1st time at Goodwood, your thoughts?
Discussion
I'm 30 and been attending on and off since I was 15.
The last few events the commercialisation has really started to dominate.
The biggest erk for me was the BMW and Bugatti stand, right in prime position of where the grandstands before Malcombe used to be.
Year after year there are more members only and exclusive areas.
Not denying the access to the cars, drivers and owners is something you won't find anywhere else in the world but feel for me it's an event that will only attend every other year or more.
Food prices I don't care about because we take food in but the cost of the camping is just insane.
Toilets inside the event continue to be a joke, I suffer with mild IBS and was having to walk back to the campsite a few times to save embarrassment.
The timing of the screens vs the commentary was a joke. Seems to get worse every year.
We normally enjoy the rally stage but again the commentary wasn't working at all. Spoke to some of the drivers up there and they said it had been on and off all weekend.
While I'm on the rally stage, they had decided to run it backwards this year. This was due to a TV event that happened a few weeks ago, which ended up being run backwards for better shots. This is fine but goodwood didn't think to change the location of the start and finish grandstand. This meant you couldn't see the start line at all, and having a big empty grandstand about 20m after the finish.
The last few events the commercialisation has really started to dominate.
The biggest erk for me was the BMW and Bugatti stand, right in prime position of where the grandstands before Malcombe used to be.
Year after year there are more members only and exclusive areas.
Not denying the access to the cars, drivers and owners is something you won't find anywhere else in the world but feel for me it's an event that will only attend every other year or more.
Food prices I don't care about because we take food in but the cost of the camping is just insane.
Toilets inside the event continue to be a joke, I suffer with mild IBS and was having to walk back to the campsite a few times to save embarrassment.
The timing of the screens vs the commentary was a joke. Seems to get worse every year.
We normally enjoy the rally stage but again the commentary wasn't working at all. Spoke to some of the drivers up there and they said it had been on and off all weekend.
While I'm on the rally stage, they had decided to run it backwards this year. This was due to a TV event that happened a few weeks ago, which ended up being run backwards for better shots. This is fine but goodwood didn't think to change the location of the start and finish grandstand. This meant you couldn't see the start line at all, and having a big empty grandstand about 20m after the finish.
Cold said:
We chatted with the knowledgeable staff on the Land Rover stand
Good to hear! We have a great team who work their socks off. I know several had an early night on Wednesday to revise their facts and figures after the stand walk round. We're there Wednesday to Sunday.Responding to some of the other points, if you want to wander round the pit area, try to go on Thursday/Friday and get there early! Of course it will be rammed later and at the weekend.
Food and drink isn’t cheap but you can take your own! We have our own catering at back of house and I couldn’t really buy a beer during the day. They were much cheaper in Butlins though!
Edited by 595Heaven on Tuesday 28th June 19:33
SydneyBridge said:
I used to work at butlins many years ago.. Do you get chance to have any fun there when not working?
Seems lots of manufacturers stay there
Yes, there was us, Aston, Lotus and a few others. Rooms are clean and it is much easier to book a hundred odd rooms in one place then have us all scattered around. To be honest, we’re barely there - leave at 0630 and not back until 19:30 at the earliest. By the time you grab a shower and a bite to eat at The Beachcomber it is bedtime! There are a couple of nicer restaurants in Bognor which we went to as well.Seems lots of manufacturers stay there
Usually the place is full of families with young children so we get the place to ourselves in the evening, although all the attractions are closed by then. This weekend they had a ‘Weekender’ music event which meant the whole site was 18+
Lots of stag and hen parties, girls out cold or crying. That kind of thing!
The teddy bear in the dome looked like he’d had enough!
I know what you mean, OP, but I don't agree.
I have done the FoS for many years, sometimes as a paying pleb, sometimes in corporate hospitality. There are pros and cons to both. I still enormously enjoy the day and consider myself very fortunate to have a world-class event so close by. It is a shame (but entirely predictable) that it has become busier and busier, so I do always get there early and stay late to be able to see everything. The cars on show (often without any barriers) are extraordinary. After walking through the gate I don't spend anything in addition; none of the extras are obligatory.
Personally I would say that the Revival is really the victim of the jacket/jeans/pointy shoe brigade, and also suffers from having the same (or similar) cars and grids year after year. Of the two events that is the one that I have abandoned now (replaced by the Members Meeting).
If you particularly care how rich the people around you are (or pretend to be) then I can appreciate that the FoS and the Revival will not necessarily be appealing. If, however, you just want to see amazing cars (and the prospect of bumping into famous drivers) there is nothing as good as the FoS.
I have done the FoS for many years, sometimes as a paying pleb, sometimes in corporate hospitality. There are pros and cons to both. I still enormously enjoy the day and consider myself very fortunate to have a world-class event so close by. It is a shame (but entirely predictable) that it has become busier and busier, so I do always get there early and stay late to be able to see everything. The cars on show (often without any barriers) are extraordinary. After walking through the gate I don't spend anything in addition; none of the extras are obligatory.
Personally I would say that the Revival is really the victim of the jacket/jeans/pointy shoe brigade, and also suffers from having the same (or similar) cars and grids year after year. Of the two events that is the one that I have abandoned now (replaced by the Members Meeting).
If you particularly care how rich the people around you are (or pretend to be) then I can appreciate that the FoS and the Revival will not necessarily be appealing. If, however, you just want to see amazing cars (and the prospect of bumping into famous drivers) there is nothing as good as the FoS.
I agree with some of the OP's points but a) I think they are part and parcel of any large event and b) there are ways and means of getting around it.
Firstly, you can avoid the rip-off food prices by taking your own in - nobody is stopping you from doing that and I didn't spend a penny on food or drink all weekend. As for the crowds, yes it does get busy in certain areas but for areas like the F1 paddock it pays to go straight there as soon as you arrive - I did that on Sunday and got to listen to the 300 SL being fired up
I suppose these are things you learn after going several times.
Arriving early also means you miss the traffic getting in, although I have to say I think the organisation of getting people in and out is about as good as it can be. Due to having to get back up north for work, I was part of the hoards who left after the shootout on Sunday afternoon and I was fearful of being stuck for ages, but I got out of the car park no problem with only a small amount of queuing on the roads heading away from the site (the A3/M25 was a different matter
).
As others have said, the opportunity to get close to such iconic and valuable cars is something you won't get anywhere else. I was able to listen to the owner of the blue McLaren F1 prototype talk about his experience owning the car - clearly an exceptionally wealthy guy but he was happy to stand next to the car and chat to plebs like me.
This year was the first time I have had Grandstand tickets and for the most part, I do think they're worth the money particularly on the Sunday when the action on the hill reaches its peak.
Having now been four times to FOS I think the only aspect you can argue has gone downhill is the quality of the manufacturer stands - I was disappointed in the size of the BMW M stand given they were the theme of this year's event, and as others have said the setup with the owners' grandstand meant you had no chance of getting on there without queuing for hours. IMO Jaguar Land Rover wiped the floor with all the other manufacturers, both with the number of cars on display and the fact they were offering two experiences (albeit pre-bookable only when in previous years you could just queue up).
Firstly, you can avoid the rip-off food prices by taking your own in - nobody is stopping you from doing that and I didn't spend a penny on food or drink all weekend. As for the crowds, yes it does get busy in certain areas but for areas like the F1 paddock it pays to go straight there as soon as you arrive - I did that on Sunday and got to listen to the 300 SL being fired up
I suppose these are things you learn after going several times. Arriving early also means you miss the traffic getting in, although I have to say I think the organisation of getting people in and out is about as good as it can be. Due to having to get back up north for work, I was part of the hoards who left after the shootout on Sunday afternoon and I was fearful of being stuck for ages, but I got out of the car park no problem with only a small amount of queuing on the roads heading away from the site (the A3/M25 was a different matter
).As others have said, the opportunity to get close to such iconic and valuable cars is something you won't get anywhere else. I was able to listen to the owner of the blue McLaren F1 prototype talk about his experience owning the car - clearly an exceptionally wealthy guy but he was happy to stand next to the car and chat to plebs like me.
This year was the first time I have had Grandstand tickets and for the most part, I do think they're worth the money particularly on the Sunday when the action on the hill reaches its peak.
Having now been four times to FOS I think the only aspect you can argue has gone downhill is the quality of the manufacturer stands - I was disappointed in the size of the BMW M stand given they were the theme of this year's event, and as others have said the setup with the owners' grandstand meant you had no chance of getting on there without queuing for hours. IMO Jaguar Land Rover wiped the floor with all the other manufacturers, both with the number of cars on display and the fact they were offering two experiences (albeit pre-bookable only when in previous years you could just queue up).
ridds said:
I'm a member of the GRRC and have been for many years now. GW is literally down the road from me and I usually attend most events.
Unfortunately, as you've found FoS just doesn't cut it for me anymore. When I do go, it's on the Thursday or Friday as those days are much quieter.
The content at FoS has also reduced considerably since Covid happened. Much fewer stands from manufacturers and trades.
Same with the Breakfast Club events. It's full of families now, not fellow car fanatics as it was when the Breakfast Clubs started.
Members Meeting and Revival is all I really attend now along with the quieter events that are held there.
Useful to know about the change in Breakfast events. Have been invited to display again but not interested in attending a Butlins environment. Thanks Unfortunately, as you've found FoS just doesn't cut it for me anymore. When I do go, it's on the Thursday or Friday as those days are much quieter.
The content at FoS has also reduced considerably since Covid happened. Much fewer stands from manufacturers and trades.
Same with the Breakfast Club events. It's full of families now, not fellow car fanatics as it was when the Breakfast Clubs started.
Members Meeting and Revival is all I really attend now along with the quieter events that are held there.
I attended on Friday, then watched much of the livestream over the weekend. On balance, I've decided that I won't be attending FoS, certainly next year. The traffic jams get the day off to a stressful start, especially when you know you're facing a similar thing in the evening at the end of a long day. Having not been to FoS since 2018 (or maybe even 2017?) I found the whole place to be busier and noisier than I remember. In particular, I hated the continuous tyre screeching coming from the Jaguar experience - it ruined that part of the site for me.
Mid-morning, I decided to take a tractor shuttle to the top of the hill, then gradually walk back down. I joined a long queue, with no shuttles in sight. Eventually one appeared and loaded - and it was apparent it would probably need at least another 3 or 4 before I stood a chance of getting on one - potentially a very long wait. I hadn't paid that much to get in to spend a significant chunk of it queuing for a tractor ride. In the end i walked to the top, and was glad I did - it was one place where there was actually space, and less continuous chaos and noise. However, the commentary wasn't working, which meant that if you were watching in the forest, and there was an incident to close the course, there was no way of knowing what was happening. That was the best part of the day though - a fabulous collection of rally cars, plus watching the supercars totally filling the top car park which made for an amazing sight.
Must confess I'm not a fan of all this drift stuff - I accept that plenty of people are, but it's not for me, and it's an ever increasing part of the event. It just shouts "environmentally unfriendly" at me though - I really don't see that it would help the general public's impression of motorsport if that saw it.
I was keen to watch the Red Arrows, and found myself near the front of the house at that time. Surely a prime place to watch? No - the "display line" was so far away that the planes disappeared behind trees for much of the time. I question the purpose of an air display where it's only those on the house balcony that can properly see - or are we all just paying indirectly for their entertainment?
Somehow I didn't enjoy it as much as I remember from years back - maybe I've changed, maybe the event has - I suspect it's a bit of both.
Mid-morning, I decided to take a tractor shuttle to the top of the hill, then gradually walk back down. I joined a long queue, with no shuttles in sight. Eventually one appeared and loaded - and it was apparent it would probably need at least another 3 or 4 before I stood a chance of getting on one - potentially a very long wait. I hadn't paid that much to get in to spend a significant chunk of it queuing for a tractor ride. In the end i walked to the top, and was glad I did - it was one place where there was actually space, and less continuous chaos and noise. However, the commentary wasn't working, which meant that if you were watching in the forest, and there was an incident to close the course, there was no way of knowing what was happening. That was the best part of the day though - a fabulous collection of rally cars, plus watching the supercars totally filling the top car park which made for an amazing sight.
Must confess I'm not a fan of all this drift stuff - I accept that plenty of people are, but it's not for me, and it's an ever increasing part of the event. It just shouts "environmentally unfriendly" at me though - I really don't see that it would help the general public's impression of motorsport if that saw it.
I was keen to watch the Red Arrows, and found myself near the front of the house at that time. Surely a prime place to watch? No - the "display line" was so far away that the planes disappeared behind trees for much of the time. I question the purpose of an air display where it's only those on the house balcony that can properly see - or are we all just paying indirectly for their entertainment?
Somehow I didn't enjoy it as much as I remember from years back - maybe I've changed, maybe the event has - I suspect it's a bit of both.
I've attended nearly every Festival. There is so much to do and see that it's inevitable some things won't be for everyone. I doubt there is a person on the planet who likes every aspect of the event. I'm not interested in off roaders or pushbikes but plenty are. No-one can be surprised at the traffic queues. It's no different at any event with tens of thousands of people and their cars. It's also avoidable. You just have to turn up early and leave early or late. Expensive food? Bring your own then.
I think it's incredible value for money. How much is one day at the British GP?
I think it's incredible value for money. How much is one day at the British GP?
Unreal said:
I've attended nearly every Festival. There is so much to do and see that it's inevitable some things won't be for everyone. I doubt there is a person on the planet who likes every aspect of the event. I'm not interested in off roaders or pushbikes but plenty are. No-one can be surprised at the traffic queues. It's no different at any event with tens of thousands of people and their cars. It's also avoidable. You just have to turn up early and leave early or late. Expensive food? Bring your own then.
I think it's incredible value for money. How much is one day at the British GP?
This.I think it's incredible value for money. How much is one day at the British GP?
I guess the nearest equivalent in the UK is the Silverstone Classic (not quite the same though). Expensive food? Tick. Traffic? Tick. Lots of people? Tick.
The key difference with the Classic is that kids and grandstands are free and you don’t get the sheer variety (from what I recall).
The prices keep most of the nobheads out so is worth paying.
None of the lifestyle brands interest me either but nosing round the RR stand a couple of years ago the guy invited me behind the ropes to sit in a few of their cars, I definitely don't own a Saville Row blazer so that was cool and very welcome.
I think it's probably the best motoring related event in the world, on balance.
None of the lifestyle brands interest me either but nosing round the RR stand a couple of years ago the guy invited me behind the ropes to sit in a few of their cars, I definitely don't own a Saville Row blazer so that was cool and very welcome.
I think it's probably the best motoring related event in the world, on balance.
I've been attending on the Friday since 2008 and went through a phase where I had similar views to the OP, I took a year or two off in 2015ish and now love it more than ever. I've also come to appreciate that there really is nothing else like it in the world and we're so, so lucky to have it here, even if it's not perfect. Having just been to Le Mans (which I loved) the organisation, facilities, guidance for the public etc at FoS absolutely wipe the floor with that!
I think the event is so overwhelmingly huge that you've got to go a few times to learn how to make it work for you. I can only usually go for a day so I've got no choice but to really focus in on what I want to do, and have learned over time to know where to go when to avoid the really busy periods.
I could rock up at 9am having sat in traffic for an hour, head to an unbelievably busy paddock just as the cars are leaving to take to the hill, queue for overpriced food at a peak time, visit the busiest toilets at the event and then not find anywhere to view the action and just generally have a horrible day. I can 100% appreciate that many people will have that experience and it can be quite hard to avoid.
For me...
Arrive at 6.30am
Paddocks 7am - 8.30am
Breakfast / loo
Manufacturer areas etc as slowly heading up the hill
Hill climb action towards the top end until early afternoon
Eat lunch that I brought with me
Rally stage once the hill becomes overwhelmingly busy
etc etc.
I spent £6 whilst in the event this year
Works like a dream and generally I'm going against the flow of foot traffic or avoiding it entirely. Pretty much the only thing that annoys me about FoS now is that quite a few cars in the paddock are still covered at 8am and gone. Nowhere near as bad as that used to be when Friday was the first day though.
I think the event is so overwhelmingly huge that you've got to go a few times to learn how to make it work for you. I can only usually go for a day so I've got no choice but to really focus in on what I want to do, and have learned over time to know where to go when to avoid the really busy periods.
I could rock up at 9am having sat in traffic for an hour, head to an unbelievably busy paddock just as the cars are leaving to take to the hill, queue for overpriced food at a peak time, visit the busiest toilets at the event and then not find anywhere to view the action and just generally have a horrible day. I can 100% appreciate that many people will have that experience and it can be quite hard to avoid.
For me...
Arrive at 6.30am
Paddocks 7am - 8.30am
Breakfast / loo
Manufacturer areas etc as slowly heading up the hill
Hill climb action towards the top end until early afternoon
Eat lunch that I brought with me
Rally stage once the hill becomes overwhelmingly busy
etc etc.
I spent £6 whilst in the event this year
Works like a dream and generally I'm going against the flow of foot traffic or avoiding it entirely. Pretty much the only thing that annoys me about FoS now is that quite a few cars in the paddock are still covered at 8am and gone. Nowhere near as bad as that used to be when Friday was the first day though.
Edited by ch37 on Thursday 30th June 10:50
My first time at FoS in many years and I loved it! Admittedly I was given a free ticket and had barely any sleep thanks to an early start and a very late night, but we parked nr the Molecomb entrance and so the first thing we saw when we walked in was the Porsche stand (and their coffee).
I had a delicious pizza (it should have been, for £12) for lunch, bumped into Marino Franchitti at the Singer stand (that Turbo Study is just heaven!) and nearly walked into Jackie Stewart later on.
We had no trouble leaving later that afternoon and in between I saw everything from CanAm cars to Nige in Red 5, George Russell in his current car, the McMurtry anti-physics car bombing up the hill - and a load of McLaren F1s. And the Red Arrows. And a Rolls Royce only an influencer would buy!
So much variety and so much enthusiasm. Yes it was busy and yes it's expensive - obscenely so in some cases - but I can't think of any other event where you'd be able to see and get so close to such a variety of incredible cars.
PS - one great moment I witnessed was in the race car paddock. I was taking a pic of the 956 and 962 side by side and a young lad was introduced to one of the guys looking after him, who promptly opened the door, told the kid how to get in and hey presto - he's sat behind the wheel of a Le Mans-winning Porsche! Only at Goodwood...
I had a delicious pizza (it should have been, for £12) for lunch, bumped into Marino Franchitti at the Singer stand (that Turbo Study is just heaven!) and nearly walked into Jackie Stewart later on.
We had no trouble leaving later that afternoon and in between I saw everything from CanAm cars to Nige in Red 5, George Russell in his current car, the McMurtry anti-physics car bombing up the hill - and a load of McLaren F1s. And the Red Arrows. And a Rolls Royce only an influencer would buy!
So much variety and so much enthusiasm. Yes it was busy and yes it's expensive - obscenely so in some cases - but I can't think of any other event where you'd be able to see and get so close to such a variety of incredible cars.
PS - one great moment I witnessed was in the race car paddock. I was taking a pic of the 956 and 962 side by side and a young lad was introduced to one of the guys looking after him, who promptly opened the door, told the kid how to get in and hey presto - he's sat behind the wheel of a Le Mans-winning Porsche! Only at Goodwood...
I had my first visit on the Friday session, was in my view fantastic! Yes the drinks and food were overpriced, but what major event isn't? I did see some of the elitist types spoken about, however the only time it bothered me was when it came to leave over the bridge and they couldn't queue with everyone else pushing in at the front.. It still felt like a very welcoming event overall and I will be going back next year.
With last year's event being a post-Covid 'tester', there were far less people in attendance, albeit there were also less displays and stalls.
This year it felt like there was more than double the number of visitors which made it felt claustrophobic at times. Certainly where the F1 cars were based, you simply couldn't move.
It hasn't stopped me from wanting to go next year (where else in the world can you see such a staggering array of top motoring history in one place) but, if I do nothing else, I'll certainly be enquiring about a couple of grandstand seats at Molecomb for the shoot out.
This year it felt like there was more than double the number of visitors which made it felt claustrophobic at times. Certainly where the F1 cars were based, you simply couldn't move.
It hasn't stopped me from wanting to go next year (where else in the world can you see such a staggering array of top motoring history in one place) but, if I do nothing else, I'll certainly be enquiring about a couple of grandstand seats at Molecomb for the shoot out.
Edited by SS2. on Friday 1st July 11:34
I love the FoS. It's the one 'must not miss' event for me each year. I usually go for a couple of days and always get grandstand tickets so there's somewhere to sit down (and shelter from the sun/rain), that really would be my top tip.
There's so much to see and appreciate, and I've found that people are always friendly and approachable. I pick out the things I'm interested in and ignore the rest. There's nowhere else on earth like it.
There's so much to see and appreciate, and I've found that people are always friendly and approachable. I pick out the things I'm interested in and ignore the rest. There's nowhere else on earth like it.
I’ve attended the f o s virtually every year since it started. In the last five years I’ve marshalled and spectated this year no exception.
Im interested reading the reports but as it’s been said I always arrive early ( obviously when marshalling) but on spectating day, take own food and drink and then decide what I want to see and that which I don’t. I imagine as the event has grown the idea of introducing all and somewhat different forms / displays of motorsport is to be expected. The range of retail stalls is always of interest albeit some don’t appeal to me personally. To sum up I look at it as a very much as a want to do event but take from it what works for you.
Im interested reading the reports but as it’s been said I always arrive early ( obviously when marshalling) but on spectating day, take own food and drink and then decide what I want to see and that which I don’t. I imagine as the event has grown the idea of introducing all and somewhat different forms / displays of motorsport is to be expected. The range of retail stalls is always of interest albeit some don’t appeal to me personally. To sum up I look at it as a very much as a want to do event but take from it what works for you.
As always I loved my time at Goodwood for this years fos. I totally understand what the OP is saying but as a life long petrol head theres just nothing else that comes close to satisfying my car cravings than the fos.
What would I like to see improved?
More bridges over the track. There were big ques especially at the start line bridge and the marshalls were getting a little impatient with some people who were trying to push in. At one point the que to cross was all the way to the back of the supercar paddock.
More choice of food and at more managable prices for the great unwashed. I bought my own this year as I learnt the hard way from previous years.
I have never had a problem with finding somewhere to sit as im not agains just sitting on the grass and there was a lot of that.
Having been almost every year you learn where and when are the best places and times to be. This year I was one of the first in on Sunday and went straight to the F1 paddock as it always rammed in the middle of the day. On the way I met Gordon Murray looking around a couple of Mclaren F1's. He was nice enough to stop for a chat and and an autograph. That was one of the highlights of the festival for me. Theres no where else in the world that would happen which is why I will be there again next year.
What would I like to see improved?
More bridges over the track. There were big ques especially at the start line bridge and the marshalls were getting a little impatient with some people who were trying to push in. At one point the que to cross was all the way to the back of the supercar paddock.
More choice of food and at more managable prices for the great unwashed. I bought my own this year as I learnt the hard way from previous years.
I have never had a problem with finding somewhere to sit as im not agains just sitting on the grass and there was a lot of that.
Having been almost every year you learn where and when are the best places and times to be. This year I was one of the first in on Sunday and went straight to the F1 paddock as it always rammed in the middle of the day. On the way I met Gordon Murray looking around a couple of Mclaren F1's. He was nice enough to stop for a chat and and an autograph. That was one of the highlights of the festival for me. Theres no where else in the world that would happen which is why I will be there again next year.
EVOTECH3BELL said:
The timing of the screens vs the commentary was a joke. Seems to get worse every year.
We normally enjoy the rally stage but again the commentary wasn't working at all. Spoke to some of the drivers up there and they said it had been on and off all weekend.
While I'm on the rally stage, they had decided to run it backwards this year. This was due to a TV event that happened a few weeks ago, which ended up being run backwards for better shots. This is fine but goodwood didn't think to change the location of the start and finish grandstand. This meant you couldn't see the start line at all, and having a big empty grandstand about 20m after the finish.
New company doing the TV this year, A few teething problems with screens/PA... We normally enjoy the rally stage but again the commentary wasn't working at all. Spoke to some of the drivers up there and they said it had been on and off all weekend.
While I'm on the rally stage, they had decided to run it backwards this year. This was due to a TV event that happened a few weeks ago, which ended up being run backwards for better shots. This is fine but goodwood didn't think to change the location of the start and finish grandstand. This meant you couldn't see the start line at all, and having a big empty grandstand about 20m after the finish.
The rally stage was planned to be ran in reverse about 9 months ago to spice it up! It had been the same the past few years and few I mean about 20! But when we showed up to set up the stage it seems they copied and pasted the other bits from last year. Which was a shame.
I'd say we will change it back next year and maybe change it every other year from now on as it worked fairly well.
Most years they do promo videos with cars running backwards/forwards all over the place so that wouldn't decide they would change. Remember its a propper rally stage so all paperwork/diagrams need to be signed off by Motorsport UK months in advance.
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