After 14 years at Laverstoke Park Farm, CarFest 2026 finally found a venue that seemed capable of matching its ambitions. For the August Bank Holiday weekend, the festival moved to the iconic Silverstone Circuit, promising more space, more cars, more entertainment — and the same family-friendly atmosphere and charitable spirit that has made CarFest so popular.
On paper, it was an exciting new chapter. In reality, it was a weekend of spectacular highs, frustrating lows and, ultimately, a significant learning experience for the organisers.
A petrolhead’s paradise
For car enthusiasts, Silverstone was always going to be the star attraction. The new location allowed CarFest to make far greater use of the circuit itself, with track demonstrations, grid walks and the opportunity to experience the famous starting grid.
The 2026 grid walks brought together modern and historic F1 cars, British GT and BTCC machinery, supercars, hypercars and what CarFest described as the largest collection of NASCARs ever assembled on track in the UK. Seeing such a diverse collection of machinery at Silverstone made the event feel far more special than a conventional static car show.
One of the highlights was the drift show, with two shows each day the Drift Zone came alive with the roar of highly tuned engines and plenty of tyre abuse. CarFest has long been supported by some of the UK’s finest drifters, and this year CarFest has upped the ante with a very impressive show.
The Supercar Driver display was another highlight, with a selection of rare and desirable supercars and hypercars parading around the circuit before heading into the paddock. It offered visitors an unusually close look at cars normally reserved for exclusive events.
For fans of old-school performance, Sporting Bears delivered Dream Rides in some spectacular machinery, including the Shelby Cobra Daytona and Lamborghini Diablo. Being able to experience a lap of Silverstone in an exotic or classic car is precisely the sort of experience that makes CarFest more than a show — it makes it memorable.
There was plenty of modern motoring too. Nissan showcased its new electric Leaf and Micra alongside Qashqai and X-Trail e-POWER models, while Renault brought the Renault 5 E-Tech electric, Renault 4 E-Tech electric and new Twingo E-Tech electric.
The Hot Wheels Legends Tour also held its UK final at CarFest, adding a wonderfully outrageous dose of car-building creativity to the mix.
Music, memories and plenty of star power
The music programme was equally ambitious.
Friday’s headline act was Jessie J, with Sophie Ellis-Bextor bringing her trademark disco-pop energy to the main stage. Gok Wan and the George Michael Singers helped get the festival off to an upbeat start.
Saturday belonged to Tom Jones, supported by the Sugababes and James Morrison. But for me, the standout performance was Rick Parfitt Jnr. Quite why Rick wasn’t a headline act is beyond me — the crowd was completely immersed in his performance, energy and stage presence.
Sunday delivered perhaps the strongest nostalgia and singalong combination of the weekend. Nile Rodgers & CHIC brought the disco classics, while Rick Astley, Gabrielle and The Proclaimers supplied a seemingly endless stream of instantly recognisable hits.
The breadth of the line-up was one of CarFest’s strengths. Parents could enjoy artists they had grown up with, while younger festival-goers had plenty of modern pop and dance entertainment. DJs and emerging performers also appeared across the site, ensuring the music extended well beyond the main stage.
The celebrity factor
CarFest has always been about more than cars and music, and Silverstone was packed with familiar faces.
Richard Hammond was an obvious draw for motoring fans, with his Talking Motors session offering behind-the-scenes stories from Top Gear and The Grand Tour.
The programme also featured an impressively varied collection of speakers and entertainers, including Susie Dent, Maisie Adam, Harriet Kemsley and Jimmy Carr.
Television and food fans were equally well catered for, with names including Dame Prue Leith, Tom Kerridge, Lee Mack, Rob Brydon, Ben Miller, George Clarke, Joe Wicks, Lisa Goodwin-Allen and Dr Rangan Chatterjee.
The automotive programme was particularly strong, with Mat Watson of Carwow, motoring broadcaster Neil Cole and presenter and motorsport expert Torie Campbell adding plenty of knowledge and personality to the sessions.
One of CarFest’s biggest strengths is that it doesn’t feel like a car show with a few musicians bolted on.
Despite the move to a much larger motorsport venue, the family element remained central. Children had plenty to do, food and entertainment were everywhere, and it was possible to move from a supercar display to a celebrity talk, catch some live music and then return to the cars.
And importantly, the fundraising purpose remained at the heart of the festival.
Created by Chris Evans to raise money for children’s charities, CarFest says 10% of every ticket price, together with its fundraising initiatives and profits, goes to its charity partners. Since launching in 2012, the festival says it has raised more than £25 million.
However, the move to Silverstone was not without its problems — and some were significant.
It would have been unrealistic to expect the first event at a completely new venue to run perfectly. Teething issues were inevitable. But the scale and layout of Silverstone created challenges that went beyond the occasional first-year hiccup.
The biggest issue was simply getting around.
Silverstone is an impressive motorsport venue, but an excellent circuit does not automatically make an excellent festival site. Several visitors complained about poor signage, both to the car parks and around the festival itself. One described the experience simply as “underwhelming”, while another said the site was “too spread out”, taking 40 minutes just to meet someone elsewhere.
For a family festival, that’s more than an inconvenience.
The distances were particularly difficult for visitors with mobility issues, young children and those camping on site. One regular CarFest visitor summed it up perfectly: “Bigger is not always better if you can’t access it.” They ultimately left early because of the distances and difficult ground conditions.
For some campers, the journey between the campsite and main entrance reportedly took 45 minutes each way.
Perhaps the most concerning criticism involved accessibility.
One attendee reported spending an hour trying to find the accessible campsite because stewards could not provide clear directions. They also experienced difficulties locating accessible buggies and received conflicting information about wristbands.
These aren’t minor frustrations. For someone with accessibility requirements, they can fundamentally change — and potentially ruin — the experience.
That’s particularly disappointing for a festival that has always placed family, inclusion and a welcoming atmosphere at the centre of its identity.
Communication was another recurring concern.
Several visitors felt that stewards and staff simply didn’t have enough information to answer basic questions. One attendee described the event as “so badly organised, a shamble, felt unsafe” after access across the circuit was unexpectedly closed and information staff were unable to explain what was happening.
Navigation was another obvious weakness. Visitors complained that the festival maps didn’t always make it clear where they were, while others felt a dedicated app was badly needed.
These issues all point towards the same underlying problem: the scale of CarFest had increased dramatically, but the infrastructure and communication systems needed to support that scale hadn’t quite caught up.
CarFest 2026 at Silverstone was certainly not a failure.
In many respects, it was spectacular. The cars, circuit action, music, celebrity line-up and family entertainment created a festival with enormous potential. Silverstone gave CarFest a platform capable of delivering experiences that simply weren’t possible at its previous home.
But potential isn’t the same as execution.
The first Silverstone event exposed significant weaknesses in organisation, signage, communication, accessibility and site planning. For some visitors, particularly those with mobility challenges or young families, the sheer scale of the venue became a barrier rather than a benefit.
CarFest promised “bigger stage, same soul.”
The bigger stage is unquestionably there.
The challenge for 2027 and beyond is proving that the organisers can deliver the same soul — while making sure visitors don’t have to walk miles to find it.
The RacerViews info
By Matt Hancock
We are passionate, dedicated motorsport professionals.
In 2026 you will see us trackside and stageside with exclusive coverage of
- The World Endurance Championship
- The World Rally Championship
- Belgian Rally Championship
- British GT
- British Rallycross
- and more!
We aim to bring you interviews and photos you won’t see anywhere else. We don’t aim to break the news, rather we aim to bring the voices of the racers to you and the atmosphere of the event to you at home. Our social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube bring you more, a holistic experience. We partner with racers and professionals in the industry and give back where we can. If we can help you or you have a story to share, please contact us.
