Guest Post: Car Festivals in the UK

Liam Fisher has produced this article on behalf of vroomvroomvroom.co.uk, a car hire service operating in the UK.

Whether it’s the chance to gawp at supercars, marvel at automobiles from days gone by, or just enjoy a fun auto festival for the whole family, there is sure to be something that will meet your needs when visiting the UK. Car shows are a popular pastime in Britain and attending one is an excellent way to see some incredible cars and displays whilst on vacation.

Starting off with Silverstone, the home of British Motor Racing, there is of course the British Formula One GP, taking place every July. There are also several other events at the track throughout the year, such as TRAX, a performance car event taking place in September, featuring both a Live Action and Motorsport Zone, incredible stunt driving performances, and racing displays from a number of different teams.

Other performance car shows worth checking out include; Japfest, Europe’s largest Japanese supercar festival, held every May at the Castle Combe Circuit, and the huge Autosport International Racing Car Show held every January at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham. There are also many great shows put on at the Santapod Raceway, the most popular drag racing track in Europe. There are some really fun events being run here this year, including Big Bang, a festival for Volkswagen enthusiasts taking place over the last weekend of April. The event will feature music, racing and lots of VW Camper Vans. There are many other events taking place at Santapod, including festivals based around Japanese cars, street cars and stunt shows. You may also be interested in Shakespeare, York, and Rockingham Raceways as they also put on fun events year round.

If all this is a bit too racy, there are a huge number of vintage car shows taking place in the UK this year. There are some excellent ones run in the spectacular grounds of Blenheim Palace. In July there will be a Mini and VW show, as well as a pre 1950s American car show, and in August the Oxfordshire Classic Car Show takes place there. If you are in London in June, you should attend The Bromley Pageant. It is the world’s biggest one day classic car show, with 3,000 exhibitors. There are also several vintage car/air shows over the course of the year, such as the Waddington Airshow (July) and the Little Granden Show (August). Also worth attending is the Classic Motor Show at the NEC, the biggest classic car expo in the UK (mid-November).

There are a few interesting festivals being run at Brands Hatch, such as the Lotus Festival, in August, with lots of races and demonstrations from Lotus racing teams. However, the biggest car festival of the summer is without a doubt The Goodwood Festival of Speed, a three day festival from 28th June-1st July. Managing to attract a huge 181,000 people last year, it is billed as the world’s largest motoring garden party, featuring a moving motor show, forest rally stage and a 1.2 mile hill climb, graced by a whole host of breathtaking automobiles. The Kop Hill Climb, taking place in September, is another hill climbing car meet with a big following.

Last but not least, the National Motor Museum, near Southampton, has some great events lined up, including, The Custom Hot Rod Festival in June. At the festival there will be music stands, demonstrations, camping facilities and a very reasonable entry price.