MotoFest Coventry and Jubilee Church Coventry put on a sell-out Christmas carols drive-in concert for music fans on Saturday and Sunday night. Over 100 vehicles attended the events at Millennium Place in the city centre to see musician Rob Halligan and his band play some festive favourites.

The event included a mixture of Rob Halligan originals, traditional festive hymns such as Come All Ye Faithful and pop songs such as Slade’s Merry Xmas Everybody.

Rob told Coventry Live: “It was so good to be part of a live music event after the year that we’ve had. It’s been nine months since we went into the first lockdown and so this was a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.”

“I was wondering what it would be like, performing to an audience stuck in their cars, but the response, lights and horns was incredible, and you could see people were having a great time.”

“I’m massively grateful to MotoFest for sticking their neck out to put this on. So many people put a lot into this to make it happen – it means a lot to people to be doing this kind of thing.”

James Noble MotoFest Founder and Festival Director said “We had to do something after the year we have all had. Tier 3 allows drive in events and so bringing a bit of Christmas joy to people was too good an opportunity to miss. Many people have asked us to make MotoFest Drive In Carols an annual event; pandemic or not!

The event closed with a festive number written by the musician, it can be downloaded for free here.

The main MotoFest festival welcomed 229,232 visitors over 2 days in 2019 and recent independent research by Coventry University showed the event provided an economic uplift of £10.4 million to Coventry over the festival weekend. The festival will be back on the 4^th – 6^th June 2021 as the first large event in Coventry’s year as City of Culture.

Almost 450 heritage organisations in England, including MotoFest Coventry have been awarded cash from the first round of the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage.

This financial boost from the government, thanks to the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund will help MotoFest Coventry and many more projects across the country through the coronavirus pandemic.

2020 has been a difficult year for all events and heritage organisations. MotoFest Coventry was no exception, with the postponement of their June 2020 automotive-themed, cultural festival.

MotoFest Coventry is one of 433 organisations who will receive a share of £67 million from the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage to help with costs for operating and recovery.

MotoFest celebrates Coventry’s influence worldwide, past, present and future, on two wheels and four. The weekend long festival mixes live motorsport with heritage vehicle displays, music, food and film.

James Noble, Festival Director said:

“This government funding allows us to start planning for a Covid secure festival in 2021. We are delighted that the government have recognised the important work that MotoFest Coventry does in protecting and showcasing our mobile heritage.”

“MotoFest Coventry is unique in demonstrating the significant role that automotive heritage plays in providing a context for future transport innovation.”

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said:

“As a nation it is essential that we preserve our heritage and celebrate and learn from our past. This massive support package will protect our shared heritage for future generations, save jobs and help us prepare for a cultural bounce back post Covid.”

Duncan Wilson, Historic England’s Chief Executive said:

“The funding is an essential lifeline for our heritage and the people who work tirelessly to conserve it for us all, so that we can hand it on to future generations.”

Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive of the National Lottery Heritage Fund said:

“It is absolutely right that investing in heritage should be a priority during this crisis and this support by Government is crucial.  Heritage creates jobs and economic prosperity, is a major driver for tourism and makes our towns, cities, and rural areas better places to live.  All of this is so important for our wellbeing and will be particularly vital when we start to emerge from this incredibly difficult time.

“Our heritage is still facing a perilous future – we are not out of the woods yet. But this hugely welcome funding from Government, and the money we continue to invest from the National Lottery, has undoubtedly stopped heritage and the organisations that care for it being permanently lost.”

MotoFest Coventry was founded in 2014 and has run annually until the hiatus caused by the Covid 19 pandemic. In 2019, MotoFest had a footfall of 229,000 individuals over the two day festival weekend, making it one of the largest and most important automotive events in the country.

The streets of Coventry rose once more with an exciting Covid secure automotive event, the Shakespeare Run – Revival, organised and run by the Coventry MotoFest team. As Saturday 26^th September rolled around, classic, vintage and veteran vehicles and motorcycles from across the region took to the streets of Coventry. The Run began on the Coventry Ring Road for a mobile start to enable compliance with current Covid-19 government guidelines. At 10.30am the Shakespeare Run – Revival left on a pre-planned, beautifully scenic route through Brinkford, Bretford, Princethorpe, Long Itchington, Offchurch, Cubbington, Beausale and finally back to Coventry through stunning Kenilworth via the Castle.

The Run was organised as the first Club MotoFest event. Club MotoFest is a new members club launched in June 2020, to bring together our thousands of MotoFest fans and publicise the return of the festival in June 2021.

Festival Director, James Noble said: “The Run has been an amazing success. Being able to organise and carry out a Covid-compliant event was a logistical triumph, of both the team and the participants. It was wonderful to bring a bit of joy to participants and onlookers.”

The specialist vehicle recovery operators, Carman Recovery,  were on hand to assist if there were any issues or breakdowns. Magnificently with the array of 66 classic vehicles and motorcycles, no recovery assistance was required.

The sunny but chilly day brought out a variety of vehicles from open top MGs to Lotus Sunbeams and Rolls Royces. With many taking part in the organiser’s anagram puzzle to win free entry to the next Club MotoFest event.

With so much positive feedback, the Coventry MotoFest team hope to run more Shakespeare Run – Revival type events in the near future with less restrictions. The events are designed to bring people together and celebrate Coventry and the automotive innovations from the past, present and future.

To get involved, sign up for free to Club MotoFest and receive the latest event related news.

Club MotoFest – https://bit.ly/2Ff50Q8

Facebook – @CovMotoFest

Instagram – @CovMotoFest

Twitter – @CovMotoFest

Website – https://www.coventrymotofest.com/

Coventry MotoFest may have been postponed until 4 – 6^th June 2021, but that does not mean all the action has to stop.  The team behind the much loved Coventry MotoFest event have been working hard to organise a Covid secure event for their Club MotoFest members.  Introducing the Shakespeare Run – Revival which has taken inspiration from the traditional Coventry Shakespeare Run, celebrating the motoring heritage of Coventry’s automotive industries.

How to get involved

The Shakespeare Run – Revival is an exclusive event aimed at Club MotoFest members. All members are able to register their classic, vintage and veteran cars, motorcycles and vehicles, aged 30 years and older, through the MotoFest website.

Where and when

The Shakespeare Run – Revival is on Saturday 26^th September 2020 and will take a drive (or ride) out through Coventry and the stunning scenery of the South Warwickshire countryside. More details on the event will be communicated to participants closer to the event itself.

Covid Secure

The Run will operate as a Covid secure event and feature an innovative mobile start and finish with no static displays, avoiding the possibility of crowds. Participants will be encouraged to stay within their vehicles and be advised on bringing Covid protection in case there is a need to stop.

For more information please visit – https://www.coventrymotofest.com/the-shakespeare-run-revival/

To register for the event please visit – https://www.coventrymotofest.com/the-shakespeare-run—revival-application/

Coventry’s prominent MotoFest event may be postponed to 2021, but fans can still get in on the action. The MotoFest team have been working hard from their new home offices to deliver a brand-new experience: Club MotoFest. The club brings the most dedicated fans a range of benefits, including exclusive member only events, discounts from sponsors and a monthly newsletter – all for free.

Exclusive Discounts

To sweeten the deal, members are entitled to a 25% discount on all Power Maxed products, as well as massive discounts on Pro-GreenMX, Old Hall Performance, Rugby Shot Blasting, Electric Zoo and Spec Prep products and services.

Director James Noble said: “We are proud to work with our longstanding sponsors, born and bred in Coventry, to bring our dedicated supporters a host of exclusive benefits all for free during these trying times and inspire hope and confidence in the festival as we gear up for 2021”.

More to come

As the UK adjusts to social distancing, the team is hard at work to bring even more benefits to dedicated club members. In the lead to what would have been this year’s MotoFest, the team created a virtual concours on their Facebook page. The competition, in partnership with the Association of Heritage Engineers, took place over four weeks showing the finest vehicles from pre-war through iconic classics to modern vehicles. Hugh Conway, Chairman of The Bugatti Trust, said the following of the concours:

“The Coventry Concours featured a brilliant display of cars with a tenacious link to British engineering and indeed a celebration of the heritage and culture, past and present of Coventry”.

Each of the five winners received a Golden Ticket guaranteeing their vehicle a place at the inaugural Coventry Concours event at MotoFest Coventry 2021 and two admissions to the Bugatti Trust Museum and Study Centre, courtesy of Angela Hucke Curator.

MotoFest and Coventry

MotoFest celebrates Coventry’s motoring heritage and drives a profit to the city’s economy. Club MotoFest allows the team to give back to the community, supporting the local brands which would have attended this year’s festival, boosting the local economy and their brand recognition. In 2018, the Coventry BID estimated MotoFest contributed an astounding £10 million to the local economy. In 2019, the festival propelled past previous years, attracting an unbelievable 229,292 visitors, raising the profile of the city and bringing about hope.

Even though MotoFest Coventry 2020 has been postponed, there is a new way to keep close to MotoFest, even in this time of social distancing. The MotoFest team have been working hard from their new home offices, to bring together the brand new – Club MotoFest.

Club MotoFest will bring club members a monthly newsletter with previews of MotoFest activities and events before the public find out. Along with amazing benefits including being invited to four exclusive membership only events per year and discounts from their sponsors, partners and exhibitors.

Edition one of Club MotoFest News is published this Saturday giving information and exclusive membership only discounts from MotoFest exhibitors including Pro-GreenMX, Old Hall Performance and Life-Line Fire, Power Maxed, Rugby Shot Blasting and Spec Prep.

Club MotoFest member are invited to the first exclusive members event; a live webinar with the MotoFest team, some of the Coventry Concours celebrity judges, and the Association of Heritage Engineers. After watching the results of Coventry Concours this Sunday (7th June) at 5.30pm on MotoFest Coventry social media, head over for the live zoom webinar. Members will receive the log in code in the first edition of Club MotoFest News this Saturday.