Motorsport
Goodwood Festival of Speed
Chichester, United Kingdom
Chichester · July · Subject to availability
Mid July — dates to be confirmed
A hill climb through the grounds of a Sussex estate, and the most complete gathering of significant motor cars anywhere in the world.
The Festival of Speed is built around a 1.16-mile driveway running up through the park at Goodwood House, and the simplicity of that idea is why it works. Cars that would otherwise sit in museums or private collections are driven, properly and at speed, in front of an audience standing close enough to hear them. The range is the distinguishing feature: pre-war Grand Prix machinery, Group B rally cars, contemporary Formula One cars and manufacturer launches all run the same hill on the same day. For the automotive industry the Festival has become the effective centre of the European summer, with manufacturers using it for public debuts and collectors using it as a market. The setting is a working ducal estate in West Sussex, an hour and a half from London and twenty minutes from the coast, and the surrounding week includes racing at the adjacent motor circuit.
- Month
- July
- Recommended stay
- 3 nights
- Nearest airports
- ESH · FAB
- Typical clientele
- Collectors and their advisers, manufacturer and specialist trade principals, British and European families with automotive interests, and international visitors combining the Festival with the London summer season.
Why it matters
Goodwood is where the collector market, the manufacturer sector and the specialist trade meet in person, and a significant volume of private transaction activity around important cars is initiated across the four days. For principals building or refining a collection, the concentration of expertise present is not reproduced elsewhere in the calendar year. The estate setting also makes it the rare motorsport event that functions equally well as a family weekend.
How access is arranged
Enclosure and hospitality arrangements at the estate are made with authorised hospitality providers where such programmes exist, by introduction and subject to availability. Scott & Vale coordinates movement from London or the Continent, accommodation across Sussex and Hampshire, and the surrounding itinerary.
Scott & Vale coordinates travel, accommodation, ground and air movement, security, dining and itinerary design around this occasion, and makes introductions to authorised hospitality providers where such programmes exist. The firm does not sell, allocate, resell or guarantee admission.
Hospitality and travel
Where to stay
- The Pig in the South Downs
- Lime Wood
- Chewton Glen
- The Goodwood Hotel
- Heckfield Place
Properties are listed as editorial guidance. Scott & Vale holds no inventory and no claimed relationship with any property named here.
Arrival by air
- ESH — Shoreham Twenty-five minutes by road; suited to lighter aircraft.
- FAB — Farnborough The principal business aviation gateway for southern England; fifty minutes by road or fifteen by air.
Helicopter. The estate operates a temporary landing site across the Festival, and rotations from London and Farnborough are the standard approach. Road access through Chichester is slow across all four days.
Dining
- Interlude at Leonardslee
- The Parsons Table
- Hattingley Valley
- Terre à Terre
- The Master Builder's
Reservations are requested on a member's behalf, subject to availability.
Suggested itinerary
- 01 Day One Arrival in Sussex and an afternoon at the estate as the paddocks are set out, which is the quietest and often the most interesting time to see the cars.
- 02 Day Two A full day at the hill, with the supercar paddock and the auction preview in the morning and timed runs through the afternoon.
- 03 Day Three The final runs and the shootout, followed by dinner in the South Downs before departure the following morning.
Scott & Vale support
- Helicopter
- Luxury Hotels
- Private Villas
- Luxury Chauffeur
- Corporate Hospitality
- Restaurant Reservations
- Private Guides
- Travel Planning
Enquiry
Plan this properly, and plan it early.
An enquiry reaches the team directly with the context of this entry attached. A member of the team will respond within the hour, wherever you are.
Frequently asked
How does the Festival differ from the Revival meeting?
The Festival is a hill climb across all eras with a strong manufacturer presence, held in July. The Revival is a period race meeting at the adjacent circuit in September, run entirely in pre-1966 dress.
Is the Festival suitable for families?
Notably so. The estate setting, the aviation display and the scale of the paddocks make it one of the few motorsport weekends that works across generations.
How should the estate be reached?
By helicopter to the temporary site, or by road with a departure early enough to precede the Chichester congestion, which begins mid-morning.
What does Scott & Vale arrange?
Movement, accommodation, dining and the itinerary around the Festival, with introductions to authorised hospitality providers where such programmes exist.
Related events
Direct: info@scottnvale.com
Event names, marks and logos referenced on this page are the property of their respective owners. Scott & Vale is not an official partner, supplier or licensee of any event, organiser or rights holder named here, and no affiliation is implied. Scott & Vale does not sell, allocate, resell or guarantee admission to any event. Travel, accommodation, ground and air movement, security, dining and itinerary design are arranged around these events, and introductions are made to authorised hospitality providers where such programmes exist.
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