The Goodwood Festival of Speed 2026 takes place at Goodwood House, West Sussex, from Thursday 9 to Sunday 12 July. For collectors and enthusiasts, it remains one of the highlights of the motoring summer: four days of hillclimb runs, new car launches, historic machinery, concours cars and paddock access.
For Windrush clients, it is also the kind of occasion that makes proper preparation worthwhile. Whether a car is being driven to the event, displayed, collected from storage or delivered ahead of the weekend, Goodwood is best enjoyed when the car is clean, checked, charged and ready.
This guide covers what to expect at this year’s event, the key highlights and confirmed appearances.
What is the Goodwood Festival of Speed?
[Image: The famous Hillclimb. Credit: Rob Cooper, Goodwood]
Held on the grounds of Goodwood House in Chichester, West Sussex, the Festival of Speed is one of the world’s most celebrated motoring events. It draws together racing legends, manufacturer unveilings, heritage machinery, and tens of thousands of enthusiasts across a long July weekend.
The centrepiece is the famous Hillclimb – a 1.16-mile course up the driveway of Goodwood House, which cars and motorcycles from virtually every era of motorsport tackle across the four days. It is the only place you are likely to see a pre-war Grand Prix car, a current Formula 1 machine, and a prototype electric hypercar climb the same stretch of tarmac within hours of each other.
Beyond the Hillclimb, the Festival has grown into a full event in its own right: new car launches, manufacturer stands, the Cartier Style et Luxe concours lawn, the Supercar Paddock, the FOS Fan Zone, and the Cathedral Paddock, which each year takes on a dedicated theme.
Goodwood Festival of Speed 2026: Dates and Theme
[Image credit: PA Media]
Dates: 9-12 July 2026 Theme: The Rivals – Epic Racing Duels Central Feature marque: Singer Vehicle Design
The 2026 theme celebrates motorsport’s greatest rivalries — the battles between drivers, teams, and machines that have defined the history of racing. From Hunt versus Lauda in 1976 to Senna versus Prost, from Ducati versus Honda in World Superbikes to the muscle car wars of American racing, the Festival’s Hillclimb and paddocks will be curated around these stories throughout the weekend.
Singer Vehicle Design, the Californian marque celebrated for its meticulous reimaginings of the Porsche 911, takes the Central Feature slot – a tribute to nearly two decades of obsessive craftsmanship. Singer’s presence extends across the event, with a dedicated display unveiled on Thursday morning.
A note on tickets: At the time of writing, only Thursday admission remains available, with access to sold-out days available through selected hospitality experiences. Check the official Goodwood website before making arrangements, as availability can change quickly.
2026 Highlights: What to Look Out For
[Image: F1 at Goodwood Festival of Speed. Credit: Rob Cooper, Goodwood]
Formula 1
Formula 1 has another major presence in 2026. McLaren celebrates Lando Norris’s World Championship in style, with Norris himself appearing on the Goodwood House balcony on Saturday and taking to the Hill in the McLaren MCL60. The team is also marking fifty years since James Hunt’s 1976 title, with the iconic M23 confirmed on the Hill.
Williams honours the thirtieth anniversary of Damon Hill’s championship by returning the FW18 to Goodwood, with Hill expected to drive it himself. Mercedes brings its biggest-ever Festival presence, including a fan pit-stop experience using the W09 – the 2018 championship-winning car.
The Americana Celebration
Timed to coincide with the 250th anniversary of American independence, the Cathedral Paddock becomes a showcase for American motorsport history. Up to fifty cars and motorcycles from IndyCar, NASCAR, Can-Am, Trans-Am, IMSA, and Formula 1 are expected. Confirmed machinery includes the Scarab F1, Lola Haas THL1B, McLaren M8F, Shadow DN4, and Shelby Cobra Daytona. The three Ford GT Mk IIs from Ford’s legendary 1-2-3 finish at Le Mans in 1966 will appear together and run on the Hill.
Ducati at 100
Ducati marks its centenary with a major presence across the weekend. Casey Stoner, Carl Fogarty, Álvaro Bautista, and Nicolò Bulega are among the names expected to appear on the Goodwood House balcony on Thursday.
New Car Debuts
The Festival remains one of the automotive industry’s most important global stages for new model reveals. Confirmed 2026 highlights include:
- Alpine will show the next-generation A110 development mule, giving visitors an early public look at the future of the model before the full production car arrives.
- Bentley Continental Supersports – the most aggressive Bentley in decades, rear-wheel drive and hybrid-free, makes its UK debut on the Hillclimb.
- BMW Vision M Concept – previewing a next-generation M3 with quad-motor electric powertrain; the M3 Touring Nürburgring 24-hour racer also attends.
- BYD Group brings the largest manufacturer stand in Festival of Speed history, incorporating Denza’s UK launch (B5, D9, Z9GT) and the Yangwang U9 Xtreme electric hypercar.
- Toyota will bring the GR GT and GR GT3 prototypes, with both making their first uncamouflaged dynamic appearances outside Asia.
Cartier Style et Luxe
The concours lawn brings together a carefully curated selection of vehicles across seven classes, judged on design, rarity and presentation. For those whose cars spend more time being admired than driven hard, this is often the most absorbing part of the weekend.
How Windrush Prepares Cars for Goodwood
Whether clients are driving to the event, displaying a car, or collecting one from storage ahead of the weekend, the preparation we carry out before Goodwood follows the same approach as every other collection or outing – thorough, unhurried, and checked twice. For clients requiring enclosed car transport to the Goodwood estate, or collection from our London or Cotswolds facilities ahead of the weekend, our car concierge service handles every detail around their schedule.
Why Goodwood Matters to the Collector Car World
The Festival of Speed has become something more than an annual event. Over three decades, it has shaped the way manufacturers communicate with enthusiasts, the way collectors think about their cars, and the way the broader public engages with motorsport history.
For anyone who stores a significant vehicle – whether a modern supercar, a classic, or a collector-grade road car – Goodwood weekend is often the moment when a car moves from resting to being used. It is the kind of occasion that makes proper preparation worthwhile: arriving at an event of this quality in a car that has been properly cared for is a very different experience from one that has not.
It is also, for many of our clients, an opportunity to see the machines alongside which their own cars sit in history – the rivals, the legends, and the machinery that defined the decades their cars came from.
FAQ
When is the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2026? The Festival of Speed 2026 takes place from Thursday 9 July to Sunday 12 July at Goodwood House, Chichester, West Sussex.
What is the theme of the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2026? The 2026 theme is The Rivals – Epic Racing Duels, celebrating motorsport’s great rivalries across Formula 1, motorcycles, rallying, and endurance racing.
Are tickets still available for Goodwood Festival of Speed 2026? At the time of writing, only Thursday admission remains available. Access to sold-out days is possible through selected hospitality experiences. Check the official Goodwood website for current availability, as this can change quickly.
Who is the Central Feature marque at Festival of Speed 2026? Singer Vehicle Design – the Californian company renowned for its reimagined Porsche 911s – is the 2026 Central Feature marque.
Can Windrush prepare my car for the Goodwood Festival of Speed? Yes. We handle full pre-event preparation for our clients attending Goodwood, including bodywork checks, pre-event vehicle checks, interior detailing, and collection or enclosed car transport if required. Contact us to arrange a bespoke service around your plans.
How should I prepare a car for a motoring event like Goodwood? A car heading to an event should be thoroughly cleaned inside and out, tyres set to the correct road pressure, fluid levels checked, battery condition confirmed – particularly for cars that have been in storage – and all documentation verified. For cars in professional storage, this preparation is carried out as standard before every collection.
Does Windrush offer car storage near Goodwood? Windrush operates car storage facilities in west London and the Cotswolds. Both locations are well placed for clients attending events in the south of England, including Goodwood. Our concierge team can arrange collection, preparation and delivery ahead of the Festival of Speed.
