CarFest moved to Silverstone race circuit this year – held across the three day August bank holiday weekend, with a sparkling lineup of live music including Sir Tom Jones, Jessie J, and Sugababes, plus many celebrity appearances and maybe a few surprises too.
Previously based at Laverstoke Farm in Hampshire – a 2,500 acre farm owned by ex-racing driver and 1979 Formula 1 World Champion Jody Scheckter – it’s home since TV and radio presenter Chris Evans began the UK’s biggest children’s charity family fundraising festival in 2012 – before a move to its new home in Northamptonshire.
Carfest, presented by BP Pulse is far more than just the live music on several stages, this is a very family friendly eclectic arts festival with authors, chefs, comedians, actors, athletes, and many celebrity appearances across the event.
Not forgetting the HUGE appeal for petrolheads with cars galore on and off the track, from vintage to rare and lots of valuable supercars, and many famous faces from the motoring world. Richard “Hamster” Hammond from Top Gear and The Grand Tour for one.
CarFest’s children’s charity partners include BBC Children in Need, Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, Rainbow Trust, Starlight Children’s Foundation, Teenage Cancer Trust and Young Epilepsy, continuing its charity mission to help vulnerable children, and it has which raised in excess of £27M so far. 10% of every CarFest ticket and 100% of profits go to supporting the wide range of UK charities, along with money raised through on-site fundraising initiatives at CarFest 2026.
Day 1 the weather forecast was all doom and gloom. Rain, wind and thunder storms. But, while many other parts of the UK were wetter than a Dolphin’s duvet; Reading Festival a mud bath, and some events called off, Silverstone escaped the worst of it, apart from a few scattered showers and ominous dark clouds.
Today we caught: Jessie J, Sophie Ellis Bextor, The George Michael Singers, Smith & Liddle, Chris Evans, Tom Kerridge, Lee Mack, chef Cyrus Todiwala – and some on-track cars action.
Silverstone offers a vast space to host the multiple areas, (Star, Spa, Food, Kids, Retrofest plus the Music stage and lots and lots of cars. Kids and adults alike will never get bored here; if you want to buy a skateboard, drool over cars worth millions or even go see Santa (Yepp, he is here, perhaps scoping out a new souped up sleigh!) it is all here. For the kids there’s plenty going on, with the chance to meet all their favourite TV characters, workshops and loads of activities.
Food fest offers the chance to watch, listen and engage with a variety of chefs, cooking demonstrations and talks. There’s even the chance to join in and have a go at cooking at ‘The Big BBQ cookout’. There’s plenty of stalls selling a range of tasty food of every variety. For the reading enthusiast there’s ‘The authors stage’ and opportunities to attend book signings and talks. After a busy day and aching limbs there’s the SPA fest area where you can get a massage, listen to a sound bath or join in for a bit of yoga or pilates.
Chris came on to the main stage with 12-year-old Luke Mortimer, and Luke’s dad to talk about their fundraising event “Luke’s Big Push”, where a car will be pushed for 131 miles from Sheffield Children’s Hospital to Silverstone circuit.
Luke tragically lost part of his arms and legs due to meningitis in December 2019.
This cheeky chappie enjoyed calling out into the crowd for everyone to get on their phones and donate £1 to the cause, and help them raise reach their £10,000 target. Luke joked that if the crowd didn’t all donate now, Sophie Ellis Bextor would not come out on stage.
She did! Dancing across the stage in sparkling pink outfit with a long fringe, the sun making a final appearance of the day for Sophie’s set. She tells the crowd it’s good to be back and that she’s here with her family today. Her husband Richard Jones is in her band and he is a member of The Feeling too. They have been married for 21 years and have five children.
Sophie tells us that her seven-year-old son says he wants to be a race car driver when he grows up, and she asks if there are any race car driver mothers in the audience that can advise her on how to cope with the worry!
Sophie’s set always creates a giant disco vibe, harking back to her famed on-line “Kitchen Disco” live streams during Covid lockdown. Lots of dancing in the crowd here and of course we get to hear her biggest hit, “Murder On The Dancefloor” in what is probably the best set of the day for me and many others.
CarFest 2026 day 1 headliner Jessie J. Where you ask? Cannot see her, right? That is because sadly we were not allowed to photograph Jessie J at CarFest, but here is a shot of her from a previous show – taken by our good friend and contributing snapper, Jason Sheldon.
But Jessie delivered a sparkling performance as always, to close the proceedings on Friday at Silverstone. One of the best vocalists from the UK for decades. Great pop songwriter too.
After the house DJ James Carpenter warms up the crowd, on the main stage Chris Evan’s introduces the first act, The George Michael Singers. Unfortunately, the rain has returned and although it’s not pouring, it is worthy of an umbrella. Chris calls to the crowd: “Loud music will chase the rain away”. Not really Chris.
The trio of Jo Garland, Shirley Lewis and Jay Henry arrive with coordinated white outfits and encourage the crowd “to pretend it’s sunny out there”. These three have all sung backing vocals live and on records with George Michael, and now pay homage to the late great star, performing a greatest hits set of his songs.
Jo Garland introduces her two colleagues and explains that collectively they have been with George since the beginning, recording or touring. She states they are not a tribute band, but they do pay tribute to their “dear boss and friend who we miss dearly”.
Every note they sing is “a love note to George, and while he is no longer with us, he is here in spirit”. It is a classy and respectful performance, which includes what the crowd are told was George’s favourite Wham! song: “Everything She Wants”.
Chris Evans joins the trio and their superb band on stage after their set, with: “what a great way that was to kick off the main stage”. He asks them what George was like to work with: “Amazing and the funniest guy….”.
For those seeking live music and the chance to see and hear artists who may become big time stars in the future, The Wigwam stage s set up to the side of ‘The Barfest Arms,’ a semi-enclosed bar/seating area with benches lining the area around the stage.
This magazine’s album of the year for 2025 was “Songs For The Desert” by Smith and Liddle, a really beautiful record. The original songs. The to-die-for lush close harmonies. The guitar work. The production.
A young duo whose retro sound nods heavily to 1970s West Coast soul and AOR; an unashamedly bucket full of nostalgia harking back to legendary stars of Laurel Canyon; to Fleetwood Mac and to the likes of America, The Doobie Brothers and Crosby, Stills and Nash.
But these gifted guys are not from across the pond at all; nope. UK duo Smith and Liddle are Billy Smith and Elizabeth Liddle from the Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire area. Today they are on the Wigwam stage mins their usual band; just Elizabeth on keyboards and Billy on acoustic guitar, both share vocals, delivering a set of their own songs.
Sadly, their gorgeous vocal harmonies on the record and the fragility and beauty of their songs is hampered by two things: 1. Poor sound. 2. Rude people chatting loudly. So best advice: Go find their album and thank me later!
Fashion influencer, stylist, TV presenter and occassional chef Gok Wan delivers his DJ set on the main stage, and the lighting effects are more visible now it is getting darker. After Sophie’s dance-inducing set, the crowd up well for another boogie to Gok’s playlist.
Big crowds for Lee Mack’s appearance on the StarFest stage, talking about 20 years of his hit TV comedy series “Not Going Out”, and for the cookery demonstrations from Tom Kerridge, and from Cyrus Todiwala; Tom also doing an on-stage interview with Mark Webb at the Author’s stage. Some exciting on-track racing too on day 1, to keep the petrol heads happy.
Tomorrow (Saturday) is another star-studded day, with Sir Tom Jones headlining, and many other big names appearing such as The Sugababes, James Morrison, Huey Morgan, Rick Parfitt Jr.,Joe Wicks, Dame Pru Leith, Richard Hammond, Ricky and Melvin, and many more.
Sunday is the turn of Nile Rodgers & Chic to headline, with a cracking supporting cast including Rick Astley, Gabrielle, The Proclaimers, and the likes of Victoria Pendleton, and Suzie Dent among the celebrities appearing.
Photos by Liam Battersby
[Jessie J photo by Jason Sheldon ]
Words by Kerry Louise
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