Festivals of all types and flavours have witnessed an explosion in popularity over the last couple of decades. However, the bubble has burst since Covid and the ‘cost of living crisis’, which has perhaps served, in some ways, to filter the best from the rest.

Revelling in motoring

In the motoring world, the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival are two of the most anticipated events on the motorsport calendar. They have become the international Rolls Royce of celebration of the evolution of the personal motorised experience. The 2024 editions of both festivals were again spectacular demonstrations of what happens when passion for performance and history collide despite some very English weather.

Held at the iconic Goodwood Estate in West Sussex, England, each event brings a unique flavour of motorsport to the thousands who attend. It offers an unparalleled combination of cutting-edge speed, vintage vehicles, and a rich sense of tradition. This year, both festivals proved why Goodwood is the heart of motorsport culture, celebrating the thrill of speed while honouring its deep-rooted history.

 

Momentum and motivations

The 2024 Festival of Speed continued its tradition of blending motorsport’s past, present, and future in a truly spectacular fashion. Held over four days, the event featured a jaw-dropping array of vehicles, from historic racers to contemporary supercars and electric innovations. As always, the highlight of the event was the famous Hillclimb – a 1.16-mile challenge up the estate’s winding driveway that sees vehicles race against the clock. It features a remarkably diverse mix of machines, including F1 cars, rally legends, electric prototypes, and even road-going hypercars, all roaring up the course in full view and hearing of the crowds.

However, the festival was not without its challenges. Adverse weather affected the proceedings, with heavy rain on Saturday morning creating slippery conditions on the hillclimb. The damp roads slowed some of the higher-performance vehicles, and competitors had to adjust their driving styles, but isn’t that part of the challenge? Despite the rain, the drivers’ resilience and the crowd’s spirit were clear. Many embraced the conditions and showed that motorsport is as much about adaptability as it is about speed.

One of the standout vehicles in 2024 was the 2024 Red Bull Racing RB20. Driven by Max Verstappen himself, the car thrilled with its speed, precision and unmistakable roar. Verstappen, who continues to dominate the F1 scene, was a central figure in this year’s festival, engaging with fans and providing an insight into the future of motorsport. His presence was emblematic of the Festival of Speed’s commitment to showcasing both modern racing and the legends of motorsport, not at a distance from the paying public, but in amongst them too.  All the machines , when at rest, are there to be seen up close in the paddock areas, even touched, and you can chat to engineers, owners and rivers alike. Numerous driving stars and entertainment celebrities are mingling, including past British heroes like Sir Jackie Stewart, Damon Hill, Jenson Button and David Coulthard. It all adds depth, historical context and a sense of community to the event.

Nick Wilkinson

Pushing ahead

The electric vehicle (EV) presence increases year on year, and despite the ‘petrol head’ enthusiasm of many attending, the new tech is all part of their enthusiastic attendance. There was the introduction of new technologies like the Porsche Mission X and Rimac Nevera. Both made their mark as some of the fastest and most advanced electric hypercars in the world. These vehicles not only demonstrated the rapid growth of electric performance but also provided a glimpse into the future of sustainable motorsport, which continues to shape the direction of the sport at large.

Another focal point was the 2024 Tribute to Motorsport Icons. This year, the festival honored the legacy of Ayrton Senna, one of the greatest drivers ever to grace a racing car. His iconic McLaren MP4/4 was displayed in full glory, and several of his most famous cars participated in the Hillclimb, providing a moving tribute to the Brazilian icon. The event’s curated exhibitions—including a Porsche 917 showcase and a Dakar Rally history segment—ensured that there was something for every motorsport fan.

One notable contributor to the Festival of Speed in 2024 was Jenson Button, the 2009 Formula 1 World Champion, who participated in a special drivers’ panel that delved into the evolution of racing. Button not only brought his personal experiences from his own illustrious career but also drove his iconic Honda RA107 during the weekend, thrilling fans with the sound of a V8 engine on the Hillclimb. His reflections on the changes in motorsport, particularly regarding the transition from traditional petrol-powered engines to hybrid and electric technologies, added a unique perspective to the festival’s celebrations.

Beyond the cars, the Festival of Speed also included the Future Lab, where new technologies such as AI-assisted driving, autonomous vehicles, and next-gen racing innovations were on display. From deep ocean to space exploration, robotics to health diagnostics and onto supersonic flight,  this exhibition truly embodied the Goodwood ethos: celebrating both heritage and innovation.

Magical eras

In stark contrast to the cutting-edge spectacle of the Festival of Speed, Revival transports visitors back to the golden age of motorsport. Held each September, this three-day event focuses on racing vehicles from the pre-1966 era. It’s an outstanding celebration of both vintage cars and the spirit of historic racing, unique not only for its cars, but for its immersive experience; attendees are encouraged to dress in period-specific attire, and the event is filled with the sights, sounds, and nostalgia of a bygone era.

Race meet goers in vintage fashion at the Goodwood Revival at the Goodwood Motor Circuit in West Sussex. Picture date: Saturday September 7, 2024. The Goodwood Revival is the world’s greatest historic motor race meeting, and the only sporting event of its kind staged entirely in a period theme. This year’s Revival marks the first time that a historic motorsport event will include cars that use sustainable fuels in all races.  John Nguyen/PA Wire

The Revival’s racing action never disappoints, with the St. Mary’s Trophy, the Glover Trophy, and the Chichester Cup all providing some of the most exciting racing of the weekend. The sheer variety of vehicles – from Jaguar E-types and Ferrari 250 GTOs to AC Cobras and Lotus 25 F1 cars – ensured that every race was a visual and auditory delight. Many of these vehicles are multi-million-pound historical artefacts, but they are not treated with kid gloves; they are allowed to live and breathe the life they were designed and built for. This is full-tilt racing, just as in their heydays, and watching these cars battle wheel to wheel on the tight, picturesque Goodwood circuit is a rare treat. Drama and excitement, competition and combat, a museum parade it most definitely isn’t.

Off-track, the Revival’s charm lies in its attention to detail, too. The vintage fashion worn by attendees, the period-themed fairground rides, and the classic aircraft displays create a truly magical atmosphere. The event feels less like a race and more like a celebration of everything that captivated motorsport and mid-20th-century culture. One of the most memorable moments this year was the parade of classic motorcycles, which offered another dynamic layer to the event and demonstrated the diversity of motorsport history.

Like the Festival of Speed, the Revival also saw some weather-related challenges, with rain and wind dampening the track on Friday in particular.  For the racing, it affected visibility and grip, making some of the older, more powerful cars difficult to control on the corners. Nevertheless, drivers showed remarkable skill in adapting to the conditions, proving that historic racing is as much about handling the unpredictability of the elements as it is about raw speed. Highly entertaining, the spectator soon forgot about their own dampness, gripped by the spectacle instead.

Still leading the pack

The 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival were exceptional in their own right. Together, they reaffirmed Goodwood’s position as perhaps the world’s most important motorsport venues, where the past and future of racing meet, man and machine mingle and stars and admirers mix in a truly special way.

Whether you’re a fan of Formula 1, classic racing or the future of electric motorsport, vintage fashions and style, Goodwood offers something for everyone. These events are a testament to the enduring allure of engineering, pushing boundaries and adventure, preserving motorsport’s rich history while embracing the challenges of tomorrow. For anyone, the Goodwood festivals remain an unforgettable experience, full of surprises, challenges, and thrilling moments that will linger in the memory for years to come.