Broadcaster Chris Evans officially kicked off a historic bank holiday weekend as CarFest made its landmark debut at the iconic Silverstone Circuit. Moving to the home of British motorsport for the first time in its 14-year history, the UK’s biggest family fundraising festival expanded its footprint to deliver two packed final days of track action, live music, and family entertainment.

The traditional engine roar met high-energy festival crowds as Evans greeted thousands of attendees across the weekend. The move to Silverstone allowed CarFest to scale up its signature mix of motorsport track displays, celebrity star appearances, and multi-stage musical performances while maintaining its core mission: raising millions for UK children’s charities.

Track Thrills and Mainstage Magic

Over the final two days of the weekend, festival-goers were treated to a sprawling celebration across seven distinct zones, including Cars at CarFest, FoodFest, StarFest, and KidsFest.

The main track served as the weekend’s centerpiece, featuring high-speed supercar runs, rare vintage classic parades, and stunt displays on Silverstone’s world-famous tarmac. Away from the circuit, top UK musical acts closed out the evening sessions, transforming the racing paddock into a massive open-air concert venue.

Between live cookery demonstrations from celebrity chefs, wellbeing workshops at SpaFest, and interactive kids’ entertainment, the atmosphere remained vibrant despite the massive scale of the new venue.

A Legacy of Fundraising Takes the Grand Stage

Founded by Evans in 2012, CarFest has generated over £27 million for children’s charity partners. Opening the final afternoon of festivities, Evans reflected on the milestone event:

“This move opens up possibilities we’ve never had before—more space, more cars, and most importantly, an opportunity to raise even more money for UK children’s charities,” said founder Chris Evans. “The heart of CarFest will always remain the same.”

Track Show Demonstrations

Throughout the days, the track showcased continuous high-speed runs split into dedicated categories:

Supercars & Hypercars: High-octane speed runs featuring modern engineering marvels and rare performance vehicles pushing their limits on Silverstone’s famous straightaways.
Open-Wheel & Race Cars: High-performance single-seaters and historical racing cars bringing authentic motorsport roar to the circuit.
Closed-Wheel Racers: Touring cars, GT racers, and historic tin-top vehicles taking on track sessions.
Vintage & Classic Car Parades: Celebrated historic vehicles and classic car clubs driving tribute laps.

Grandstand Drift Shows

Located at the International Grandstand, dedicated professional drift drivers put on stunt sessions. Spectators watched tire-smoking drift displays, high-speed slides, and precision stunt driving up close from the grandstand seating.

Starting Grid Walks

One of the main additions for festival-goers was the opportunity to participate in Grid Walks. Fans walked out onto the official Silverstone starting grid to get up-close photos with the cars and drivers right before their scheduled track runs.

Motorsport Paddock Access

The pit garages and paddocks were opened up as part of the Cars at CarFest experience:

The Motorsport Paddock: Allowed visitors to walk through the pit lanes, watch engineers prepare cars for track runs, and meet drivers.

Car Club Collective Displays: Paddock areas hosted massive static displays featuring over 1,000 classic, modified, and rare private collection cars.