Guide to the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed: the racing machines, new cars and stars to look out for this year

With the demise of the Geneva motor show, and the British Motor Show a shadow of its former self (were you even aware that there still is one?), the Goodwood Festival of Speed is playing an ever-more important role in the automotive landscape.

Held on the Goodwood Estate, West Sussex, the event (known as FoS, for short) has become the place for car manufacturers to show off their new models to the public, through an array of stands that line the Duke of Richmond’s driveway. Some will be on static display while others will be shown off on that stretch of asphalt, which is turned into a classic hillclimb event over the course of the weekend.

And it’s not just new cars: hugely important classic racing cars and motorbikes, as well as recognisable drivers and machinery from all over the world — flown in especially for the event. The variety of vehicles tackling the famous hill is quite bewildering, on two wheels and four, from the dawn of the car to the latest motor sport competitors and even concept cars that will never be sold to the public.

Whether you’re into classic cars or modern motors, it’s a massive draw for petrolheads the world over, and this year’s event, which runs from July 11 to 14, is set to be another cracker. At least it will be if the weather holds, unlike last year’s cancelled Saturday.

Here’s our rundown of what’s going to be at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The theme

Every year the FoS is themed, with a centrepiece sculpture in front of Goodwood House. This year, the theme is “Horseless to Hybrid – Revolutions in Power”, charting the changes to the industry from the arrival of the horseless carriage to the advent of mainstream electric motoring.

MG is the brand that has nabbed the prestigious central display, celebrating its centenary. The display in front of Goodwood House will chart the Chinese-owned British marque’s history, with an MGB and the new MG Cyberster electric roadster expected to be exhibited side-by-side on a huge, bespoke Gerry Judah-designed sculpture.

Formula 1

With the British Grand Prix taking place the week before the FoS and no race that weekend (Goodwod avoids an F1 clash), the stars will be out in force in Goodwood, with Red Bull and Williams both promising a sizeable presence.

For Red Bull Racing, 2024 marks the end of its second decade in the sport, so the company will bring a number of F1 drivers and cars — past and present — to the south coast. Former racer and 13-times grand prix winner David Coulthard will be driving up the hill, while team boss Christian Horner and long-serving driver Patrick Freisacher will both feature, alongside a “huge selection of F1 cars”.

Williams, meanwhile, will bring drivers Logan Sargeant and Alex Albon to Goodwood, alongside F1 Academy driver Lia Block and Williams team boss James Vowles. All four will drive Keke Rosberg’s championship-winning FW08 on the hill, while Albon and Sargeant will meet fans on Thursday, July 11.

Three-times F1 champion Niki Lauda, who died in 2019 at the age of 70, will also be celebrated at this year’s FoS, 50 years after his maiden F1 victory.

**^{Niki Lauda reunited with the legendary Brabham BT46B ‘Fan Car’, in which he won the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix}**

Rallying

Hidden away at the top of the Goodwood hill is the Forest Rally stage, which celebrates the potted history of rallying, from classic Minis to the Group B monsters, as well as the cars from rallying’s glory days in the late 1990s and early 2000s and the beasts from the modern era.

There’s expected to be a little less focus on this part of the event than last year, when Goodwood celebrated 50 years of the World Rally Championship, but it’s still well worth a trek up there to see the cars drifting between the trees.

Sports car racing

The 2024 FoS will also include tributes to the Shadow and Joest racing teams, the latter of which won its first of 16 Le Mans victories 40 years ago this year. Seven-times Nascar champion Richard Petty will also be in attendance.

Concours

As ever, Goodwood will play host to a “concours of elegance”, which focuses on vehicle style and originality, with numerous classics on display and vying for the top prize.

Celebrities

As well as the big names of Formula One and other motorsport disciplines, from the present days and years gone, many celebrities from other walks of life are expected to be in attendance. Numerous TV stars are regulars at the event, along with other sportspeople, actors and musicians.

Remember to look up

Along with the action on the ground, there will also be some airborne activity to appreciate, with the Red Arrows confirmed for a return on the Thursday and Friday of the show. Other aircraft are also sure to be in attendance

New cars

Along with all the motorsport action on the hill, a selection of new cars will be shown off in Goodwood, from everyday models to some spectacular hypercars.

The highlight surely will be the debut of the Red Bull RB17 hypercar. First announced in 2022, the two-seater will get a V10 engine and a carbon-fibre gearbox, all of which live in a carbon-fibre monocoque. Performance figures are yet to be revealed, but the top speed is expected to be well in excess of 200mph, and the power output is thought to be gargantuan.

But don’t miss the public dynamic debut of the new Porsche 911 GTS; the first look at the new BMW X3 (and another significant reveal from the German manufacturer); 1,000+bhp Hispano Suiza Carmen Sagrera; even more powerful Yangwang U9 Chinese hypercar; the chance to see the new 15 Year Anniversary Edition of the Rimac Nevera; a demo of the awesome new Ford Mustang GTD; something rather special from Jaguar Land Rover; and many more.

Aston Martin

The British brand will have loads of new cars to show off in Goodwood, including the updated DBX707 SUV and recently launched Vantage. Even more thrilling will be a chance to see the extreme Valkyrie hypercar take to the famous hill, while the one-off Victor and the Valour it inspired will also be on show. The main event, however, will be the dynamic debut of the new, track-focused Valiant, driven by the man that helped develop it, the one and only Fernando Alonso.

BMW

While more people may actually buy the all-new X3 SUV that makes it global debut in Goodwood, petrolheads will be more interested in the new plug-in hybrid M5 saloon. The M4 CS will be in action too, as will the BMW M Hybrid V8 racer. Le Mans fans will be keen to see the stunning classic V12 LMR on the hill and there’s a wealth of BMW concept cars to pore over on static display, as well. Like BMW bikes? Then keep an eye out for the sublime R20 concept taking to the track.

Land Rover

Star of Jaguar Land Rover’s presence in Goodwood will be the extreme new Defender Octa, the most powerful Defender yet thanks to a 626bhp twin-turbo V8. Thanks to special suspension borrowed from the Range Rover Sport it’s claimed to be better than any other Defender off-road yet capable of fast road/track driving too. Should be quite the spectacle.

When is the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed?

The 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed takes place from July 11 to 14.

How much are tickets to the Goodwood Festival of Speed?

Ticket prices vary depending on what sort of ticket you purchase, but the cheapest adult ticket — standard admission on the Thursday — comes in at £70. However, kids under 12 get free admission. Friday, Saturday and Sunday all sold out quickly, thanks in part to the cancellation of one day last year due to weather, though you may be able to find a limited number of hospitality packages for all days.

Where is the Goodwood Festival of Speed?

The FoS takes place at the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex, on England’s south coast. The estate is just outside the town of Chichester, around 30 miles west of Brighton and 20 miles east of Portsmouth.

How can I get there?

Chichester is well connected by road and rail, so trains from London can take as little as 40 minutes, while the town is close to the A27 dual carriageway. Parking at the event is free but you will have to park in a field near the house, and queues into and out of the event are substantial at peak times.

If you want to push the boat out, you can visit by air. The estate has its own airfield, which accepts both fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.

When does the show open?

The car parks open from 6.30am each day, with gates opening at 7.00am. However, nothing happens on the hill until 8.30am. At 7.00pm, the event closes. Vehicles cannot be left in the car parks overnight.

How can I watch the Festival of Speed?

ITV has broadcast the Festival of Speed since 1993, and many parts of the show will likely be broadcast again this year. Goodwood also offers a streaming service on its website and YouTube, allowing you to watch live and in real time.