The best car shows and events to see this summer
There are plenty of motoring meets, events and shows across the UK this summer – here's a taste
If recent weather is anything to go by, we're in for a scorcher this summer. We can't think of a much better way to enjoy it than to get out in your favourite car and make some memories.
Welcome to our guide to the best car-related events and places to see while the sun's shining, running from the end of May all the way through to October.
*Mollie's drive-in diner*
*WHERE *Bristol and Oxfordshire
*WHEN *30 May to 22 August
*WHY *Classic films and fun food at sensible prices
Mollie's is a drive-in cinema and diner showing beloved flicks such as Back to the Future, Mrs Doubtfire and Jurassic Park.
Tickets are £55, giving entry for one car with two people, plus a meal. Extra passengers cost £20 each.
There’s also an on-site motel for making a weekend of it.
https://mollies.com/
*Goodwood Breakfast Club*
*WHERE *Goodwood Motor Circuit, Chichester
*WHEN *2 June, 4 August
*WHY *Tickets are free; plenty of family-friendly activities
Take the ‘cars and coffee’ formula, amplify its scale 10 times over and what do you get? The Goodwood Breakfast Club.
Each running is themed – supercars in June, classics in August – but anything and anyone can attend. There is plenty to do, too, from getting a full English to a lift in your dream car, or even a tractor-trailer ride for the kids.
https://www.goodwood.com/motorsport/breakfast-club/
*Gaydon Gathering*
*WHERE *British Motor Museum, Warwickshire
*WHEN *Once montly, 11 June to 8 October
*WHY *Community feel
Every second Tuesday of each month, the British Motor Museum hosts a free coming together for local car nuts – and those from farther afield. It has a friendly atmosphere so there’s no need to worry about going alone, and there’s plenty of food and drink to fill up on.
The museum itself is shut, but a car from its collection will be driven around the grounds at each gathering.
https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on
*Super Touring Power 2*
*WHERE *Brands Hatch, Kent
*WHEN *29-30 June
*WHY *Transport yourself back to the BTCC's golden age
The Super Touring era gave us some of the most memorable motorsport moments of all time. Gabriele Tarquini’s dramatic barrel roll, John Cleland ‘going for first’, Volvo’s 290bhp fridge on wheels, the list goes on.
Super Touring Power is your time machine back to those heady days, featuring proper battles in racing machinery dating from the ’60s through to the early noughties. Don’t miss it.
https://www.brandshatch.co.uk/2024/june/super-touring-power-2
*Classic Nostalgia*
*WHERE *Shelsley Walsh hillclimb, Worcestershire
*WHEN *20-21 July
*WHY *Great access to historic racers plus a vintage fashion fest
A celebration of all things motorsport, with everything from old F1 cars to Group B rally weapons roaring up Shelsley Walsh.
There’s something for everyone to enjoy, too, including a vintage fashion contest.
https://www.classicnostalgia.co.uk/
*Festival of the Unexceptional*
*WHERE *Grimsthorpe Castle, Lincolnshire
*WHEN *27 July
*WHY *Unpretentious celebration of some of the rarest metal out there
Multimillion-pound classic car shows are all well and good, but what about the everyday heroes? The Festival of the Unexceptional is all about celebrating the mundane motors that once lined our streets, only to disappear eventually without a trace.
It’s a spectacle well worth seeing, not least to revel in the nostalgic glow of cars your parents might have owned when you were a nipper.
https://www.hagerty.co.uk/official-events/hagerty-festival-of-the-unexceptional/
*Rollhard*
*WHERE* Bicester Heritage, Oxfordshire
*WHEN *4 August
*WHY *Wide selection of creatively, extensively modified machinery
A different take on a modded car show, with a curated selection of some of the country’s most tastefully fettled cars on display. It’s open to all makes and styles, so there will be lots to see.
https://www.rollhard.co.uk/
*Retro Rides Gathering*
*WHERE* Mallory Park, Leicestershire
*WHEN* 10-11 August
*WHY *Quirky pre-2000 cars, fun atmosphere and on-track action
If Rollhard doesn’t whet your appetite for modern classics, the Retro Rides Gathering is worth a look. It adds track action to the mix (on 10 August), as well as free VIP parking for cars from before 2000.
https://retroridesevents.com/gathering/
*Rali Ceredigion*
*WHERE* Ceredigion, Wales
*WHEN* 30 August to 1 September
*WHY* Rising stars duke it out on Britain’s toughest lanes
International rallying returns to Wales for the first time since the Covid pandemic.
Sure, it’s the European Rally Championship rather than the WRC, but the competition is no less hot. It’s also your chance to spot some of the sport’s future talent in action.
https://www.raliceredigion.co.uk/
*BTCC*
*WHERE* Silverstone, Northamptonshire
*WHEN* 21-22 September
*WHY* Tremendous racing at one of the world’s most storied venues
Silverstone is a fantastic place, but let’s face it: the British Grand Prix hasn’t produced a properly dramatic race for yonks. Instead, consider the British Touring Car Championship, which visits the circuit for its penultimate round. That raises the stakes – and the likelihood of a scrap – to boiling point.
*The best of the rest*
*Ace Cafe – London, all year*
Historic biker cafe in north London hosts a different event almost every day, so you’re bound to find something you enjoy.
*Goodwood Festival of Speed – Chichester, 11-14 July*
Annual motoring extravaganza this year celebrates MG’s centenary.
*Hampton Court Concours of Elegance: London, 30 August to 1 September*
Expect beautiful machines in even prettier scenery, plus an auction with Euromillion-level bids.
*F1 Arcade – London and Birmingham, all year*
Casual night out with food, a bar and full-motion racing simulators.
*Bicester Heritage October Scramble – Oxfordshire, 6 October*
See out the summer with one final meet-up at the fantastic Bicester Heritage site.