Music and motoring festival to move to Silverstone

Thousands of people attended CarFest in Hampshire last year

A music and motoring festival set to be held in Hampshire this weekend will be the last in the county before it moves to Silverstone next year, organisers have said.

CarFest, founded by radio presenter Chris Evans in 2012, is due to be held at Laverstoke Park Farm in Overton from Friday to Sunday with headliners Travis, Rita Ora and Madness.

But organisers said it would move to Northamptonshire for its 2026 edition "which means that no one from either north or south has an excuse not to join us".

It said despite the change, its aim to deliver "the ultimate family festival" and raise money for children's charities, including Children in Need and the Teenage Cancer Trust, would stay the same.

This weekend's CarFest will be the last to be held in Hampshire before it moves to Silverstone

The festival said it has so far raised £27m for its charity partners, which also include the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, Rainbow Trust, Starlight Children's Foundation and Young Epilepsy.

"This move opens up possibilities we've never had before, more space, more cars, more ways to surprise and delight our audience and most importantly an opportunity to raise even more money for UK children's charities," Evans said.

The first event at Silverstone will be held over the August bank holiday, from 27 to 30 August 2026.

Clare Scheckter, Laverstoke Park Farm's owner, said hosting the festival was an "honour and privilege" but that the move would help CarFest "evolve" and that she would continue to work with its organisers.

Silverstone's chief executive Stuart Pringle said: "Silverstone has evolved into a year-round destination for world-class events, and we are thrilled to be working with CarFest for next year's event."