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Goodwood 2026 is set to begin – everything you need to know about the motoring festival

The Festival of Speed takes place on an estate in West Sussex in the south of the United Kingdom. Nearby lies the historic 3.8 km circuit, dating from 1947. This year’s event, which runs from 9 to 12 July, features a host of highlights, including anniversaries, drivers and races.

by Corrado Canali

8 July 2026

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3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

The Goodwood Festival of Speed is one of the most spectacular motoring events in the world. The event, famous for its hill climb of approximately 1.86 km, brings together teams and tuners from all over the world every year to showcase prototypes, concept cars and high-performance models. This year’s edition is dedicated to Singer, the Californian workshop famous for its modern reinterpretations of classic Porsche 911s, but the public’s attention will be focused not only on the previews of the cars on display, but also on drivers from the past and present.

Celebrate motorsport’s most legendary rivalries

The 2026 edition celebrates some of motorsport’s most legendary rivalries. Through the lens of the theme ‘The Rivals’, the Festival of Speed marks a series of anniversaries, including the 60th anniversary of Ford taking on Ferrari at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 50th anniversary of the legendary rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda as they battled for the Formula 1 World Championship in 1976. A line-up of cars and motorbikes illustrating motorsport’s Epic Racing Duels will take to the Goodwood Hill throughout the Festival of Speed weekend, an event that brings together drivers past and present, teams and manufacturers from across the motorsport spectrum, including F1, MotoGP, Grand Prix racing, the World Endurance Championship, WorldSBK, the Isle of Man TT, IndyCar, the World Rally Championship and touring car racing.

Among the riders present were Lando Norris and Valentino Rossi

The Festival will also be graced by the presence of Lando Norris, the reigning Formula 1 world champion, and Valentino Rossi, a nine-time world motorcycling champion and a rider and sportsman who is hugely popular even outside Italia. The organisers of the famous event, which takes place on the Duke of Richmond’s estate in Chichester, in the British county of West Sussex, will have them as exclusive guests. Racing history is full of head-to-head battles that have captured the world’s attention. Norris and Rossi will arrive on Friday for a ‘Balcony Moment’ at Goodwood, when, as they look out from the balcony set amongst the columns of the Duke’s palace façade, fans in attendance will be able to celebrate their heroes.

The event attracts over 10,000 visitors every year

The Goodwood Festival of Speed, held in West Sussex, is an extremely popular motorsport event, attracting over 10,000 visitors every year. The event is organised to give Formula 1 fans the chance to see vintage cars and motorbikes in action once again. Races take place throughout the event and, as a visitor, there is more than enough space to watch the action. You can sit at the starting line, along the Flint Wall, through Molecomb Corner and in the Top of the Paddock. There is a programme on the Goodwood Festival of Speed website, where you can see what’s on and when. One of the highlights is the Hillclimb. This is where vehicles from the Main, Supercar and First Glance paddocks all come together. As well as the Hillclimb, there are also the Road Racers, the Goodwood Action Sports Show, Formula 1, NASCAR and various supercar displays.

Festival opening times and ticket prices

The Goodwood Festival of Speed takes place in July and lasts for four days, from Thursday to Sunday. The car parks open every day at 06:30 and the gates open at 07:00. The first race starts at 09:00 and the last one finishes around 18:30. Thanks to these very long opening hours, there is plenty of time to enjoy all the cars and races at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Prices for the Goodwood Festival of Speed vary from day to day. For example, tickets cost between 100 and 120 euros on Thursdays and Fridays, between 150 and 200 euros on Saturdays, and finally between 150 and 170 euros on the final day, Sunday. If you bring a child under the age of 12, they can enter for free. Parking at the event is also free and, as mentioned, is open from 06:30 in the morning.