AD – Press Trip: We are attending CarFest 2026 as invited press. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
CarFest has been on our family festival wishlist for years, but somehow we’ve never made it there. That’s about to change because this August Bank Holiday weekend, CarFest is moving to Silverstone for the very first time – and we’ll be there to experience it.
When I first thought there was a possibility we might be going, I deliberately didn’t tell the kids. I knew how much they’d want to go and didn’t want to get their hopes up only to disappoint them if it didn’t happen. When I could finally tell them we were definitely going, there were squeals of excitement all round – which probably tells you everything you need to know about how much they’re looking forward to it!
For us, the move couldn’t have come at a better time. Silverstone is much closer to home than CarFest’s previous location at Laverstoke Park Farm in Hampshire and, as a family of car and Formula 1 fans, the Home of British Motorsport feels like the perfect setting for a festival with cars at its heart.
The five of us will be heading there for the weekend and camping too. Given the current weather forecast, I may regret that last part – wish us luck!
Here’s what families can expect from the first CarFest at Silverstone, and what we’re particularly excited to see.
When and Where Is CarFest 2026?
CarFest 2026 takes place at Silverstone Circuit from Friday 28 to Sunday 30 August 2026, over the August Bank Holiday weekend.
This is a major change for the festival. CarFest was founded by Chris Evans in 2012 and spent 14 years at Laverstoke Park Farm in Hampshire before making Silverstone its new home for 2026.
The idea isn’t to reinvent CarFest completely. Music, cars, food, family entertainment and fundraising remain at its heart, but Silverstone gives the organisers more space and, perhaps most excitingly for us, the opportunity to make much more of the motoring side of the festival.
Why We’re Excited About CarFest Moving to Silverstone
Cars have actually been part of our family story since long before we had children. Simon and I originally met while we were both working for BMW motor dealers and later both went on to work for Volkswagen, so I suppose it’s hardly surprising that we ended up becoming a very car-loving family!
These days we’re big Formula 1 fans; we’ve visited Silverstone many times and regularly go to the Silverstone Museum, so it’s somewhere the children already know and love.
That’s one reason the move to Silverstone feels like such a good fit for us. Holding CarFest at the Home of British Motorsport makes complete sense for a festival with cars at its heart, and watching different cars take to the track is one of the things we’re most looking forward to.
CarFest says there will be more than 1,000 cars on site, ranging from iconic Formula 1 cars and supercars to some rather more unusual vehicles, alongside drag, drift and track shows.
We’d already spotted some of the drifting action being teased on social media and, as Fast & Furious fans, that immediately got our attention. I expect the cars to be one of the weekend’s highlights for all five of us.
The CarFest 2026 Music Line-Up
The cars might have caught our attention at first, but the music line-up is another big reason we’re excited.
We’re particularly looking forward to seeing Sophie Ellis-Bextor again. We saw her at Wychwood Festival earlier this year, and she was so much fun live that we’re delighted to have another chance to see her.
Then there’s Jessie J, James Morrison and – I still can’t quite believe I’m writing this – THE Tom Jones.
One of the things I love about family festivals is when the music genuinely appeals to different generations rather than feeling as though the adults or children are simply tagging along. CarFest looks like it could tick that box rather nicely.
More Than Cars and Music
Despite the name, CarFest has grown into much more than a motoring festival.
The 2026 event is divided into different festival areas, including KidsFest, FoodFest, SpaFest, StarFest and RetroFest, alongside the Main Stage and the huge Cars at CarFest programme.
KidsFest
KidsFest promises live shows, creative activities and hands-on experiences throughout the weekend.
One particularly special addition for Silverstone is the KidsFest Cycle Dash on Saturday, when a small group of children will have the opportunity to cycle along Silverstone’s Hamilton Straight alongside six-time Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy.
I’m not sure we’ll manage to experience everything on offer – in fact, I’m fairly certain we won’t – but that’s one of the things I’m looking forward to discovering once we arrive.
FoodFest
FoodFest brings together chefs, demonstrations, tastings and food experiences. The programme includes familiar names such as Candice Brown, Rosemary Shrager and Phil Vickery, alongside plenty of family-focused cooking inspiration.
Obviously, we’ll also be investigating the festival food itself. Purely in the interests of research, you understand!
StarFest, SpaFest and RetroFest
StarFest offers celebrity talks, interviews, and behind-the-scenes sessions, while SpaFest provides a place to escape some of the festival madness with wellbeing and relaxation content.
RetroFest, meanwhile, celebrates music, memorabilia and nostalgia from decades gone by.
With three teenagers in tow, I’m intrigued to see which parts of CarFest they naturally gravitate towards once we’re actually there. Sometimes the things they end up loving aren’t remotely the things I expect beforehand.
CarFest Is a Festival With a Purpose
Something else worth knowing about CarFest is that fundraising isn’t simply an add-on.
Chris Evans created the festival to raise money for children’s charities, and it has raised more than £27 million over the years.
For 2026, 10% of every CarFest ticket and 100% of profits are being donated to charities. Half of the charitable funds will go to BBC Children in Need, with other beneficiaries including Teenage Cancer Trust, Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity, Starlight Children’s Foundation, Young Epilepsy and Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, as well as charities and initiatives local to Northamptonshire.
That gives the weekend a rather lovely extra purpose beyond simply having a good time.
What Will Camping at CarFest Be Like?
This is the bit I can’t answer yet!
We’ll be camping for the weekend, which means we’ll get the full festival experience rather than travelling backwards and forwards each day. We’ve camped as a family plenty of times before, so we’re not complete novices – although the weather forecast currently isn’t looking quite as enthusiastic about our camping plans as we are.
Really, we need to hurry up and achieve the next part of our motoring dream: owning a campervan! Simon and I have talked about having one for years, and I suspect that dream will feel particularly appealing when we’re sitting in a tent at Silverstone listening to the rain outside.
For now, though, it’s waterproofs, wellies and a sense of humour.
I’ll report back after the weekend on what the CarFest camping experience is actually like for families, including the facilities, pitches, distances and anything I wish we’d known beforehand.
Is CarFest Good for Teenagers?
This is one of the things I’m particularly interested to find out.
Our children aren’t little anymore, so we’re at that stage where a “family festival” needs to offer considerably more than children’s entertainment to keep everyone happy.
On paper, CarFest looks promising. Between the cars, track action, drifting, music, food and different festival areas, there’s plenty that should appeal to older children and teenagers without everything being specifically labelled as a teen activity.
The cars alone should keep our family entertained for a significant chunk of the weekend!
I’ll be paying particular attention to this while we’re there because I know how difficult it can be to judge whether a family attraction or festival really works for teenagers before spending money on tickets.
Our First CarFest – What Will We Think?
After years of saying we’d like to go to CarFest, I’m really excited that we’re finally doing it.
The move to Silverstone is what has made 2026 the perfect year for us to try it. It’s considerably more convenient for our family, but more than that, I think Silverstone feels like a natural home for a festival that has always had motoring at its heart.
We’re going into the weekend as complete CarFest newcomers, which means I’ll be experiencing everything for the first time rather than comparing it with previous years at Laverstoke Park Farm.
Will Silverstone work as a festival venue? Will the teenagers love it? How good will the track action be? Will I finally get to see Tom Jones live? And, perhaps most importantly, will our tent survive the British Bank Holiday weather?
I’ll let you know when we get home.
CarFest 2026 takes place at Silverstone Circuit from 28–30 August 2026. For the latest programme, tickets and event information, visit the official CarFest website.