Carfest kicks off at Silverstone
The wait is over as the main gates to CarFest 2026 presented by bp open today, marking the festival’s first full day at its new home of Silverstone and the start of a packed three days of music, motoring, food, comedy, wellbeing and family entertainment.
For the first time, CarFesters will experience the festival in full against the backdrop of the Home of British Motorsport, with action stretching from the famous Silverstone track to stages and festival areas across the site.
Friday brings some of the weekend’s biggest names to Silverstone, with Richard Hammond, Joe Wicks and Tom Kerridge appearing during the day before attention turns to a huge evening of live music featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Gok Wan and Jessie J.
The move to Silverstone puts cars firmly at the heart of the action. Supercars and Hypercars will take to the famous circuit throughout Friday, alongside grid walks and high-energy drift displays, giving CarFesters the chance to see some extraordinary machinery in action and get closer to the cars throughout the day.
There has been plenty happening away from the track. At StarFest, Richard Hammond will take audiences In the Driving Seat, while George Clarke and Joe Wicks join a Friday programme that mixes big conversations with plenty of laughs from comedians including Maisie Adam and Harriet Kemsley.
FoodFest will be firing up the grills too, with Tom Kerridge sharing his secrets to brilliant barbecue. José Pizarro, Ching He Huang, Paul A Young, Glynn Purnell and Lisa Goodwin-Allen are also among the chefs appearing throughout Friday, bringing everything from live demonstrations to plenty of inspiration for CarFesters looking to take a few new tricks home with them.
Across the festival, there is just as much for families to discover. Bluey & Bingo, Supertato and Pudsey & Pals are among the familiar faces appearing for younger CarFesters, while hands-on workshops spanning music, animation, filmmaking and game development will give children the chance to get involved rather than simply watch from the sidelines.
For anyone looking for a breather from the action, SpaFest will offer a change of pace with a day dedicated to movement, mindfulnessand wellbeing. Mr Motivator will get festivalgoers moving, alongside sessions spanning breathwork, meditation and restorative experiences.
As Friday moves into evening, the soundtrack gets even bigger. The George Michael Singers will open proceedings on the Main Stage before Sophie Ellis-Bextor brings her disco-pop hits to Silverstone. Gok Wan will then take over before Jessie J closes the first full night of CarFest 2026.
And the party doesn’t stop at the Main Stage. The Wigwam will showcase a mix of live and emerging talent throughout the day, before Club CarFest keeps Friday night going with Chrissy Meecham, Virgin Radio’s Emma B and Edie and Switch Disco.
Friday marks the beginning of a major new chapter for CarFest, bringing the festival’s automotive heritage to one of the world’s most famous circuits while retaining the mix of music, food, stars, wellbeing and family fun that has made it one of the UK’s best-loved family festivals.
Founded by Chris Evans in 2012, CarFest has raised more than £28 million for UK children’s charities, with this year’s festival continuing to put fundraising at the heart of the weekend.
Chris Evans, Founder of CarFest said “We’ve been dreaming about bringing CarFest to Silverstone for a long time, so to finally be here and see it all come together is incredibly special. This place gives us the chance to do everything we love about CarFest on a whole new scale, from the cars and music to the food, family fun and, most importantly, raising as much money as we possibly can for our brilliant children’s charities. There’s something happening everywhere you look, and we cannot wait for everyone to get stuck in and enjoy what we’ve got planned. This is just the beginning of a very special weekend.”
CarFest continues across the weekend, with Sir Tom Jones, Sugababes and James Morrison among the names still to come on Saturday, before Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Rick Astley and The Proclaimers help bring the festival to a close on Sunday.
CarFest presented by bp takes place at Silverstone from 28th–30th August 2026.
For more information, visit https://carfest.org/