Spring is here, and the 2026 season is shaping up to be one of the best in years. Le Mans Classic returns, the concours circuit is as strong as ever, and for anyone planning to make the most of their car between now and September, there is no shortage of events worth the journey.
For the full year at a glance, our complete 2026 car events calendar covers everything from January to December. What follows is our considered guide to the events that define the season — what makes each one worth attending, and what to bear in mind when planning around them.
[Feature image: Hampton Court Concours of Elegance, by Tom Shaxson]
What are the best car events in spring 2026?
[Image: Goodwood Members’ Meeting, by Matt Alexandar PA Media]
Goodwood Members’ Meeting: 18–19 April
The Members’ Meeting occupies a particular place in the Goodwood calendar that the Festival of Speed and Revival, for all their brilliance, don’t quite replicate. Access is restricted to members and their guests, which keeps the atmosphere closer to what Goodwood must have felt like in its original era — focused, unhurried, and genuinely about the racing. The cars are serious, the circuit is as demanding as ever, and there is none of the festival infrastructure that surrounds the summer events. If you can get in, do.
Salon Privé London: 16–18 April
Now in a well-established rhythm at Royal Hospital Chelsea, Salon Privé London has become one of the most elegant events on the spring calendar. The concours standard has risen consistently and the setting — formal gardens, red-brick architecture, a short walk from Sloane Square — gives it a character that distinguishes it clearly from its Blenheim counterpart later in the year. For London-based clients in particular, this is the spring fixture that rewards a visit. As an addition this year, on Saturday 11 April Salon Privé London brings its one‑day Concours to Sloane Street. Here they will have a collection of 25 classic and modern supercars between Harriet Street and Cadogan Place. The free‑to‑attend exhibition gives Londoners a taste of the Salon Privé London show.
Targa Florio Revival: 25 April–1 May
Less familiar to some than the events above, but arguably more extraordinary in experience. The Targa Florio Revival takes place on the mountain roads of Sicily that hosted the original race, and there is nothing quite like it. Historic machinery, genuine road racing heritage, and an atmosphere that feels entirely removed from the polished world of British concours. Worth building a trip around if a European adventure is on the agenda this spring.
What are the standout concours events of early summer 2026?
[Image: Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, Credit BMW Group Classic]
Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este: 15–17 May
The benchmark. If there is one event in the world that combines the quality of cars, the calibre of judging, and the sheer beauty of its setting in a way that nothing else approaches, it is Villa d’Este. Lake Como in May is extraordinary under any circumstances; with the finest historic and concept cars assembled on the hotel’s terraced grounds, it is something else entirely. For serious collectors and enthusiasts, this remains unmissable — and 2026’s edition promises to be as strong as any in recent memory.
Concours on Savile Row: 20–21 May
A newer fixture that has found its identity quickly. The Savile Row setting lends the event a wit and elegance that is genuinely its own — the juxtaposition of bespoke tailoring and bespoke automobiles is not merely clever marketing, it reflects something real about the clients these cars are made for. The selection is curated with care and the event never feels overcrowded.
The London Concours at the Honourable Artillery Company has grown significantly in both scale and reputation over recent years and now sits confidently among the top tier of British concours events. The combination of exceptional cars, a central London location, and a genuinely relaxed atmosphere makes it accessible in a way that some events are not. Recommended for those who want quality without the logistical demands of a full weekend away.
Heveningham Concours: 27–28 June
Set in the grounds of Heveningham Hall in Suffolk, this is one of the most beautiful concours settings in Britain. It has a quieter, more pastoral atmosphere than the London events and rewards those who make the journey. The quality of entries has improved markedly in recent years and it is increasingly regarded as a serious fixture by collectors.
What motorsport events should enthusiasts prioritise in summer 2026?
[Image: Le Mans Classic]
Monaco needs no defence. The circuit is anachronistic, the spectacle is unmatched, and the week surrounding the race — with its associated events, yacht-side gatherings, and historic machinery — makes it one of the great motoring experiences regardless of your feelings about contemporary Formula 1. Book well in advance.
British Grand Prix, Silverstone: 2–5 July
Silverstone in early July is one of the great British sporting occasions, not merely a motorsport fixture. The supporting programme — which in recent years has included significant historic racing — is as compelling as the Grand Prix itself for many visitors. The atmosphere on race day is exceptional and the circuit’s flat, open landscape gives it an energy that street circuits and more manicured venues cannot replicate. Alongside the racing action there’s several headline music acts performing across the weekend.
Le Mans Classic returns in 2026 and this is, for many enthusiasts, the event of the year. The Circuit de la Sarthe at night, with historic cars from every era of endurance racing running under lights, is one of the most viscerally exciting spectacles in motorsport. The scale is enormous — hundreds of thousands of visitors, camping on the circuit, a carnival atmosphere that lasts the entire weekend — but it never loses sight of the racing, which is genuinely world-class. If you have not been, 2026 is the year.
Goodwood Festival of Speed: 9–12 July
The Festival of Speed requires no introduction but continues to reward it. The hill climb remains the centrepiece — a remarkable variety of cars ascending in front of the house, from pre-war machinery to current Formula 1 cars — but the paddocks, the surrounding parkland, and the density of extraordinary vehicles at every turn make the whole event worth arriving early and staying late for. Accommodation in the area books up months in advance; plan accordingly.
The Mille Miglia is not a spectator event in the conventional sense — it is an experience, whether you are participating or simply positioned on a roadside somewhere in northern Italy watching a thousand miles of automotive history pass by. The route winds through some of the most beautiful landscape in Europe and the cars that qualify for entry represent the finest road-going machinery of their respective eras. One of the genuinely irreplaceable events in the global motoring calendar.
Glorious Goodwood: 28 July–1 August
Goodwood’s racing festival rounds out July in the way only Goodwood can. The flat racing is among the finest in Britain, the dress code is adhered to with genuine enthusiasm, and the cars in the car park — assembled by an audience that tends to arrive in something interesting — are an event in themselves. A civilised, elegant way to close out the summer’s first chapter.
Late summer: the season's final flourish
[Image: Salon Privé Blenheim Palace]
Monterey Car Week, including Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance: 7–16 August
For those with transatlantic plans, Monterey Car Week is the global summit of collector car culture. The Pebble Beach Concours on 16 August is the headline — the judging standards are unmatched and the cars assembled on the 18th fairway represent the finest examples of automotive history anywhere in the world — but the surrounding week, with its auctions, informal gatherings, and sheer concentration of remarkable machinery, justifies the journey independently of the concours itself.
Salon Privé, Blenheim Palace: 2–6 September
The Blenheim edition of Salon Privé is, in many respects, the finest of the autumn concours events. The palace grounds provide a setting of genuine grandeur and the event has consistently raised its ambitions, both in terms of the cars displayed and the overall experience. A natural end-of-summer fixture for those who have been following the season since April.
Concours of Elegance, Hampton Court: 4–6 September
Hampton Court Palace is one of the most striking concours settings in Britain, and the Concours of Elegance has earned its place as one of the most prestigious events of its kind. The selection process is rigorous — typically around sixty of the rarest cars in the world — and the standard of presentation is exceptional throughout. Alongside Villa d’Este and Pebble Beach, this is one of the three concours events that serious collectors arrange their calendars around.
Goodwood Revival: 18–20 September
The Revival closes the season and does so magnificently. Fully period-correct from the cars to the clothes to the paddock atmosphere, it is the most complete recreation of motor racing’s golden age that exists anywhere in the world. Whether you attend as a spectator or in period dress — and many do both — it is an event that rewards complete commitment. If the Festival of Speed is Goodwood at its most expansive, the Revival is Goodwood at its most itself.
Planning around the automotive season
Several of the events above — particularly Le Mans Classic, Mille Miglia, Monterey, and the European concours circuit — benefit significantly from early planning, both in terms of accommodation and vehicle logistics. For those wishing to attend with their own car, Windrush can arrange professional transport to events across the UK and Europe, ensuring the car arrives in the condition it left and is ready when you need it.
If you’re building your season around any of these events and would like to discuss preparation, logistics, or simply talk through the calendar, the team is always available.
Contact Windrush to start planning your 2026 season.
