Seven great automotive events to visit this summer, from F1 to art and champagne

If you’re a petrolhead in the UK, you’re well catered for during the summer months. The weather might not always play ball but the country’s love of cars is such that there’s some kind of automotive event happening seemingly every weekend. Whether that’s a car club meet at a countryside pub, a minor car show at a village fete or a full-blown race meeting at one of the UK’s legendary circuits, there’s something for everyone.

We’re very lucky to have such an array of events to slake your thirst for all things four-wheeled and to have them spread around the nation.

Here, we’ve run down seven of our favourite motoring-related events taking place this summer to give you some inspiration, and let you know which national events you should prioritise and what’s worth the journey. They won’t all be to everyone’s taste but it’s a cross section of what’s out there.

Donington Historic Festival

UK motoring events and festivals calendar 2019

May 2-4, 2025
Donington Park Circuit, Leicestershire

A packed three-day festival of classic car racing, the Donington Historic Festival provides almost non-stop on-track action, with races throughout every day. Starting at 9am, the festival sees various competitions take place one after the other, with Friday largely dominated by qualifying sessions, while Saturday and Sunday feature more races and demonstrations.

A total of 17 different races will take place, punctuated by demonstration runs of old Formula One cars and sports cars, plus pit lane walks and flypasts by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. The Sporting Bears charity will offer supercar rides, too, and there are simulator experiences for children, as well as shopping opportunities.

London Concours

June 3-5, 2025
Honourable Artillery Company, London

Described by the organisers as the capital’s “leading automotive summer garden party”, the London Concours celebrates some of the rarest, most beautiful and luxurious cars in the world. Numerous supercars, racing cars and classic vehicles will be on display in the grounds of the Honourable Artillery Company, and each will be judged by a panel to find winners in multiple categories, including classes for V8 Ferraris and Fast Fords.

Alongside the vehicles, the London Concours also promises gourmet food and luxury brands in attendance, with a VIP enclosure and numerous “retail chalets” for high-end watch brands, clothing manufacturers and jewellery makers. The event may not be especially “of the people” but it will allow visitors to get up close and personal with some of the most glorious classic and sports cars in the UK.

British Grand Prix

July 3-6, 2025
Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire

One of the sporting highlights of the year, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone is one of those events any motorsport fanatic must attend at some point. One of the “classic” Formula One events, the racing rarely disappoints and the British fans make sure this first-rate racetrack in the Northamptonshire countryside is an awesome experience for all three days.

As well as the race, which takes place on Sunday, July 6, there are two practice sessions on Friday, July 4, and another practice session followed by a qualifying session on Saturday, July 5. Interspersed between these F1 sessions are support races from other race series, and a number of features and attractions to keep spectators entertained. There are even entertainments in the evenings for those camping on site or staying nearby.

MotoArto

July 3-6, 2025
The Bike Shed, Shoreditch, London

If the British Grand Prix isn’t your cup of tea and you prefer the more artistic side of cars, Shoreditch’s MotoArto is a slightly different kind of automotive event. Celebrating art and “outlaw” modified cars and motorcycles, it claims to be here to “challenge outdated notions of car-inspired art.”

Alongside numerous exhibits, some of which will be for sale, the event will also include live painting of a vehicle and reveals of new “restomod” products from brands including MG specialist Frontline, restoration specialist Thornley Kelham and motorcycle business Renard.

The three-day event will also allow visitors access to various automotive-inspired installations, including sculptures, moving imagery and wall art.

Goodwood Festival of Speed

July 10-13, 2025
Goodwood Estate, West Sussex

Described by the organisers as motorsport’s ultimate summer garden party, the Festival of Speed is a three-day extravaganza held on the Duke of Richmond’s estate near Chichester, West Sussex. Centred on the Goodwood estate’s driveway, which doubles as a classic hillclimb for the event, road and race cars alike will be dashing up the 1.16-mile course on all four days, surrounded by motorshow-style manufacturer stands and numerous events and attractions.

In 2025, the Festival of Speed will honour the 75th anniversary of Formula One, so drivers past and present are expected to grace the event. But road cars will play a starring role, too, and you can expect to see some of the latest new models both on static display around the estate and on the move on the hill.

Salon Privé

July 27-30, 2025
Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire

Showcasing everything from vintage vehicles to box-fresh supercars, Salon Privé usually hosts one or two new car reveals, as well as displaying plenty of classic and sports cars. Held against the backdrop of Oxfordshire’s Blenheim Palace, the event is marketed as Britain’s premier classic car event, merging the automotive attractions with hospitality and a retail village for high luxury brands.

We don’t yet know which — if any — new cars will be unveiled at this year’s Salon Privé, but we do know there will be a concours judging, where the cars in attendance are rated for their beauty, originality, rarity and condition, while the event will be supplemented by the MotorAvia event, combining beautiful cars with a collection of aeroplanes and helicopters.

CarFest

August 22-24, 2025
Laverstoke Park Farm, Hampshire

Started by radio DJ, TV presenter and former Top Gear host Chris Evans, CarFest is a three-day extravaganza loosely based around cars but encompassing everything from food to music and literature to wellness, with a big focus on fun for all the family.

Held at F1 legend Jody Scheckter’s Laverstoke Park Farm, near Overton, Hampshire, the event aims to raise money for various charities, including BBC Children In Need and the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Manufacturers and car clubs alike will be displaying vehicles at the event, while there will be track action and a paddock area in which you can get up close and personal with the vehicles. Some test drives will also be offered, allowing visitors to get behind the wheel of new models, and the Sporting Bears charity will be offering supercar rides.