CarFest at Silverstone

After years of being held down in Hampshire and up in Cheshire, this huge family festival has found a new home right here in Northamptonshire, at Silverstone Circuit. If you’ve never heard of it, or you’ve always fancied going but it’s felt too far away, this is the year to pay attention.

What is CarFest?

CarFest was founded back in 2012 by radio and TV presenter Chris Evans, and it’s grown into the UK’s biggest family fundraising festival. It’s not just about cars, although there’s plenty of those to admire — think classic motors, supercars and high-speed demos on track. Alongside the motoring, there’s live music every night, celebrity chef demonstrations, wellbeing sessions, and dedicated zones designed to keep every member of the family entertained.

Over the past 13 years, CarFest has raised more than £27 million for UK charities, with 10% of every ticket price and 100% of the festival’s profits going straight to good causes. So as well as a brilliant family day (or weekend) out, you’re contributing to something genuinely worthwhile just by attending.

When and where is CarFest 2026?

CarFest 2026 takes place from Friday 28th to Sunday 30th August — the August Bank Holiday weekend — at Silverstone Circuit, Towcester, Northamptonshire, NN12 8TN. It’s easily reached via the A43, coming off either the M1 (from the north) or the M40 (from the south), and the site is well signposted for event traffic. Worth noting there’s no train station at the circuit itself, so it’s very much a drive-there kind of day.

What can families expect?

CarFest is split into different themed zones, so there really is something for everyone:

• KidsFest – a village of inflatables for the little ones to bounce the day away on
• FoodFest – demonstrations from some of the world’s best chefs
• SpaFest – a chance for the grown-ups to unwind and relax
• Live music every evening across the weekend
• Car displays, track action and driving demonstrations

Organisers have said the full entertainment lineup will be revealed in stages closer to the event, so it’s worth keeping an eye on CarFest’s own social channels if you want to know exactly who’ll be performing before you book.

Tickets

Tickets are on sale now via the official CarFest website. As with most festivals, prices tend to rise the closer you get to the date, so if you know you want to go, it’s worth booking sooner rather than later. A word of caution: only buy tickets through the official CarFest site, as resale or third-party tickets aren’t guaranteed to be valid.

If you or your children need any accessibility provisions, CarFest offers Personal Assistant tickets and accessible viewing and campsite options — full details are on the official accessibility page, and it’s recommended you apply early so arrangements can be made in good time.

Why it’s worth the trip

Whether you’re a petrolhead family or you’re going purely for the music, food and kids’ entertainment, CarFest having a Northamptonshire home this year means we don’t have to trek down to Hampshire to experience it. If you’re looking for a proper big day (or weekend) out to round off the summer holidays, this could be exactly what you need — and if you fancy planning the rest of your summer around it, our weekly What’s On newsletter is a great way to keep track of everything else happening across the county in the meantime.

For full ticket details, pricing and the latest lineup announcements, head to the official CarFest website.

The events listed in this guide are run by third-party organisers, and all details were correct at the time of publication, based on information from their official websites. However, changes or cancellations can happen at short notice. To avoid any disappointment, we recommend double-checking the event information on the official websites before making plans.