard Holiday Festival, transforming the Frontyard and Seneff Arts Plaza into a holiday destination from Nov. 27 through Dec. 31.

The Frontyard Holiday Festival at Dr. Phillips Center, supported by AdventHealth, will feature nightly snowfall, live entertainment, holiday movies, themed nights, firepits, seasonal food and beverages, interactive experiences, light displays and performances by local artists and community groups.

Admission is free.

“This festival is part of our vision to create more free experiences in the Frontyard, one of the 1,000 annual free events planned as part of our master plan,” Dr. Phillips Center President and CEO Kathy Ramsberger said. “These events are designed to bring our community together while creating new opportunities that attract visitors and contribute to Orlando’s vibrant tourism economy.”

Nightly Snowfall Returns to Downtown Orlando

The festival opens Friday, Nov. 27, and runs through New Year’s Eve, giving Central Florida residents and visitors more than a month to experience the celebration.

Nightly snowfall will return as one of the festival’s signature attractions, along with holiday movie screenings and seasonal performances.

A rare musical attraction will also return this year: the only transportable carillon in North America.

The instrument features nearly four tons of bronze bells and will bring traditional holiday sounds to the outdoor festival.

Free Holiday Experience for Orlando Families

Organizers said the festival is part of the Dr. Phillips Center’s broader effort to increase free arts and cultural programming while creating a gathering place for residents and visitors in downtown Orlando.

AdventHealth returns as a major supporter of the event.

“The holidays invite us to slow down, reconnect and make memories with the people who matter most,” said Sharon Line Clary, AdventHealth’s senior vice president of community impact and partnership engagement.

Clary said the partnership is designed to help create a welcoming community space centered on celebration and connection.

Holiday Shows Coming Inside Dr. Phillips Center

The outdoor festival will coincide with a separate lineup of holiday entertainment inside the performing arts center.

The 2026 holiday schedule includes Lindsey Stirling, “The Nutcracker,” Vienna Light Orchestra, Irish Christmas in America, Straight No Chaser and “A Very Broadway Christmas.”

Other scheduled productions include “The Unauthorized Hallmarkish Parody” and “Adam Biner: A Jewish Boy’s Love Letter to Christmas.”

The lineup includes dance, orchestral music, comedy and other live performances throughout the holiday season.

More Festival Programming Coming

Additional details about performances, themed nights, movie screenings and interactive experiences are expected to be announced as the opening date approaches.

The festival is supported by AdventHealth, the city of Orlando’s Downtown Development Board, The Main Law Firm, OUC — The Reliable One, Massey Services Inc. and a donation from Neal and Jan Dempsey.

The project also receives funding from Orange County government through its Arts & Cultural Affairs Program.

Event Details

What: Frontyard Holiday Festival at Dr. Phillips Center supported by AdventHealth
When: Nov. 27-Dec. 31, 2026
Where: Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Frontyard and Seneff Arts Plaza, downtown Orlando
Admission: Free