How To Do Goodwood Festival Of Speed In Style
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4 days ago
Here's why this annual event deserves a place in your 2026 social calendar
Every summer, Sussex’s country estate Goodwood comes alive with the sound of roaring engines and cork popping for the Festival of Speed. Revolving around a hay bale-lined hill climb in which hundreds of the world’s most exciting vehicles showcase their performance and presence, the festival has been a firm highlight of the British summer social calendar since its launch in 1993, attracting approximately 200,000 visitors each year.
Whether you’re a motor enthusiast or just here for the hospitality (no judgement), Goodwood’s Festival of Speed is not to be missed. Here’s why.
Goodwood Festival Of Speed 2026: A Guide
Hillclimb action at the 2021 Festival of Speed. Photographed by Dominic James.
What Is It?
Goodwood Festival of Speed is an annual event celebrating all things automotive and motorsport, blending modern and retro racecars for a day packed with action for petrol heads and car enthusiasts, all held at the historic Goodwood Estate in West Sussex. Aside from racecars, visitors can expect air displays, motorbikes, rally cars, concept cars, exhibits, displays, shopping opportunities and more.
This year’s theme is ‘The Rivals – Epic Racing Duels’, celebrating legendary motorsport battles and iconic racing duels. The 2026 event pays tribute to Damon Hill’s 30th anniversary of his F1 World Championship victory (he’ll reunite with his Williams FW18), honours 100 years of Ducati, and features a spectacular Monster Moment with Lando Norris and MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi. An Americana Celebration will also take over the grounds, showcasing the finest of American automotive culture and motorsport heritage.
The highlight of the Festival every year is the famous Hillclimb, where vehicles race against the clock up a 1.16 mile course winding across the estate. Plenty of famous drivers past and present make the journey to Goodwood just for this.
But there’s always more going on than motorsport, and the 2026 Festival will showcase some of the world’s most exciting automotive debuts and celebrations. Highlights include: Rolls-Royce’s Phantom Regatta; Bentley’s largest presence at the event to date; Praga’s Bohema; the production-ready McMurtry Spéirling Pure; the latest models from the JLR family (Jaguar, Defender and Range Rover); Mini’s dynamic Hill debut; BMW’s celebration of 40 years of the M3; Honda’s vehicles and bikes (plus F1 title winners); Subaru’s new E-Outback; and Cupra’s two new model unveilings. Singer will headline the Central Feature with its world-famous reimagined sportscars displayed on a monumental Gerry Judah sculpture.
Drivers and cars aside, the festival’s food and drink scene is just as enticing with quirky street food stations and pop-up restaurants ideal for refuelling, from Porsche Café Le Mans to Lamborghini Ristorante 1963. Champagne is a must – and you’ll find plenty of it, with numerous Veuve Cliquot (the festival’s official Champagne partner) stands dotted across the estate. There’s also a number of hospitality packages available to those who wish to do the festival in superior style, ensuring outstanding trackside views, bottomless bubbles and more.
Find out more about the food and drink scene here.
Former IndyCar racing driver Sam Schmidt and Lando Norris. Photographed by Jon Nicholson.
Who Attends?
Anyone and everyone is welcome to attend Goodwood Festival of Speed – with a ticket of course. Most attendees are avid motorsport fans (even serious collectors), but you’ll find lots of casual enthusiasts, families and social season devotees among the crowds.
The most illustrious side of the Festival of Speed? The celebrities it attracts, both from the motorsport industry and elsewhere. Previous attendees include Tom Cruise, Renée Zellweger, Bryan Ferry, Simon le Bon, David Beckham, Chris Hoy and Jodie Kidd.
But the buzziest side of the guestlist has to be the industry legends: F1 drivers, champions and team principles past and present (more on that below), rally drivers, motorbike icons and more; all draw fans to the Festival of Speed in droves. Current F1 World Champion Lando Norris will star in a spectacular Monster Moment alongside MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi. Damon Hill returns to reunite with his legendary Williams FW18 championship-winning car for a series of runs up the Hill and a Balcony moment at Goodwood House, marking 30 years since his triumphant 1996 season. Meanwhile, Sir Lewis Hamilton’s Mission 44 charity has partnered as the official charity partner for 2026, working to empower young people in STEM and motorsport careers.
Elsewhere, car designers and engineers as well as marque CEOs and executives attend to showcase their cutting edge design and technology.
Genesis at Goodwood Festival of Speed
Where & When?
Goodwood Festival of Speed returns to the Goodwood Estate from Thursday 9 to Sunday 12 July 2026. Plan your day by taking a look at the event map online. Tickets start from £78pp for a day pass.
If one day isn’t enough, there’s always The Goodwood Hotel. Located within the estate, the luxury establishment offers top-tier accommodation – featuring a gym, pool, and ‘field to fork’ dining – surrounded by all of the action. No taxis necessary – unless you don’t want muck on your shoes, of course. But if you don’t mind mucking in, camping is also an option, with all of the Goodwood Hotel’s amenities included in your stay; find out more here.
How To Get There
The Goodwood Estate (Chichester PO18 0PY) is located just to the north of the West Sussex cathedral city of Chichester, nestled in the South Downs. To get there from London by car, follow the A3 (Junction 10 on the M25) south towards Guildford. About 3 miles past Guildford, at the Milford turning, take the A283 to Petworth, then the A285 to Chichester for about 6 miles.
By train, there is a regular service from London Victoria to Chichester (1hour 40 minutes), plus the coastal service from Brighton and Portsmouth. Buses or taxis are available at Chichester Station.
