Goodwood Festival of Speed 2027: hospitality explained

The Goodwood Festival of Speed 2027 runs from 15 to 18 July, and hospitality is arranged on request. It is held in the grounds of Goodwood House in West Sussex and is organised around a hillclimb that has run since 1993. This guide explains what the festival is, where hospitality fits (general tickets are sold by Goodwood itself), and what we know and do not yet know about 2027.

Festival of Speed 2027: dates and venue

The 2027 Festival of Speed runs from 15 to 18 July 2027. The venue is the parkland around Goodwood House, near Chichester in West Sussex. Goodwood describes the event as motorsport’s ultimate summer garden party.

It comes just after Wimbledon and Henley Royal Regatta finish, and before the Qatar Goodwood Festival on 27 to 31 July. If you are planning the whole season, our UK summer hospitality calendar for 2027 puts the dates side by side.

What happens at the Festival of Speed

The heart of the event is the hillclimb, a 1.16-mile course that has been the centrepiece since the first festival in 1993. For safety reasons, Formula 1 cars now give demonstrations rather than timed runs. Around it sit a number of other areas that Goodwood lists on its own site:

• The Hillclimb: cars of different eras running up the hill past the house.
• Forest Rally Stage: a demonstration area for rally cars at the top of the hill, in use since 2005.
• Future Lab: presented by Randox, a space for emerging automotive and wider technology.

The appeal is the closeness. Many cars are on show in the open, and visitors can walk between areas, which makes it a more informal day than a race meeting.

Tickets for 2027

Goodwood sells general Festival of Speed tickets itself and says they go on general sale in November, without giving a day. VIPListed does not sell them; we arrange hospitality. It recommends signing up for ticket alerts so you do not miss the sale. We are not able to say more about the sale date than that.

Another route is the Goodwood Road Racing Club Fellowship. Goodwood lists its benefits as a ten per cent discount on two admission tickets and on grandstand passes, access to the Pit Stop enclosure on event days, and a year-round calendar of member events. Goodwood presents joining as a way to get tickets at the best price, so it is worth knowing about, but it is a membership you buy directly from Goodwood.

Digital tickets are issued through the Goodwood Tickets App. Goodwood notes that they can take up to 72 hours to appear after purchase, so do not leave it until the morning of the event.

Where hospitality fits

Admission to the Festival of Speed gets you into the grounds. Hospitality adds a base: a reserved space, food and drink and usually a better vantage point. The format on offer varies by area and by day. Goodwood links to a Tickets and Packages page for the festival, and we have not yet confirmed which packages it will list for 2027, so we do not describe specific products here.

What we can say is how we handle it. Hospitality at the Festival of Speed is arranged on request and booked through official channels. You tell us how many guests, which day or days you prefer and whether it is a client or personal occasion, and we confirm what is available and the total price in writing before you pay.

What a day looks like

The timings below are based on the most recent event, as Goodwood states on its own site. The 2027 timings are to be confirmed:

• car parks open at 6.30am and gates at 7.00am;
• hillclimb action starts from 8.30am;
• bars close at 6.30pm and the event ends at 7.00pm.

That is a long day, and part of the case for hospitality is having somewhere to sit and eat between the action.

Choosing a day

The festival runs over four days, from Thursday 15 to Sunday 18 July 2027. We do not know yet how Goodwood will programme each day, so we cannot say which day is best. The usual approach is to wait for the programme and then choose, but if your group is large, it is sensible to register interest before then, because larger parties have fewer options as the date nears.

Who the Festival of Speed suits

It is a good fit for groups with mixed interests, because there is plenty to see besides the cars on the hill. Guests who are not enthusiasts can still enjoy the grounds, the house and the atmosphere, while those who are can spend the day in the paddock areas and by the track. It is also a sensible choice for a client day that is meant to feel relaxed rather than formal. Goodwood has not published a dress code on the pages we read, so ask for guidance when you enquire.

It is less suitable for a group that wants a short, scheduled visit. The gates are open for a long day, and the programme runs throughout it, so the best experience comes from settling in and moving between areas.

What we do not yet know

Several details are not yet published. We do not know the day-by-day programme for 2027, the general sale date beyond the month of November, or the hospitality packages Goodwood will list for the festival. We will not guess at any of them. As soon as they are confirmed, we can tell you what is available and send you the details in writing.

A sensible plan from now

• Now: sign up for Goodwood’s ticket alerts and send us an enquiry with your preferred days and group size.
• November 2026: general sale for tickets is expected, according to Goodwood.
• Spring 2027: check the programme and confirm travel and accommodation near Chichester.
• July 2027: allow time for the journey.

Goodwood also hosts the Goodwood Revival in September 2027, if you would like a second date at the same estate. To start on the festival, send an enquiry for Goodwood Festival of Speed 2027. More on how we work is in our FAQ.

VIP and hospitality only. VIPListed arranges hospitality at the Festival of Speed: private dining and terraces with the day planned around them. We do not sell general admission, standard or resale tickets; for those, go to the organiser’s own box office.

Frequently asked questions