Silverstone Festival 2023 guide: The themes, cars, race schedules, ticketing info and more

Everything you need to get to one of the best classic car events of the year

• What is the Silverstone Festival?
• What’s on at the 2023 Silverstone Festival?
• 1. A race for the originals
• 2. Modern Le Mans
• 3. Classic sports cars
• 4. Touring car mayhem
• 5. Formula One
• 6. F1 on display
• 7. Feel the noise
• 8. Important anniversaries
• 8. Nascar
• 10. Funfairs, live music and entertainment
• 11. Classic car auction
• When is the Silverstone Festival 2023?
• How do you get to the Silverstone Festival?
• What is the best day to go to the Silverstone Festival?
• What is the race schedule for the Silverstone Festival?
• How much are tickets?
• Can I stay at Silverstone?

What is the Silverstone Festival?

The Silverstone Festival (formerly the Silverstone Classic) is the Northamptonshire circuit’s answer to both the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Goodwood Revival, combined. It’s a weekend where you can watch incredible racing cars of all eras genuinely slugging it out — not just driving parade laps — on one of the UK’s most historic and famous racing circuits.

The cars on track run the gamut from the 1920s all the way up to screaming modern Formula One cars, while in the paddock there’s a proper family-friendly atmosphere and even music provided by some of the best live acts around.

This year will be a particularly special one for the Silverstone Festival as it’s the 75th birthday of the track itself — the doors here first opened in 1948. So, the top-line race is going to be one of the most important.

What’s on at the 2023 Silverstone Festival?

1. A race for the originals

The headline act will be the Special 75th Anniversary Grand Prix Trophy, which is open to front-engined Grand Prix cars of the 1940s and 1950s. The race will commemorate the original 1948 International Grand Prix, and will feature two of the cars that actually raced at Silverstone 75 years ago — Frenchman Phillippe Étancelin’s front-row starting Talbot Lago T26 and John Bolster’s ex-Prince ‘Bira’ Birabongse of Siam’s ERA R5B which finished sixth.

2. Modern Le Mans

If older cars aren’t your thing then get trackside for the Masters Endurance Legends races, which will feature Le Mans cars from 1995 right up to 2016. This year the grid will include three of the mighty V12 diesel-engined Peugeot 908s — the car that scored an emotional win for Peugeot in 2009 — as well as the amazing Gulf-liveried Lola-Aston Martin, whose V12 petrol powerplant makes one of the best noises ever.

3. Classic sports cars

The International Trophy for Classic GT Cars, which is open to pre-1966 cars, should provide some of the best racing of the weekend, with cars ranging from the mighty V8-engined AC Cobras, to Porsche 911s, Aston Martins, Ferraris and even MGs all rubbing doors and sliding on the way out of corners (or on the way into corners if you mean the Cobras).

4. Touring car mayhem

Speaking of close racing, that’s the stock-in-trade of Touring Cars and there’s a grid full of classic saloons for the MRL Historic Touring Car Challenge, including the — literally — fire-breathing Ford Sierra Cosworths from the 1980s. Do not miss these races.

5. Formula One

Of course, any F1 event is going to be a major draw, and at the Silverstone Festival you’ll be able to see the Masters Racing Legends taking to the track with a grid of 3-litre Formula one cars, dating from 1966 up to 1985. The field includes classic racers from Lotus, Williams, McLaren and Ligier and the noise from all those V8 and V12 engines will be worth the entry fee alone.

6. F1 on display

If F1 cars racing on the track aren’t enough, you’ll also have the opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the greatest Formula One cars of all time in the Paddock. Those will include Alain Prost’s title-winning 1993 Williams-Renault FW15C — one of the most technologically advanced F1 cars of all time — and a line-up of Sir Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes racers from his championship winning years of 2014 to 2020.

Mercedes test driver Esteban Gutiérrez will be putting in hot laps in Hamilton’s 2013 Mercedes W04. That’s all part of the F1 Fan Zone, which will also feature simulators, wheel change challenge and big screen coverage of (Max Verstappen surely winning the) Dutch GP.

7. Feel the noise

We’ve already mentioned the astonishing noises that you’ll hear from historic Formula One and sports car racers, but hands-down the loudest and most brain-melting sound will come from the BRM V16 Continuation.

• Hear the fearsome BRM V16 grand prix engine fire up in dyno testing

This is a meticulous, newly-built tribute to the original BRM, which was in 1950 the UK’s great hope for taking on the likes of Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Ferrari. It used an amazing 1.5-litre, supercharged, 16-cylinder engine which sadly proved way too complex and unreliable at the time. Even true racing greats like Juan Manuel Fangio couldn’t tame it fully.

While unsuccessful, it remains one of the best-sounding engines of all time though, and when it passes by at high speed, you’d swear the air itself was being ripped apart. Worth the price of entry all on its own.

8. Important anniversaries

Away from the track, there will be some beautiful classics to drool over. The Porsche Club of Great Britain will be out in force to help celebrate the 75th birthday of the brand, while other anniversaries being marked will include 120 years of Ford, 100 years of Triumph, 75 years of Lotus, 70 years of the Chevrolet Corvette and the 50th birthday of the Caterham Seven.

8. Nascar

For anyone who got really excited by the sight (and sound) of Jenson Button’s Nascar Camaro racing at Le Mans this year, the Silverstone Festival has your next fix — the Days Of Thunder demos, featuring 200mph American stock car racers dating from 1990 to 2015. If you know your Kurt Busch from your Bobby Labonte, this is for you.

10. Funfairs, live music and entertainment

If you’re keen to see all the cars and racing, but the rest of the family is looking doubtful, reassure them that the Silverstone Festival has a bit of something for everyone.

There’ll be live music each evening as usual, this year including performance from ABC, Sugababes and McFly.

The great Terry Grant will be entertaining all-comers with his stunt show in the Shift and Drift Zone, while there’s also the Foodie Fest with celebrity TV chefs, and Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat pop-up shop featuring produce from his now-famous farm.

11. Classic car auction

Classic car auctions can be dangerous to the health of your bank balance, so be careful how much you wave your hands around as Iconic Auctioneers (which used to be known as Silverstone Auctions) will be selling off not just a collection of the late, great Colin McRae’s rally cars, but also a pair of Ford Capris that featured in classic 1980s action TV series, The Professionals.

When is the Silverstone Festival 2023?

The Silverstone Festival is being held across the bank holiday weekend of August 25-27.

How do you get to the Silverstone Festival?

Well, fairly obviously it’s at the Silverstone racing circuit, which is near the town of Towcester in Northamptonshire. You can drive there in about an hour from Birmingham or just under two hours from London.

If you want to leave the car at home, there are bus shuttles from both Milton Keynes and Northampton. You can also get a train from London Euston, Birmingham New Street and Northampton Rail Stations to Wolverton, which is the nearest station to Silverstone (about 10 miles away), and get a taxi from there — though bear in mind they may be in high demand.

What is the best day to go to the Silverstone Festival?

Sunday is going to be the big day, with the climax of all the big races for the most famous cars, and the demo laps by the BRM V16 and the Mercedes W04. However, given that tickets for Friday are so much more affordable, and it’s likely to be a quieter day in terms of crowds, we’d suggest that’s the best day to go and soak up the atmosphere.

What is the race schedule for the Silverstone Festival?

How much are tickets?

A three-day ticket will cost you £150 but you can get in on the Friday for just £25. Saturday and Sunday tickets both cost £45 each, but the good news is that anyone under the age of 16 can go for free (but you still have to order a ticket). That gives you access to everything — from the on-track races, to the paddock, to the F1 Zone, getting close to the drivers, and the live music acts.

Visit https://www.silverstone.co.uk/events/silverstone-festival/ticket-types

Can I stay at Silverstone?

The area is well-served with hotels, thanks to the British Grand Prix, but the best way to experience the Festival — if the weather’s good — is to camp. There’s lots of camping space at Silverstone (again, thank the Grand Prix) and a site for a small tent or compact motorhome or caravan costs £85 for a standard site, or £125 for a larger one.

There’s an extra large pitch for £305, which is for anyone who wants to bring a motorhome.

The price includes showers, electric connections, wifi and more.

• After reading about this year’s Silverstone Festival, you may like to read about the Ten best classic car shows and events in the UK for 2023
• Also check out when Jeremy Clarkson attended the first ever Goodwood Festival of Speed (1993)
• Here are Driving.co.uk’s greatest minds in motorsport

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