Ludacris brought the Fast & Furious franchise back into the conversation during a concert at the Santa Monica Pier on Thursday, announcing to the crowd that the next film in the series is on its way.
The event was the kickoff for the Michelob ULTRA Pitchside Club, a free social hub for soccer fans running June 12 through June 25 in celebration of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Kevin Hart hosted the evening, which also included performances from DJ Pee .Wee and Disco Lines.
Hart set the tone early. "I'm becoming a big fan of the sport, so I'm honestly really thrilled to be here tonight," he told the crowd. In introducing Ludacris to the stage, Hart called him "a friend, he's a brother, and — I'll say it again — he's an icon."
Ludacris performed a set that included "Move Bitch," "Area Codes," "What's Your Fantasy?" and "Stand Up." He also noted a milestone from the stage. "We are celebrating 26 years in the music industry," he said, pointing out that his first album from Def Jam came out in 2000.
The Fast & Furious moment came when he introduced "Act a Fool," his single from the 2003 film 2 Fast 2 Furious, the movie that first brought him into the franchise. "If we got some Fast fans, then when I say, 'Act a,' y'all say, 'Fool,'" Ludacris told the crowd. He then told his DJ, "Take them to 2 Fast 2 Furious for all of the Fast fans in here tonight. Fast [11] on the way!"
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal announced in February that the next film in the franchise is titled Fast Forever and is set for a theatrical release on March 17, 2028. Franchise anchor Vin Diesel marked the announcement at the time with a post that read, "No one said the road would be easy… but it's ours."
Notable guests at the Thursday kickoff included Shay Mitchell, Brooks Nader, and Tyler Cameron. Disco Lines, one of the performers on the bill, spoke to The Hollywood Reporter before the event about sharing the stage with Anderson .Paak, who performed a DJ set under the name DJ Pee .Wee. "Anderson .Paak is incredible," Disco Lines said. "I've seen him seven times. He's the best live performer."
